Love To My Valentines

A quick post to wish everyone in Tatland and all my other craft friends...

 

Heart of England by Rosemarie Peel, tatted in Flora #20 Variegated Red



Jane's Flurry Heartache

I like Jane's Flurry Heartache (a motif she named thus because it gave her some 'heartache' designing it!) and what she did with the pieces she tatted. They gave the earring/ring boxes a nice touch and finish.

Here's my version of the motif. I, too, experienced some minor 'heartache' in the beginning tatting it. LOL It was, nonetheless, a delightful little piece. Did someone say it's the season for tatting hearts?

Tatted in Lisbeth #40 Red Burst and Milford #40 Black

Again, Again, Again

I find that there are some patterns that I really like to tat, but the first couple of attempts would turn out quite 'disastrous' and, this happened to be one of those. I wasn't happy with the gaps between the rings and chains being uneven; some larger than the other (repeats). The first attempt, below, was promptly abandoned.

The second, as you can see, seemed to be worse. Urgh... You'd probably predicted it's fate too!

The third attempt seemed more acceptable, but I'm still not too happy with the way it turned out. Have another go? I wonder how the other tatters deal with such 'disappointments'.

Birdcage by Mary Konior in Tatting in Lace

Scissor-cise

Remember Pinky?

Well, this was supposed to be the next row (until the very recent past, that is). After happily finishing the whole row, and getting ready to hide the ends, I find something amiss...

Tatted in #20 Flora Violet (yeah, the colour here doesn't look right either!)

So Pinky will have a new row added some time.

A New Beginning

Hope every one of you blogging friends is having a nice New Year!
(I'm having a slow start, being overwhelmed with catching up on my WIPs, and blogger having issues with uploading pictures.)

Towards the end of 2012, Diane and I exchanged some doodads. The doodads are gorgeous. Thanks, Diane. I am having some fun tatting using a couple of these.

I decided that Fox's motif, Athalia, which you can find here on tat-ology, is one I would like to tat with a doodad. It's a delightful pattern.



Tatted with #40 Lace Yarn Thread from Daiso

Another view of the same motif, Athalia

Last week, I met Tong Huey, for dinner. She loves crafts and is into crocheting. She's makes lovely items. The eclectic cafe, Tea Cosy, serves rather interesting fare and it also sells the furniture as well as home accessories it has on display.

Tong Huey and me, and our prettily plated and sumptuous dinner on the table

After dinner, I found some netted yarn in Spotlight. Needless to say, being ever so curious, I bought 2 balls to have a go. I didn't have any idea how the yarn was to be used, as the label only had pictures of knitted ruffled scarves. I came home and checked out youtube for some idea(s) and hopefully instructions to crochet with these yarn. I did find some useful videos.

Voila! Now I have 2 beautiful things to decorate my neck.


Crocheted ruffled scarf with Moda Vera Ridgley Mesh, Grecian, 100g, 100% acrylic

Crocheted ruffled scarf with Vera Moda Togari Mesh, Tango, 100g, 80% acrylic, 20% nylon

Free Form Tatting with Doodad

Life's not too bad when I get to tat. :D

Picking up from where I left off yesterday, I actually managed to tat a free form around another doodad! It's essentially made up of chains, using only one shuttle. Looks like a rose to me. Think I'll name it Val's Rose.

Tatted in #20 thread named Enjoy, Light Pink, Size: 4 x 4.5 cm

And then there were two!

 

Sure having fun!

Ta-Dah!

So I tweaked the pattern -- both in the stitch count as well as the look of the outer row, not to mention adding beads to it!

Tatted in #20 Flora, Navy Blue, plus iridescent #11 delica seed beads.

Of course this is not the only possibility. The number of repeats of the hearts could be anything between 2 and 10! I must say I'm pretty happy with this motif now. Have to now think of a name for it, as is the tradition. (My brain cells are getting a little hyper being worked so hard. LOL)

I have to confess one thing though: I added the beads because I saw how Fox's motifs and pendants turned out so much more refined with beads. Thanks, Fox, for the inspiration. Although, I do have to say that I have an inherent fear of using beads in tatting.

I really had a lot of fun designing something around this 10-point doodad. Was challenging but I'm glad I did it. I'm probably not going to stop here, as I found more doodads (but in a craft store, of course!). OK, I'll leave you now with these...

It's Ready!

I finished the first prototype. Not sure it's the best. Can't label it a snowflake, perhaps a motif. Looks somewhat incomplete to me. Maybe it needs another row so it doesn't look like it's hanging. Maybe. I love the hearts. They are the most well formed hearts in my tatting "career". LOL



Tatted in #20 Kimono thread, Peacock Blue.
Size: 5.5 cm x 5 cm.

Do share your thoughts with me. And, yes, it hasn't got a name yet! Any suggestions?

I'm working on a variation of this and I'll unveil that tomorrow. Till then.

Post blog: Thanks, Fox, for suggesting a name to this motif!

Progress...

A new row I started in the train this morning... I think the little hearts are rather well formed. It's not finished, but I think there are many variations possible with this addition.

Oh, did I mention that I'm using the Kimono thread I bought quite a while back too?

Continue to tune in. :D

Getting A Wee Bit Creative

The Lace-lovin' Librarian started a Diane's Double Doodad Dare, and a handful of creative fellow tatters among us came up with some awesome snowflake and small motif patterns. Suffice to say I've been quietly admiring these inspiring pieces.
Last weekend as I was sorting out the mess accumulated in my cupboard, I found a couple of doodads (smiling right at me!). I forgot I bought some (but put them away because I didn't know what to do with them then). Sounds familiar?

I picked up one piece in an attempt to get creative myself. I'm really only perhaps halfway through to the finished product, but thought you might be interested to get a glimpse. I'm "designing" as I go, if I may say so. I have no idea where this will take me. Just having some fun.
Here's what the motif looks like so far.

 

 

Do stay tuned for more... :D

Using the Kimono threads

I have been tatting... especially with the new Kimono thread that I was talking about, recommended by Lynn in this post.
Made a curious little motif with the black and white variegated. Also with a smaller #70 DMC cotton and metallic silver. I had a lot of fun doing this. Can you guess which pattern it is?



Tatted another motif with this thread... It's a motif for a coffee table mat.

Next up, a doily that's almost complete, minus one last round. (Lost steam for now but I might pick it up again some time. ;P)

Both these patterns can be found in this little booklet that Jane Eborall shared some time back. I managed to get a copy, and I love it.

I certainly have a new project waiting and I'm very keen to get crackin'. But before that, I gotta do some homework. Till then...

Hope you are having a nice weekend.

P.S. Jane wrote up a pattern for the Fandango corners and tatted up a pretty duo-colour sample. It's gorgeous. Find her post about it here.

Going Ons This Week...

Oh no, my mobile phone charm... this little black piggy has worn out. First his eyes fell off, one after another. I glued them back on. That was a few months back. Then his ears started to peel. Now even his nose is falling off. Poor thing. Guess he'd seen better times.

So I had to replace him with this alien (I can't figure what animal it is). 

I'd been sick over the week. I coughed so much and so violently that I couldn't even catch my breath. I thought this was going to kill me! This cough, which recurred every 2 minutes won't let me sleep and left me short of breath after every episode. When I went to see the doc, he told me it won't go away for at least a week or two. Some patients he'd seen had coughs that lasted over a month and one fellow had coughed so badly that a rib broke! S.C.A.R.Y! I was forced to rest and take all my meds faithfully. I'm much better now. The cough's pretty much suppressed (that's what the meds do) but the throat's still rather sore.

On the brighter side, I found time to check out what's going on with some blogging friends and the well neglected Intatters site. I was looking out for some challenge, as usual, as well as some pretty bookmark patterns to tat.

"Tatted Clover Bookmark" by Carol Lepard that I'd found on the Intatters site. Simple to tat but a gorgeous pattern.

Another project that I have in mind: tatting up some vintage patterns from KNOTS. The patterns are in need of images of the actual work so Kersti suggested this challenge. OK, here's a glimpse of what I'm planning to work on. I tatted this motif with only the visual.

Have a restful weekend.

XOXO

Belated Valentine's Heart

Scallop Shell Heart by Martha Ess

I tried... Here's my Valentine's Heart for all my friends in Tatland. I love this pattern very much -- looks exquisite to me.

Hope everyone had a fantastic Valentine's and good weekend. ;)