Christmas motifs and more

Happy birthday Tattingchic. Looks like she's good oodles of birthday goodies. Aren't we all jealous!

Ellen won a tatted heart from umintsuru in a Pastel Heart Giveaway. Congratulations! She's mounted it on the black foam cover of a notebook. Congratulations! She also shows off some of the cards that her children made for Teachers' Day.

Barbara's tatted up Julie Patterson's Candy Cane. Getting all ready for Christmas I see!

Bob's did great progress in his challenge with 6 new tats on his site! Roger Friedman's oval doily in DMC 80, A small coaster in DMC 50, his solid attempt at ric-rac tatting, a small clover in DMC 50, a tiny circle in DMC 80 which I think looks like a Christmas wreath, and a doily which he sent to Riet for the HBT Christmas in July exchange.

Iris shares with us Pamela's rendition of her snowflake. The pattern for her flake can be found here.
BJ's done up a cluny from Rosmarie Peel's book, Tatting for Pleasure which she's making into a lovely pin for a friend. She's still struggling with blocking chains. She's also working on an edging for a hankie as well as a table runner for her daughter! Busy busy busy!
Wally's working on a pattern from Aunt Ellen's Tatting Handbook in Finca perle 16. I've never heard of this thread but it's looking great.
Diane's having more fun with Christel Wiedmann's patterns. This time with Design no 3!
Sherry's finally got down to Jane's TIAS. She's a little upset at how 'unmanageable' her hair came out but I think it makes her look like a mermaid!
Snowy's finished a lovely celtic bookmark - it's gorgeous!

Flowers, Bookmark, Edging and Dragon

Heather has tatted a poinsettia from a pattern she did a while ago using 5 needle and size 10 thread. After several tries she has created a very life like Fuchsia and tatted it in several colours. Clouds and Rainbow let her relax from the frustrations of the day.I'm not sure what it is, but I like it. Heather has very generously shared all of the patterns for her creations.
One of Alan's favourite bookmarks is this one by Lenore English done here in Flora #20.
Jeanne made the vintage Tatted Daisy by Mrs. W.M. Odum in Cebelia size 30 color light blue #747. This was easier to work on than clunies while waiting for the arrival of a new granddaughter.
Tara did this motif in Perfect Quilter thread but it wasn't quite what she had in mind. Then she found a motif in Karey"s Tatting Times that was just perfect for her pencil case. They do look beautiful together.
Bhavani has been trying to come up with an edging to match her motif 7. She's not sure which of these she prefers. Any ideas?
Anne made a deal with herself not to tat with sewing thread but…. Isn't this tiny dragon just exquisite?
Bev has re-tatted the geranium leaf because it didn't remind her of the plants she grew up with. Pearl tatted stems and Victorian sets made it more like the foliage she remembered. The Colorado Columbine was also re-done but after blocking the petals look too pointy and the white ones get lost in the background.

After Diane found the wee mistake, she luckily had enough thread to make another of Christel Weidmann's Design 1. This one has all the picots in the correct place, and all the joins are correct.
Gina tatted angel wings for a family member from Vida Sunderman's book and she's almost finished the bridal hanky.
Jon has been working out a corner for an edging so she did 4 variations trying to find one she liked. The one that was most visually appealing had to be done in sections but it does make a really nice corner. For those of us who love Jon's patterns, she has consolidated them on on a new blog called Jon's Patterns Page You may want to make note of the page if you love Jon's patterns.
Sherry's new colour HDT is Island Bouquet. The tatted baby booties are done in Weeping Cherry, size 20 silk.
Snowy has finished her 3 stage bookmark with the last round that brings it all together.

Bookmarks, flowers, doilies and Olympic tatting

Nita has tatted a lovely bookmark in 40 DMC cordonnet for a friend by Terry McGuffin. What a great gift! I'm sure he or she will love it! She's also done up a lovely Stargazer lily done by Linda Davies, revised also by Terry McGuffin, this time in DMC 80.



Ellen shows us a lovely square doiley done in 20 flora. She's modified Iris Niebach's Square Dalia doiley to meet the size requirement for the exchange she was participating in. It's made the doiley look more 'rounded' but I think it looks gorgeous! I'm so jealous for Mona who will be expecting this lovely piece in the mail!

Jeff shows us his entries for the 'Tally-Ho Cluny' Olympic challenge. He's done Tatman's Hazel Angel in 20 DMC as well as Monica Hahn's Cluny Medallion in Flora 20. If I were the judge, I'd give him the gold medal for sure! Jeff has completed his 25 challenge but is restarting from 1. Jeff hopes to do some 3D Christmas tatting. I can't wait to see what he comes up with - maybe he'd like to try his hand at Carol's famous and ribbon winning Gingerbread House!

Terry's snowflake had taken on a life of its own and ruffled but Terry was able to 'control' the 'wildness' with the last row of his lovely snowflake. Though the photo doesn't really show, the snowflake has 96 small beads in it!

Wally's taking a break from her large Olympic doily and did up Sharon Brigg's Snowman Doily which turned out to be a cutie just under 6 inches. She used DMC Petra in white and Ladyshuttlemaker's Lazy Daisy HDT. This is her first try at tatting with HDT and I think we've just added another member to the HDTA! She'll be using the leftover thread for a bookmark and will make some butterflies for her cousin's 15th butterfly themed birthday party. Feliz quinseañero a tu prima!

Diane has started started "Eleonora" by Iris Niebach but wasn't able to concentrate on it. Note to Jane: Diane wants to borrow one of your braincells! Maybe Jane can start renting the cells! Instead she started tat Design 1 from Tatting: 60 Original Lace Treasures by Christel Weidmann in 20 Berry Parfait HDT from Ladyshuttlemaker and is planning to use it as a picture frame. What a lovely idea.

Jon's taken an old straight edging and given it a twist… or a turn rather and has kindly shared her pattern for the corner here.

Jeanne has received some of Ladyshuttle maker's lovely HDTs. We can't wait for what she will do with them!

Barbara's been off for a while due to some things at home but she's still tatting away working on a piece using Altin Basak metallic thread size 50. She broke the thread once but it sounds like she'll well on the way. She promises photos soon! We're all on the edge of our seats.
Mark seems to have been waging war on UFOs. Another one bites the dust.
Sharon's put up another challenge, check it out!
Looks like Sherry's home stayed out of the reach of the fire that raged her neighbourhood. We are all with you Sherry and we're glad you and your family (and your house) are safe.
Snowy's done 7 little motifs but is having problems with gauging thread length. We all feel your pain...

Barettes, Butterfly, Balloon, Bangles and Beads

Heather has some ideas for making beaded necklaces, but she's running into some problems because either the thread breaks or the beads break. Her next motif started as one design that merged into 3 and she shares the pattern with us. Also included is the pattern for her Blue Summer set necklace and 4 pairs of earrings. Her Whatzit is an intricate celtic design done first in yarnish stuff called Lilly Cotton Sugar 'n Cream Twists, a 4ply cotton in Summer Twist colour. Her next sample is in in purple red and blue is the usual size 10 thread 5 needle and again the pattern is given.





Alan was inspired by Jan Stawasz to create a barrettes by first covering the blank with black velvet and then attaching it to the clip. The tatting which is Valiere squares, in Flora #20 was attached with fabric tac. Alan has plans to do an oval variation.
Kathy N is showing us the treasures she has tatted over the years. The fan quilt tree skirt embellished with tatting makes a perfect base for a Christmas tree covered with Victorian ornaments many of which she designed herself. She'll be showing us some of these as her 25 motifs.
Jeanne has tatted Christal Wutzmer's Cluny Butterfly in Sherry's size 20 Silk HDT called Rainbow Sherbet. She adjusted the stitch count a little to lay flatter for her.
Nita tatted this hot air balloon in size 10 thread. The pattern is from an old White Birches book that doesn't give the designer's name. The needle felted bear is her own design with a tiny tatted flower on her head. Nita expects to enter it in the Los Angeles County Fair in September.
Aileen has completed the third dragon for her group. This one is Pam Palmer's dragon done in size 30 Omega thread. Aileen shows us what she uses to cap her teeny tiny hooks to keep them from poking through things. Zarina, her exchange partner sent her some lovely HDT in size 40 which she loves and Kira's tatted star. Aileen sent her partner Nivedita in India, Ice Crystal from Tatting Patterns and Designs by Gun Blomqvist and Elwy Persson done in 20 Omega. This is her 25th motif and she thinks she'll start another 25.
Bonnie tatted Aladdian from Jon's Snowflake Collection in Sherry's Spring Poppies which seemed a little vivid for a snowflake so she re-did it in Marilee's size 50 "Snowflake" HDT.
Jeff has added a complimentary variegated thread colour as the outer round on his doily which is making an interesting but subtle change to the doily's appearance. He has also remarked that the negative space reminds him of teddy bears and now that he's mentioned it I can't stop seeing them.
Moni has spent the evenings while the baby is sleeping tatting. The first set of earrings are her first try at double picots. She has tatted some lace for the barrette, an is wondering how she can attach it. Check out the posting I did on Mounting Lace on a Barrette. Next she made another set of earrings. The necklace isn't quite wearable but she loves the green colour thread with the pale pink beads. Her next necklace is wearable, as are the 2 pendants.
Tami finished the Beaded Candle holder she was working on but the iridescent beads don't show up well in the photo.
Elizabeth lost her information on where she found this pattern but it's probably one of the vintage patterns that can be found in the Antique Pattern Library. She used one of Marilee's threads called "Tigereye" in size 20, and the focal bead is a vintage style button.
This is another of Terry's Synchronized Snowflakes, except that it's a starfish by Lisa Trumble. Hmmm. Must have been too warm and one of the snowflake's arms melted.
Anne is having trouble with her internet access and keeping the promise to herself not to start using sewing thread. This shiny Sulky thread made her fall off the wagon. It makes really tiny tatting.Bev shares her Christmas in July package.
Joy finished 13 of the 20 ornaments she planned on during the Olympics. The patterns are from numerous places as well as a couple of her own! That makes a good start to her next 25 motifs.
Martha has been tatting away on her motifs but I thought she was done. I was too stupid to notice that she was neatly numbering them for me so that I'd know where she was at. So here are all the motifs I didn't blog about when I should have. We have a bird of a different sort with lots of techniques used in it, the Smiley Snowflake was inspired by Jane's Emotitats and Sequin Share a Tat, and of course there's Jane's TIAS named Mary, along with her little lamb. Bob's Bike is in a league of it's own, with it's sequin wheels. Then there's the Christmas in July package she received. The snowflake is from "Big Book of Tatting" by Darlene Polachic done in size 50 Cordonette and it reminds Martha of vintage patterns that are mostly single shuttle, ring only designs. The teapot that took her 9 tries to get right is worked in size 100 thread and it's just exquisite. Now she's on to Anne's dragon done in two variegated size 8 pearl cottons which is beautiful, but not quite as spectacular as she had hoped for.
Carol has posted her Christmas in July picture.
Clyde is putting aside the Party Time Doily from Traditional Tatting Patterns in Marilee's "Tourmaline" HDT size 80 to test tat Linda's Starburst doily.
Diane has finished "Cornelia" from Tatted Doilies by Iris Niebach in Sherry's size 20 HDT in Citrus Limon rings and Guacamole chains. All you folks naming HDT have got to stop with the food names, you'll have people eating it instead of tatting with it.
Gina is displaying the tatting sent in an exchange package which include 2 of Eliz's patterns, the teddy bear and the twin butterflies.
Jon made a change to her blog that made in unreadable in IE so she has changed it back.
Kathy has been using her exchange threads on planes, trains and in stations making an assortment of edgings and motifs.
Laura tatted Anne's dragon in Marilees's "Fern" HDT size 20. Check out Laura's Attic for more goodies.
Marilee has a necklace design in progress.
Mark has another Bruges Bobbin Lace project done and his cholesterol is coming down.Way to go Mark.
Marty tatted Iris Niebach's "Milena" from the book Tatted Doilies made in Marilee's size 80 "Rhubarb Crisp".
Mary and her granddaughter have been tatting Christel Weidmann's farm animals.
Norma shows us a garden glove embellished with tatting and filled with gravel to make a perfect weight or third hand to hold things in place. How very clever. Check out the tatted jewellery on the glove.
Ruth announces Fall Mini Tat Camp 2008 at her home in Lebanon, Ohio Saturday, October 18.
Sapna has finished 2 of Iris' doilies, Eleanora which gave her problems and Margerite which didn't, both done in HDT.
I finished a snowflake so big DH called it an Elephant flake. It's almost as big as the headache caused by what's behind it.
Sherry got went half way around the world to meet a tatting friend and got to give her a refresher course on split rings. Sherry is working on a HDT edging for a project and it looks terrific.
Snowy has taken on some new projects, the "tat-a-long" doing LaRae's Celtic bookmark on Bidouillette's site and blogging about her tatting in french for her french friends.