Saturday, November 01, 2008

Fair Entries, Invisible Tatting, Snowflakes and Ghosts

I have missed visiting all of the blogs and seeing what everyone has been up to, but in my absence Clyde, Laura, Aileen and Jeff, The Challenge Team volunteers have been doing a wonderful job. Three cheers for our marvelous volunteers!!

The Guidelines

1. Permission to copy. When a participant joins they are authorizing us to copy their pictures to be shown on the challenge blog.
2. There is no need to advise the Challenge Team to let let us know when you've added things to your blog. We check all of the blogs when we do an update.
3. We can't keep track of how many motifs each person does. You may post articles of tatting that you don't plan on including in your 25, or you may post a pair of earrings and count each earring as a separate motif. We don't read minds, so it's up to each participant to tell us when they have reached their goal of 25.
4. We know from past experience that the challenge is addictive. If you finish and plan on doing it again let us know so that we continue to check your blog on a regular basis.
5. Whenever you get a chance don't just view the pictures here, take the time to click on the links to people's blogs and read all about what they are doing, instead of just getting the snippets of it here. People like it when you take the time to visit their blog and comment on their work. A lot of the fun of the challenge is that we get to know each other and encourage one another to try new things.

Alan shows us more of his state fair entries that earned him 16 blue ribbons. The Collar is a design taken from Jan Stawasz' book that he shortened because it was too wide for his wife done in size 10. The negative space makes lovely heart shapes. The runner is an adaptation of several motifs he had found on the net, also in size 10. The Linen napkin was entered in the edging category done in size 20 Flora.He's working on a set of 12 for his niece. The handkerchief was entered in the hemstitch category and was done in #20, Flora.
Happy Halloween from Eva.
Bev has completed Pamela's Tumbling Star motif in Flora size 20 red with 4mm crystal beads on each arm. She has also done one in HDT (Pamela's) Rainbow Bright and she says it looks wonderfully happy.
If you tat a snowflake with invisible thread, does it make an invisible snowflake? Now that it's complete Jeff is wondering how to block it. Water won't change it's shape and ironing nylon thread promises to make a melted mess. Guttermann's Metallic Thread is a bear to tat with by itself, but when combined with DMC Cordonnet size 100 thread it worked out to about a size 80 and made an interesting snowflake.
Diane has mounted Lyn Morton's "Judith" done in size 20 HDT colour "Tie Dye Blue" from LadyShuttleMaker on a treasure box. These will make beautiful little gifts but they're also making Diane's tatting work list grow.
Gina has some thought provoking opinions on tatting books and shuttles.
Jon's Knot Garden doily done in Marilee's Fern and Golden Glow is a lovely blending of HDT in a pattern suited to colour shifts.
Laura has done Mary Konior's Spinning Wheel glass mat in 2 sizes of Rhubarb crisp HDT.
Marilee introduces "Nicobar Pigeon" HDT and her "Ruffled Orbit" necklace was included in "Treasury West" on Etsy.
Mark has completed a tatted fern leaf for his niece's wedding dress.
Riet had a look through the attic and found a forgotten tatting book. There are lots of interesting designs in here. Maybe one will show up in a waistcoat.
Sherry shows us a birthday gift she received from Diane.
Snowy finished "Beatrice", after Sherry found some more "Peach Pandeora" thread. Then she used the silk thread, "Royalty", to make "Judith" and a motif, from Blomqvist and Persson's book, was made in ordinary machine embroidery thread from Gutermann.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Interseasonal tatting - of Christmas bells, pumpkins, autumn leaves and more

It's been snowing at Heathers! I wish I had snow. She shows us her furry little babies as well as some lovely bells that she's been tatting for. I think It's a lovely idea!

Alan's won a whopping 16 blue ribbons at the state for for his work! That's a whole lot! He shows us his award winning booties (by Lenore English) and the baby bonnet.

Kathy's in the mood for some pumkin carvings!

Tattingchic is taking part in a blogapalooza (did I spell that right?). Post a pumpkin and share a scary story. Tattingchic shared a horrible experience… as well as the pattern for the pumpkins (kindly provided by Kathy) They're cute. I wanna make em too!

Ellen's done a doll for her daughter and shows us some of her other daughter's craft works. She also shows us her heart doiley hot off the blocking board.

Stephanie shares some lessons of life learnt from lace - take a gander.
Barbara's done up Tammy Roger's maple leaf. Autum leaves are still floating to the ground!

Iris is working on a collar and a sixstar. She has kindly shared the patterns on her blog.




Wendy's making some lovely aprons.
Carolyn shares her 8th motif by Lynn Morton done in Lizbeth thread. I've seen so many tatters use it I'm tempted to get some.

Arlene shares her Glow in the Dark tatted Xmas balls and shares her supplier too!


Check out Carol's halloween costume. Not to mention Rebel's!
Diane's done another spinning wheel. This time in Knitty Gritty (one of my favourite HDTs from Marilee)
Laura's done a spinning wheel too! In Rhubard Pie.
Marilee's tempting us with another new pattern!
Riet found a forgotten book in the attic - the next best thing to getting a brand new one!
Ruth shares a star of david pattern.
It's Sherry's birthday! Happy birthday Sherry!
Snowy's done one of Anne's dragons as well as an Aladdin snowflake by Jon.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Free Patterns

Well Tattingchic's blog is a must see for all lovers of hand dyed thread and original shuttles. She is showing of a collection of threads that she received from Lady Shuttle Maker and Tatskool and shuttles from Hankering for Yarn.






Nita has tatted a Ben Fikkert snowflake as motif #22 for the challenge and is very proud of completing it.
Aileen is asking herself and others what to do about her UFO'S and she is restarting the 25 motif challenge and is only going


Iris has designed a pattern for a pentagon and she will be sharing the pattern with us all soon.
to use new patterns.


Joy has made a beautiful hand towel as a present for her sister.


Wally has made motif's 7,8,9 and10 and they are all beautiful little hearts.





Clyde has special Maple leaves falling in his backyard and a picture of a snowflake from the future.
Gina talks a bit about her cruise and tatting.
Ruth has been very kind and posted a pattern for a Star of David that she designed.
Sharon is generously sharing her pattern for a Snowflake Sun-catcher.
Sherry has done a spectacular job tatting a pineapple doily (can I get the pattern?) and her four o'clock class is making amazing progress. It must be the teacher.

Friday, October 24, 2008

More Snowflakes, Doilies, Hand Dyed Threads and Leaves

Heather says,"These are just some leaves I came up with... Hubby says they don't really look like leaves, but I think they do LOL" I think they do too!


Jeanne has been inspired by Clyde to look for more HDT. She shows us a picture and a link to a new supplier. Very pretty thread.


Tattingchic has some lovely new threads and HDT's. She also has a beautiful new Lady Hoare style shuttle from Grizzly Mountain Arts. She says she wants a cure for her addiction, but I don't believe her!



Amie has tatted motifs 11 - 15, these motifs being beautiful snowflakes. Beautiful work Amie.






Nita has tatted Jon's rose doily in lovely pink and green. She enjoyed the pattern very much and plans to tat it again.


Ais has tatted a coaster from Doilies and Coasters - a book of tatting from Burda. It is size 20 Cebelia.


Barbara finally decided to use one of her HDT's. It's a leaf design by Tammy Rogers tatted in Marilee's Sugar Maple. She made a mistake, but worked it into the design and already has her shuttle loaded to tat it again.


Jeff has really been busy with Ruth's Celtic snowflake, Beanile lace and invisible tatting. His work is beautiful!




Bob is tatting cute, (I mean EVIL), halloween masks. Sorry Bob. They're cute to me!



Meme' has tatted one of Iris Niebach's collars in white. It is lovely.


Terry has tatted a lovely broach in Altin Basak pink with pearl beads. It is from a Japanese book.



Connie has a challenge for us. Can you answer her question?


Joy just finished tatting a lovely hanky edging to make a bonnet for a friend who is expecting a baby. The color is so soft and pretty!


Wally has tatted motifs 3, 4 and 5. They are three beautiful pink hearts. The patterns are from Sue Hanson and Karey Solomon.




Carol received a cute skull bracelet from Martha. Lucky Carol. She also tatted Anne's dragon.
Clyde is in hand dyed thread heaven with 3 - 200 yard skeins of Marilee's Tourmaline!
Diane has tatted another Spinning Wheel Glass Mat in Sherry's Terra Cotta. Another jewel Diane!
Gina wants us to keep in mind that change is good!
Jon's blog wouldn't let me in so don't know what's there. Maybe you can get to it.
Laura has been busy with snowflakes and thread winders.
Marilee is working on a new design that has beads on the 2nd half of the split ring. She gives us a good tutorial.
Mary shows us 9 year old Meagen's blue ribbon state fair entry. It is amazing!
Pamela is showing us all of the Rainbow Bright snowflakes that are falling on her house.
Sherry is tatting a beautiful purple pineapple designed by Camelia Crapo Lambert. She was working on this while sitting on the Great Wall of China!
Zarina is laying in supplies for 2009. Way to go Zarina!