Some pictures of my progress

 This is the Oeillets doily, with all the small motifs. I haven't done anything for a while.

 The gilt frame is finished, ends and all. Now, what to do with it?

 These are my first sea horses, from Jane's lovely pattern. The first one I did, the tail went the wrong way, but the second one is fine. These are made in DMC pearl size 8, which I have never used before, and are for David. His father's regiment had a sea horse motif, and he has asked for more of these. The pattern is quite simple, but the beads make it a little bit fiddly. Still, I don't think it will be too much to make him another three.

I am showing this edging from the booklet, for Tattingrid, who is looking for hanky edgings. This one is in the vintage DMC 70 thread, and I think it would look good on a handkerchief. There isn't a corner in the book, I would think it would be possible to do one, though.

Trying to keep up to date

I am trying to keep tatting, and reading the forum on In-tatters has been quite good motivation. I thought it would be a good idea to challenge myself to post once a week, no matter what I had or had not achieved. So please don't be surprised that nothing much has changed since last time. :)

 So the gilt frame has moved a few repeats, still four more to do.

 The Oeillets doily has now five small and two large carnation motifs added to the centre.At first I thought it would be best to work the motifs one by one but I soon discovered it would be best to do the small motifs first and add the longer ones afterwards.

Look what arrived in the post! Another package from les Greniers de BD, a box of thread, and this lovely original booklet from the  1920's.

a page of patterns

a page of edgings

Look at these plates, I want to try some of these patterns very soon.

Trying out some vintage thread

Wandering around the net I came upon this site selling thread. I couldn't resist buying some even though it works out quite expensive, because I have more balls than I can ever use! Still, the first box turned up last week.

 These are DMC 70 in mysotis (forget me not). I saw on In-tatters that 70 was the same size as 80 in an older scale, and it certainly would seem that way. It matches with the pink I bought at the brocante, so maybe I need to find a way of using them together....

In the package was also some Cartier Bresson fil au fouet size 60. I don't think it is such a good tatting thread, but to be sure I began a doiley with it.

Here are the first three rounds of "Oeillets" from one of my french tatting books.

I am also making the celtic edging from Rozella Linden's book, but have stopped for the moment, as I need to join a new thread.... Here it is from a photo I took last week, but I have got a bit further now. The thread is "Golden Glow" and was a present from Lace-making librarian. I feel that the combination gives the impression of a gilt picture frame, no?

Blogging again

I have been offline for several weeks....things have been a bit crappy. I didn't feel like talking to anyone, but as my job requires me to do so, I just avoided the computer as much as possible instead! I did tat though, it is good therapy for shattered nerves, I think.
I completed the jewelled square, with Miranda's thread and Fox's beads.

Pascale Provost's pattern 'Pétalite'

There was enough thread left on the shuttles to make the oval rose from Sharon's book.

Sharon Brigg's pattern 'Oval Rose'

I then decided, inspired by the pretty beads to make a gecko in the brown and green thread. I wound too much onto my shuttles, and so I made two of them! I am always getting the pattern slightly wrong, so even though I now have three they are all different!

Jane Eborall's pattern, 'Pamela's gecko'

I have at last finished my lace pillow and actually made a little sample of lace on it. This pattern is very simple, and is made in DMC 80.

I love the way cats are always so helpful.

not sure why there's such a big gap under this picture, oh the mysteries of 'Blogger'

This is the edging once it has been removed from the pillow.

I have also been tatting an edging, Mary Konior's 'Maids of honour', which is a good one to do because one shuttle goes a long, long way. I have done all this and have still a nearly full Shuttleshop shuttle, (which means it's not the biggest one I have.) David's daughter is getting married next year, and a tatted handkerchief seems to be called for, so I will probably use this pattern for that, only in white of course.

Mary Konior's pattern 'Maids of Honour', first row.

I have been making things...except nothing seems quite finished!

After the lace class I wanted to have my own traveling roller pillow, and when I asked Elly where she bought hers from she said she made them. She said she didn't have a pattern, she just made it up with bits she had around, so I juggled some ideas around on an envelope, and with much help from David, I made this! (For some reason I cannot get the photos to stay where I want them today!)

This is what it looked like once it had been stuffed with straw.

This is the basic wooden framework.

Another view of the stuffed frame.

And here we are with the beginnings of the fabric cover, and the roller, covered with an old felted sweater.

I have also been trying the new threads I received via the thread exchange. This square lacks the final round, because I find split chains so difficult! I have decided to cut and tie, after making two really miserable attempts on the first two rounds.

Magnolia HDT made into Meadow Square from the book by Sharon Briggs.

This "star" from Mary Konior's Tatting Patterns is made from Pear Glacé sent by Miranda.

Trying to tat with beads.

Fox very kindly sent some beads and a threader thing, so despite the fact I am not very good at that sort of thing I began this motif by Pascale Provost...it is made in the size 80 Majestic colour Teal from Miranda. I think the beads compliment the colour very well. :) Despite the threader, (which I lost, when we had a thunderstorm and I had to bring my stuff in, in a hurry) I find wriggling the beads onto the picots extremely fiddly, I can't help feeling I must be doing it wrong.

Camomile from Tatting Patterns by Mary Konior

This edging is called Camomile, and is made using some vintage thread I found on a market stall. It is DMC special dentelles size 70, and a pretty pinky colour. I bought several threads, but when I looked at them once I was home I wasn't sure how useful any of them might be for tatting. Still, I will probably try them all in time.

My first ever lace lesson!

Today at Caniac le Causse I met with four other keen lacemaking students for a day of learning picots with Elly, our teacher.

For some reason I can't write beneath the photos, so I hope no-one needs any explanations.
The day was wonderful, we sat upstairs in the morning, learning three methods of doing picots, then ate a delicious lunch outside, a carrot flan with Cabecou goat's cheese drizzled with saffron oil, green salad with a sprig of fennel, whole walnuts, cherries, pears and cocktail tomatoes. (All local produce) For pudding I had lemon cake, and to drink, home made iced tea with lemon.
In the afternoon we sat under the trees and did various samples, Marie-Amelie did two! My piece is the one on its own...I finished last. :(
My tatting was admired and the others voiced an interest in learning how to do it, so maybe we can organise a tatting day sometime soon.

Getting it wrong

I haven't been doing much tatting recently, but I have finished my edging for the sachet. Of course making the actual sachet hasn't yet come to pass! Then I had another go at one of Sharon's patterns. And got it wrong. :(
This was going to be the square motif, but for a square the rose needed eight petals. I didn't work that out until I was working the green bit and needed to make a corner. The problem for me is I tend to glance at a pattern and memorise it, because I don't like carrying books around, but some patterns need a bit more concentration than that. Still, this result is pretty enough, and I know where I went wrong for next time.

On Saturday I have a lace workshop, which I am really looking forward to. We are making lace straps, for a top. I will take my camera.

I may regret this but....

I may regret this because I am bidding on a couple of items, but this lady is selling off tatting and lacemaking stuff, and no-one seems to be bidding. Perhaps one of my readers might be interested?

A new book, and a new thread.

After reading a post by Sharon I decided to buy her book "Marvellous Motifs" and it arrived on Saturday. I discovered that the patterns were quite challenging, but that is good. My first effort was a rose, which was also a way of emptying shuttles. I then tried the first motif...but misread the pattern.
I will be trying again once I have emptied the shuttles. Watch this space!

This edging is from Mary Konior's Visual Patterns, and is called Asters. The thread is one dyed for me by Frances. It doesn't have a name, but I would call it "Woodland Path". I think I might try making a gecko in this thread, once I have finished the edging.

I am planning to use it to edge a little sachet like Tatskool did in this post...well I have to make a sachet, yet, so don't hold your breath!

Good news, for me

I went to a sheep fair on Sunday...and there was a lacemaker there! I was really pleased, she teaches, and is prepared to give me lessons. Look at this lace, made with wool. It is a special wool that hasn't been carded, and so it isn't as elastic as normal wool.

This is similar to Honiton, or perhaps it is Honiton, we couldn't discuss it at the time, but I am so happy to think I will at last be able to improve my lacemaking!

And this is a little motif in the Peace HDT, but it still isn't the right colour. The motif is called "Rose des Vents" which seemed suitable.

Finished Libra doily

Last night I finally finished this doily. It is an interesting design, because it has eleven repeats. On the whole circular designs are based around even numbers, so not only an odd number, but a prime number seems an interesting choice.

As I said previously, the name seems astrological and that would be another reason to choose twelve repeats, still, here it is, as designed. The thread is beautiful and I wish I had a better scanner to show the colours. I had just enough to complete this design, which added to the fun. I always tat faster when I am running out of thread, does anyone else do that?

Oh noes!

I often read about people's tatting corner, and Tatting Tea Tuesday, and feel quite sad that I can't share in the fun. I tat where I can, and Tuesday is always a working day as the new arrivals come that day. Still, after lunch today I took my cup of tea into the garden with my shuttles and settled in a patch of sunshine.

Raphael was with me, and he took a couple of pictures of me at work.... and I look like an old lady! When did that happen, I still feel young, but I look positively ancient.

Collar, mark 2, and a doily

I had a quiet day at work on Monday and so I finally finished mark 2 of the collar, and sewed it on to an old cardigan. I have never actually worn my own work before and feel a bit embarrassed about it. Still, I am showing you guys, and if it looks too awful I can always remove it!


Then I started a doily in "Stardate". This doily is called "Libra" and is from the first book by Pascal Provost.

Actually the French for the astrological sign is 'Balance' so it doesn't really have much relevance. All this reminds me of the time when Raphael, aged about 8, appeared one morning and said;
"So, David, what are you?"
"What am I what?"
"Well, like Taurus, Herpes, Pisces...you know."
"Er, Herpes isn't a sign..."
"What is it then?"
"Generally it's a sexually transmitted disease..."

Actually Raph was born at the end of December, which makes him a Capricorn, and pretty difficult to live with. As we keep reminding him, Jesus was a Capricorn and they ended up crucifying him!
Of course, I'm only teasing, I don't believe in Astrology...well, I'm an Aquarius and we aren't quite as gullible as the other signs. :P