Motives, Hippos and Hand Dyed Threads

Anne is working on a small doily but feels that she can't do any more large motives if she's going to finish on time. There was some rumor about designing a dragon… I just think we need to encourage her to go for it. Connie has managed to complete her 25 motives already, but she can't show the 25th one yet because it's an exchange item. She has done the tatted shuttle and the 9/11 heart from Mark's page. That's another beginner tatter who has finished the challenge. It seems to me that after tatting 25 motives you can't really call yourself a beginner any more can you?
Bob has some new entries on his blog. First there is an edging he was working on- until he ran out of thread- then a variation of the design that would make a lovely Celtic knot if he can figure out finger tatting. BJ sent him some King Tut quilting thread and it's so fine he doubled it to use it because guitar playing has made his nails so strong he breaks the thread a lot.
Aileen is at that happy/sad place where she has less time to tat but more money to spend on tatting treats like shuttles books and thread. Is she addicted to tatting? You bet!

Pamela had another go at the hippo and she's finally happy with the results. Here he is paddling in the water while another is swimming near by.
Mark made his own modification giving his hippo a toothy grin.Laura tatted Sherry's Valentine Gift tag using the thread colour "Patriotic" in size 80 and she was amazed at how well it tats and now she's really hooked on hand dyed threads. Melissa tatted this little square motif and when in started curving up she decided to use it on a CQ block. It looks like it was made for the spot. Sherry got a new headlamp so that she could go bike riding with her husband. When not out side it makes a great tool for illuminating dark, hard to see threads.Sherry's newest colour blend is "Tuscany". Just to show what it looks like tatted up here is a sample of "Sunset Clouds".

A Bloat of hippos, Hearts and Butterflies

Riet has her TIAS done as well as translating Jane's blog into Dutch for the Dutch contingent. There has been wonderful participation in the TIAS challenge and Riet and a lot of other people want more

Bev aka BJ has finished her TIAS and she enjoyed the mystery and the challenge of tiny bite sized pieces of tatting.

Jeff completed the TIAS challenge and his hippos turned out OK except that her thinks the eye bead was too big and the ring around it looks kind of funny. It may not be the same as Jane's, but it looks good to me. The pattern for the doily is called the Amusement Doily by the Celtess and the thread is some of Marilee's "Winter Blend" in size 30. Very pretty.

Aileen has tatted Violet the happy hippo, and the Queen of Hearts for the the exchange but it's a little small for that so she's thinking of doing some of Mark's butterfly hearts to make up for it. She has tatted Jane's Flamingo and named her Fernanda. Does she need a whole flock of flamingos? Natalies Heart by Teri Dusenbury turned out a whole lot smaller than she thought it would but she has some ideas for here exchange card and her better half's Valentine's card. C4G was in the antique mall and found some vintage needlework magazines that have tatting in them.

Bonnie has only been tatting since November and one of her first projects was Mary Smith's Flower Paperclip pattern that she discovered on the net. She gave them all away and tatted these 2 in hand dyed thread just so that she had examples of them.

Laura is being Diane's left hand while she's still in the cast and tatted Jane's hippo for her.

Pamela made another of Jane's hippos and this one is in a dusty grey colour Coates Madura Red Heart 20 to show that the hippo has climbed out on the mud. She modified the pattern a little to give him a pointier ear and move the bulbous eye up a little closer to the ear. Second try is in Coates Anchor Perle in a variegated red to brown pictured with his own bloat.

The suncatcher design was made for Nell and of all of the projects I've designed since Christmas, this is the only one that has worked out right.

Marilee has 2 shades of pink in the shop and they're both luscious.

Laura received some hand dyed threads from Clyde that will be used for her rainbow Christmas tree and Sherry's Spring Poppy thread was used to tat the first butterfly from her book The Exquisite Collection of Tatted Butterflies.

Sherry's new colours are Fuchsia, Sunset Clouds and Tutti Fruiti.

The Results are in, TIAS is a HIPPO

Sylvia has completed Harriet the Hippo from the TIAS challenge. Now it's time to do a darker version for Henry. Tami has finished her TIAS as well, but she thinks hers looks more like a weird bulldog. Mrs John has tatted this pink centred motif for her mother's bathroom. The design from Annie's Attic "Ultimate Book of Tatted Doilies" was square, but Mrs John has adapted it to be round. The butterfly is from from "Aunt Ellen's Tatting Handbook" and with the application of some small magnets will be a nice fridge magnet for her SIL.

Bonnie has succumbed to the lure of hand dyed threads and eagerly watches Marilee's and Sherry's blogs to see what new colour combinations they come up with.

Gina worked on the TIAS challenge but when she went to add the eye bead in the thread snarled, frayed and broke. She has 3 more motives completed but this book has so many mistakes in it she's glad she hasn't recommended it to a beginner.

Clyde tatted the Filigree bookmark from Christmas Angels and Other Tatting Patterns by Monica Hahn for his daughter using Oren Bayan Perle 12. Laura has completed the TIAS challenge and her pink hippo is now wearing a tutu. Did you know that hippos in the sun do actually turn pink? I didn't until I watched one of those educational shows on hippos. Marty left her TIAS at home and had to start another one in a different colour. She found the lock stitch chain interesting and she wonders how Jane came up with the idea and what else she's used it on. The main reason Sherry created the colour "Vickie"s Lilacs" was so that she could make another necklace. Sherry has tatted Jane's hippos in her coffee and cream thread and her free patterns have now successfully been converted to PDF.

Hearts and Edgings, TIAS and Podcasts

Riet has joined the TIAS challenge and it has been twice as challenging because she is translating Jane's page into Dutch for her guild.She has been with other things for her guild too, but she won't post it to her blog because some of her guild speak English too.

Connie has been busy crocheting and working on her international tatting exchange project. Her husband brought home 2 tatting books last week and 3 more this week. Sounds like our kind of guy.

Sapna's father has been ill and consequently she spent a lot of time at the hospital with him. His blood circulation was a bit slow when compared to others but it can be cured by medicine, for which the family is thankful. Fortunately she had her tatting with her and she was able to make all of these coasters. She has decided to used her hand dyed thread to make bookmarks. Bookmarks are quick and easy to do and make great gifts and besides, as Sapna puts it, using the hand dyed threads means that she can buy more of them.

Bob shows us a picture of the glasses case he uses to hold all his tatting equipment and the heart that is his 15th motif. Bob's daughter is out of the hospital although not back to normal yet. We'll keep praying.

Bev has posted all of her first 16 completed motives. Bev's daughter, Lori Elayne, is in the hospital with pneumonia, please pray.

Debbie is using the steps suggested by Rose Deguara in the HBT email list to reduce her UFOs. She's having a hard time finishing this piece and she keeps putting it aside to tat other things.

Jeff has been working on some more Tenneriffe lace and Jane's TIAS project. He also tatted a Pocket Angel using C-Lon thread that he estimates is about a size 10 and we can expect to see more hand dyed threads being used as he has just received his latest order from Marilee.

Aileen is working on a card pouch using a vibrant turquoise Omega thread with matching beads. It's looking beautiful. After the thread breaking experience she re-tatted the TIAS critter and she admits having a serious craving for another hand made wooden shuttle. She's working on a heart for the heart exchange in Opera thread and thinking that everyone else is using the same pattern. Probably not, there are a lot of terrific heart patterns available now like the one's from Martha's new book "Tat's Amore".
C4G is working on this Star of David pattern and practicing split rings. She thinks they will help minimize the cut and ties from the antique patterns. (Will they ever!) She made a wonderful tatting thread find in the second hand store and is really pleased with her discoveries. Bonnie was taught to finish off her work by tying the ends sealing them with fray check. She's wondering how other people finish off their work.

Gina has her rendition of Jane's TIAS done in a thread that took a while to tame.Diane found this heart that had been forgotten on her blocking board. There are things about it that she's not pleased with, but she's decided to use it somewhere anyhow. Don't forget the Tatting Treasures from Trash challenge. You can always add pieces that you aren't thrilled with to a tatted bag and use other bits of tatting to cover up the things you don't like. Pamela has been working on her TIAS challenge and now she's thinking that maybe it's some kind of fork lift truck…

Ruth's second podcast is up, but I don't think I mentioned it before.

Arlene's second podcast is up now. Isn't this wonderful, having these podcasts about tatting?

Mark's brother has been staying with him while they get things sorted out after the flood. While waiting for his brother at the Red Cross relief centre, Mark had the opportunity to design 2 new one shuttle edgings and a cross. Do you like the matter of fact way he puts things, "I got some tatting done"? Meanwhile he has designed 2 awesome edgings and an adorable cross. We should all get some tatting done like this. Don't forget to add Mark's family to your prayer list.

Nothing much happening in my little world except picking up some threads to tat with. I do have an intriguing idea I'm working on.

Snowy, after some trepidation, decided to order Mary Konior's book "Tatting With Visual Patterns" and she's finding out why we all recommend it. In case you aren't familiar with the book, it's in full colour and has a wealth of lovely designs, the book is also chock full of useful tatting tips and tricks. There aren't any split rings or split chains or any more modern techniques, but the book is well worth the $20.00 plus shipping price from Lacis.

Anyone for second helping of "Rhubarb Pie"? Marilee has another 70 skeins of it in her Etsy shop.

Laura has tried out the finer hand dyed threads from New Zealand that Clyde was using and she loves it. Now she's not afraid to order the finer threads form Marilee and Sherry. It's amazing the difference GOOD thread makes.

This is Sherry's Valentine heart pattern and she will have the pattern PDF available as soon as she can find a PDF hosting site. Her "Cirque de Couleur" thread is gone, but she has 2 new colours "Vickie's Lilacs" and "Icicles".