Quick catch up

Sorry for the infrequent posts. My computer time has been dedicated to getting my newsletter out. I've had the roof leak 4 times this month because of ice build up. It's not the ice, it's the melting that's caused the problems and mopping up wet carpets takes up a lot of my leisure time, that and spending the last 3 days taking the car into the garage for various repairs. I'm doing a quick (it's taken me 2 days to get through it) run by all the blogs to update things or it will really get ahead of me. So here's a quick peek at what's been going on and I know that there have been more things added since I started, but I'll catch them on the next dash around as I have to do this quick and go shovel the snow.

Ruth has a brain teaser on her blog. In response to the question how do you re-create a crocheted bullion stitch, Ruth has posted a picture. Now she has us guessing as to how she did it.

Clyde has tatted Jane Eborall's dolphin in a variegated blue Altin Basak thread that was sent to him by Patsy Goodman as part of the thread exchange. Don't you just love Jane's patterns?

Mark has been busy making costumes, but he squeaked out enough time to create a split ring ground diamonds in the center with a row of ring and chains and an outer row of zigzag chain with rings thrown on either side strip of tatting to be used on a cell phone cover. He'll be teaching it at the Spring Fling in April.
Kathy has 2 new motives posted. The first is a pattern from the September 1954 Workbasket and she used Rainbow Linen thread for it, which she found difficult to use. I don't think I've ever heard anyone find linen thread easy to work with in shuttle tatting. The second motif is from the October 1950 Workbasket and it was done in size 40 Olympus thread.
Elizabeth has been incredibly busy since the challenge started in August. A new baby when you already home school 2 little ones will do that, so it's taken her a while to get going but now that she's found some time she has posted her first 7 motives. She began with a ring and chain doodle of her own design in a lovely variegated pink thread, next is a blue edging from a Mildred Shire Clark video and a fan in matching blue from Craftown.com, then a pair of purple medallions from the DMC Tatting booklet, followed by a bright yellow medallion and edging also from the DMC booklet.

Maria has added 4 new motives to her blog. She was having trouble posting so the pictures have been uploaded without any description. Three of the new designs are pretty white snowflakes the fourth is a layers confection in white with sparkling crystal beads on top. It looks like a flower and I think it would look lovely on a hat or worn as a corsage.

EeKoon has added more on her cross stitch work and over the Chinese New year she acquired some tatting books from her aunt with lots of traditional pieces to tat.

Jeanne posts a lovely red heart with a beaded border. It's the Heartfelt Heart, by Karey Solomon made for the heart exchange.

Laura show us just how durable tatting is. This towel with the hen and chicks edging is over 75 years old. More work has been done on the friendship doily as Laura adds her round to Elizabeth's. LaRae's Wordless Wednesday shows a cute guy with aspirations to be a fireman. Are all firemen this cute?

Charlene continues with the TAST challenge with some work on CQ hearts.

Sylvia was sent a skein of Wildflowers thread in Sandstone colour and started doodling with it. She intended to tat a compass with it but when she had the 4 points done there was enough thread left to squeak out a little more so she did eight more little rings and a wee flower from Mary Maynard's book Rings of Flowers and look what she has created, a tatted clock.

Melissa tatted up a heart designed by Mrs. J M Blackman and had so much fun with it she did it again. The second one went much better which is why we often suggest beginners work on edgings so that they can become familiar with the pattern and concentrate on the stitches and making even picots. Melissa added a clear Swarovski Crystal bicone bead to the center of the heart and a silver bail to hang it from. Instant transition from motif to pendant! Now she's working on one in a scrumptious green silk for a friend currently deployed in Iraq.