New book, new designs, new adventures

Announcing Sherry's first Tatting book!!!!! Congratulations Sherry.

Pamela has posted pictures of some of the earliest doilies she tatted all made with size 60 thread, back when she had eyes to see such fine thread. It is a far cry from what we tat now, but just as beautiful as they were decades ago.

Sylvia has been having problems with her blog going offline so she's in the process of moving things over to Blogger.

Wendy has been participating in several swaps. She highlighted a number of tutorials on her blog and she's still on the hunt for more information on Oya lace. On the quilting front, she has the blocks sewn together for a patriotic quilt top that has taken several years to collect all the bits and pieces. She also has a Fall quilt top pieced together and a notice about a stolen quilt.

Anne has completed the Icelandic shawl it used 148 grams of yarn and she has only 6 grams left. That's cutting it close! Now she can choose a project from one of the books that just arrived.

Tami has been too busy to blog, but now she's taking the time to show us what she's been doing.She stitched a lot of snowflakes for her son's wedding, tatted lots of flowers for the bouquets and made a Kleenex case for the mother of the bride. She's still working on the edging for the bride's hanky.

Connie was tagged posted her responses.

Diane has been busy helping her daughter who is directing a school play and hasn't had a lot of time to tat, but inspired by the ornaments she saw on the internet she did manage to get one done, but there are 24 balls in the package and only 41 days until Christmas.

Bob tatted Sherry's butterfly body in Crochetta size 8 to make them hairy using half the stitch count and the wings were made in DMC 80. I never would have thought of doing that, but it looks good.

Kelly finally has some pictures of her tatting.The first piece is from the Tat-along project and she's now pleased with her tension. The Albino Bat is from Mark's site. Next is one repeat from the Cecelia Doily it's made with a soft thread that won't hold it's shape. She plans on making as many repeats as she can from the ball of thread and turning it into a small doily. She's not sure where the pattern for the triangular motif came from, if anyone recognizes it, let her know so that she can credit the designer. It's also done with a soft thread so she'll have to mount it on something so that it holds it's shape. Soft thread was again used for this motif from the Tat-along project and the finished piece will have to be attached to something to hold it's shape. The last 2 pieces were just little doodles to finish up the thread on a spool.

Clyde's Christmas cactus is a mass of flowers.

The NNC group celebrated the first anniversary with an exchange of gifts. Jon received a quilted wall hanging and crocheted coasters and she gave 3 crocheted doilies and a tatted pin cushion. She was looking at The Pearl Tatting book by Riego and she thought she had an easy pattern to try out, but it wasn't constructed the way she thought it was. Instead on the rings being joined to the picot of the first ring, which leaves a big hole in the middle, the rings of the first side are tatted but NOT joined. Then they are joined as the second side is constructed, crossing over each other and filling in the centre gap. It makes an interesting difference.

I was just contacted by CBC TV about doing a segment on tatting and I'm really excited about it.

TA DA! Snowy has the pink doily finished even with all of the extra help the cats gave her.

Marilee has a new collection of earrings. She did a simple split ring design, that is beautiful and elegant. Her snowflake design done in quilting thread seems firm enough to hold it's shape without stiffening. Her weathered stone colourway seems to be very popular everything she's done in that colour has been snatched off the shelves, but now she's working on a deep green colour.

Jon's tatted doily reminded Laura of her grandmother's crocheted doily. She found the crocheted doily and filmed them side by side. You can certainly see the similarities. Laura did Jon's Daisy Picot Snowflake again just so she wouldn't forget the technique and even in such a short time she had to sit down with the instructions again. The thread used is DMC Cebelia 20.

Marty's Butterfly 3 had a re-work in Cebelia 30 and it was looking pretty good so she did it again in Coats pastel quilting thread and discovered as she was completing it that it would work better if she started it differently so she did it a fourth time in Coats jewel quilting thread and best of all NO ends to hide. I really like patterns like that!

Melissa has been reclaiming fabric from thrift store finds to use in creating a CQ purse for a friend's Christmas gift. She's also tried the vintage Block and Scallop edging and it's the first time she's done block tatting and the first time she has consistently used a picot gage in the horizontal position. This edging is looking like it wants to curve, so she may just make it into a circular motif.

It's a leaf. It's a chick. It's an eagle. It's Martha's ever evolving tatting. Doesn't Martha come up with the most engaging ideas?

Butterflies, Leaves, Snowflakes and Kittens

Pamela is tatting CATS, lots of cats. The first one is by Inga Madsen from her book of Tatted Animals tatted in variegated Flora 10. Then she tatted Mark's cat in ginger colours the large one in Coats Floretta 20 variegated and the little cat is in vintage J&P Coats tatting thread 70 or 80. The she tatted Martha Ess' cats from New Critters on the Block, one is made in Flora 10, one in variegated Oren Bayen 50, (which she remarks tats like 30), then a teeny weeny kitty in vintage J.P.Coats tatting thread a 70 or 80. One of these little ginger cats made it onto a card for Pamela's son in law's birthday. Isn't it simply wonderful?

Wendy posted pictures of some of the aprons she and her children own. She found a filet crochet edging and used the design to create a butterfly slip for her daughter. Also posted is a tutorial for turning a yoyo into a holiday brooch. Lots of creative and clever ideas.

With breakneck speed, Sapna has already finished the challenge. Here are her final entries. The first is a small motif from Tatting Patterns and Designs by Gun Blomqvist & Elwy Persson that Sapna thought would look great as an earring. The thread used is Marilee's Rhubarub Crisp. Another design from the same source tatted in Rose cotton thread size 20 and used as a necklace. Sapna used the colours already wound on her shuttle to make this last design. She had intended to tat it in one colour but it turned out beautifully and she's quite pleased with the results.

Moni has tatted medallions and attached them to old-fashioned lavender bags to keep in her wardrobe.Mary was too busy to blog about her tatting for quite some time so I tagged her to list 7 weird or random facts about herself. She not only listed her tagged items she added all kinds of tatting to her blog. She discovered this flower pattern in her Workbasket magazines and had to tat it. The tulip pattern from her flower garden was added to her web site. The sunflower, another Workbasket pattern was designed by Mary H. McCarthy and she has used modern techniques to work it. Next is Iris Niebach's earring using Coats & Clark button and craft thread and the Tatted Baby Earrings were just something to help empty shuttles. Dianna Stevens amulet bag was done for an exchange and the neck cord was made by tatting all split rings and placing 5 beads between each split ring. Add flowers and the baby angels become stick pins.The Twinkle Tatted Icicle by Charlene G. Finiello came from a Workbasket pattern and Mary added a festive red ribbon. Her most recent addition is Vida Sunderman's Three Dimensional Snowflake #2 that she added glitter to. She used a mixture of liquid starch and Aleene's white glitter paint then dipped and dried it on wax paper.

Ruth's yard sale has been a great success! The tatting posted is actually and edging with a ribbon woven through it. Isn't that clever? Among the treasures she discovered in her clean up are some fabric pieces she saved thinking to change them into tatting one day. She's thinking that they look like something Mark would turn into a pattern. Anyone else want to give it a try? Ruth has discovered that another one of the trials of podcasting is not having a quiet room. It's amazing the odd sounds that a microphone picks up, like the dog snoring. Or phones ringing, dogs barking, clocks ticking, plumbing burbling, stairs creaking, kettles whistling and all manner of little house noises that you never notice until you try to record something. Been there, done that.

I was contacted by CBC TV about a possible story on tatting in Toronto which prompted me to find a public place in which to teach and I have finally found a corner where I can teach tatting on a regular basis. Yippee!

Snowy shows us why she isn't getting much tatting done, she has to work with not one, but 3 cats in her lap.

Marilee has a lovely new colour in her shop called Pizzazz.

Laura tatted a hat for Isaac, but it's too big so she's putting it in her Etsy shop. The snowflake was designed by Emma Crew and it's tatted in Cebelia 20 with blue/purple seed beads.

Marty took another of her not quite right butterfly patterns and tweaked it using Cebelia size 30 and it looks much better. She worked it again in Coats quilting thread and after a little "oops" it came out quite nice. She's done another one in Coats pastel variegated quilting thread. This last one she is going to attach to the bag she is decorating for the Tatting Treasures fro Trash challenge.

Sherry has lots of tatting ideas floating around in her head like these leaves. Her book is coming along slowly but surely.

Hearts, Stars, Butterflies and Snowflakes

Wendy has posted the November quilt block of the month.

Kate was blogging about how she would have shown all these motives if she had joined the challenge, but that's no fun. So she's been persuaded to join and here are her motives. She tatted one of Mary Konior's designs with Coats and Clark quilting thread which broke on her a couple of times. She used the left over thread on the shuttle to tat a celtic design. Her next 3 motives are the Mary Konior's heart pattern. The first one was done earlier this year, the second was tatted with King Tut quilting thread and the red one with Gutterman quilting thread. The mobile of a sun, moon, and stars is from Jane Eborall's pattern and in hangs over her nephews changing table to keep him amused.

Ruth is having a tatting yard sale check out her blog to see what's happening and while you're there take a look at the blast from the past photo of Ruth tatting. The tatted motif is a Red Star / Poinsettia / Christmas Ornament and Ruth has included the pattern in her blog.

Marty has been tweaking her butterfly pattern. The first samples were done in size 20 Cebelia, then she switched to Coats rainbow quilting thread. She plans on using the last one on her Treasures to Trash bag so she left the thread ends so she can attach it. Sherry tatted Jon's daisy picot snowflake and then went on to design her own little motif using the same technique.

Bookmarks, Birds, Snowflakes and Angels

Terry shares the pattern for Trinka, an angel she designed for her sister in law who passed away recently.

Jeanne has posted a link to ICON - The Institute of Conservation. There's a lot of useful information on the web site and it's worth a browse through.

Bhavani had some pieces she was about to discard, but instead she added them to the hanky she just edged. I'm glad she didn't throw them away because they look like they were planned for the hanky.

Wendy is making slow progress on her Halloween yo-yo quilt because of all the Halloween parties. The pictures for the October quilt block of the month are posted with pictures showing the process of the cutting and assembly.

Sarah hasn't been able to blog much lately as she's been under the weather. There are some very soft looking merino and silk balls pictured and I love the colours.

Sapna tatted one of the designs from Tatting Patterns and Designs by Gun Blomqvist and Elwy Persson in two colours as a birthday gift for her husband's friend. Hers is prettier than the one in the book. The tatted basket looks like Laurie's pattern that was published in the Tatting Pattern Calendar and Sapna plans to fill it with purple flowers and put it on a card. She's not sure where the other motif comes from either but she liked the look of it and did it in Rose thread number 20, Valdani perle 12 and some of Yarnplayer's hand dyed thread.

Norma has continues on with her TAST stitching and did some experimenting with dyeing some laces ribbons and motives. The final results are pretty and worth all the effort.

Diane is getting her roof done and she has discovered the simple joy of finger tatting. The cooler weather and the hats Teri D has been working on have prompted her to crochet some nice warm head coverings. They all look nice and cozy.

Bob has tatted a coaster but it doesn't seem to lay right. It should be OK after blocking. It's amazing how tatting can look really disgusting until it's been teased into shape by a good soak and pinning it out.

Bev received her scissors fob from Lai Ellen and she plans on framing them with an 1840 Ebony, bone shuttle inlaid with mother-of-pearl and sterling silver design. Her tatting is Mary Konior's Reflection tatted in Vintage J & P Coats thread and mounted on a card to send to Mary.

Carol tatted a Halloween Scooby witch for Sherry with a hat cape and bat wand.

Ruth has added a Sweet Christmas Edging to her blog and to the Tatting Pattern Calendar. It's an amazingly simple and clever design. There is also a video clip of the Palmetto Tat days

Clyde is really enjoying tatting doilies with Marilee's hand dyed threads. The first doily started with the Lacy Medallion Luncheon Set Pattern from the book The Tatters Treasure Chest by Mary Carolyn Waldrep and the outer portion is Clyde's own design so that the doily would have a ruffled edge. The second doily started out following The Basket of Clover pattern from Elegant Tatting patterns by Janet Carroll but after 6 rows he was running out of thread and he improvised the last two rows. Both doilies use size 80 thread in the Leafy colourway.

Jon tatted 40 snowflakes for her friend. The designs come from a variety of sources and you really need to see them from Jon's blog because this composite doesn't really show the beauty of these gems.

Snowy is working on a pink doily but it hasn't progressed to the point where she wants to share it yet. Instead she has posted a celtic bookmark she did a few years ago. It was the first piece she did using celtic tatting split rings and lots of colour.

Marilee is starting to feel better and managed to tat these lovely earrings.

Laura's friend scanned her daisy picot snowflake and she is amazed at the difference it make to the picture of her lace. Now she wants a scanner for Christmas.

Melissa has been embroidering a border around the neckline of a sweater for her sister.

Sherry has added a very informative video of her shuttle production. All the breakage that happens during the process is enough to make you cry.

Martha was working on a maple leaf, but that wasn't quite right. Then she thought it might become an eagle, but that wasn't quit it either. Now she knows it's a baby bird, but maybe there's still an eagle hiding in there somewhere.

Exchanges, Tatting Trials and the First Tatting Podcast

Meme participated in the exchange hosted by Mary Donohue and these are the amulet bags she received. The first one was from Carolyn and used a ring and chain design with beads. The second was from Lai Ellen and it looks like Diana Stevens' Set Stitch Necklace Bag pattern.
These exchanges are just one more way that all of us tatters world wide are joined together.
Bhavani joined an arched chain along the edge of a hanky for a beautiful but simple edging. The pattern for making this edging is shown on her blog.

Wendy has posted a daily listing of handmade gifts for the holidays with links. There's lot of food for thought here.

Sarah's book has received an excellent review of Knitters Review. She's been looking forward to making some things in a favourite magazines just out, but things have been stalled due to illness.


Iris was playing with thread and beads and got this unexpected design that will be in her new book. I wish my unexpected designs looked as good as this. Mine usually end up in the garbage can.

Diane is tatting Design #1 from page 7 of Tatting: 60 Original Lace Treasures by Christel Weidmann. The thread is Yarnplayer's "Summer Trail" size 50 but she didn't use the 1/4 inch spacing suggested and she's going to keep working to see how it turns out.

Kelly worked on her embroidery while she handed out candy for Halloween and while she received many lovely comments she was saddened that one of the little girls who came to her door asked her if she was knitting. Most of us dabble in several fibre arts often following in the steps of older family members. How sad it is for children growing up in "craft-less" families. Among the UFOs Kelly has is a quilt made up of embroidered white flour sack dishcloths. She spread it out on the floor to take a look at it and enjoyed an afternoon's amusement as the cats played on it.

Carol posted a picture of Calila and Miranda, tatted for her last year by Sherry. Check out her Halloween garb in her avatar photo, bat mask, bat necklace, bat dog, bat pumpkin….


Melissa asked for some clarification of the tatting instructions in a Workbasket pattern and Ruth worked up this segment to be able to explain it more clearly. Tatting Podcast Episode 1 was published today. Cogratulations Ruth!
Take a look at Mark in his "Cirque de Soleil" inspired costume. I can't believe he actually wore it to work.

I posted pictures of some unfinished works in progress.

Laura had to do just one more tatted leaf. This one was made with DMC size 80 and she thinks it's just the cutest little thing. The Daisy picot snowflake is from Jon's blog and Laura found following her instructions made it easy to learn this technique.The purple thread is DMC Cebelia size 20 and the green is Flora size 20.

These are some of Marty's trial butterflies. They all look like the have possibilities to me. I love the first one. I can see top and bottom wing on the left. It just needs a body instead of a blob in the middle and the wings done mirror image on the right. You should see what my OOPS tatting looks like!
Melissa has done an adorable little embroidered purse as a Christmas gift.