Playing With Picots & Bouton

Season's Greetings!

I haven't been tatting as much as I'd like to, but that's what happens when life gets busy, which is a good thing in it's own right.

I made a bookmark for my Christmas exchange person at work and as usual I forgot to take a picture, so had to take it out of the gift bag to take a picture with my cellphone. Needless to say it's not the best picture.

It is the Slalom Bookmark and is from Martha Ess' book Playing with Picots. I made some picot gages out of plastic, which worked great at keeping the picots uniform size, but really are a pain to keep track off in their current state. And since I'm sure to do more projects from this book I've got to come up with a better way to cart them around than just in a paper envelope.

Also I wanted to share with you about a cute little bear give away. His name is Bouton.

I have visited Ginger's bearbits blog before. She's a very talented artist. Even the picture at the top of her blog, the one with the 3 bears looking out the windshield, gives me a smile.

Have a good day!

Bonnie

David Reed Shuttle Giveaway

TattedTreasures and David Reed are giving away one of his lovely shuttles, go check it out.

"Oh No You Didn't"

... Oh yes I did........
There are 2 things I would like you to see here. Both are marked with a X. First the top X shows where I missed a join and the bottom X which shows where I cut the thread to finish it off, before I realized that I'd missed a whole section of tatting.

For some reason my friend, Peg - the one I am helping learn to tat - thought that it was really funny that I missed a join and had ALREADY cut the thread. She said something like it was good to see that I make mistakes too.

I was lucky enough to win this Patriotic HDT from Anika. (you can find her etsy shop here) And since I'd just made this pattern, Julie's Hearts and Flower Cross, for a friend I wanted to make it again for myself and this new HDT was itching to be used.

So in the end was there a lesson to be learned from this experience? Sure was, if - rather WHEN - I make a mistake again don't show Peg. LOL.

Tat On,

Bonnie

Tatted Hairpin Lace

A couple of weeks ago, Georgia asked for volunteers to tat something using Ruth Perry's Tatted Mock Hair Pin Lace. I was unable to find it online to show you, but it is where the Hairpin Lace is made by tatting large picots.

Georgia provided 4 or 5 patterns for us to pick from. Because my time was limited and she asked for it to be done in 2 weeks, I choose a - what I thought at the time would be- fairly simple pattern and made Saundra Hameed's Round Center Motif.


I'd never done Hairpin Lace, so I didn't really understand it, and in hindsight I did it wrong. I made it so both sets of picots were the same size. Stupidly after I made it was when I decided I should have researched HPLace. In doing so I learned that the middle set of picots should have been smaller than the outer ones. I think that's why the upper to middle right section is a bit ....... well, off I guess.

( I prepared this post a few days ago and since then LadyShuttleMaker did an excellent PDF of how to correctly make this pattern using Ruth Perry's Mock Hairpin Lace technique, it can be found here. )

Oh well, as Georgia said "every test brings us more knowledge", and with LadyShuttleMaker's great tutorial I may just give this one a try again.

Tat On!,
Bonnie

Rosy Ironbark

I'm sorry to say that I tat many pieces that I don't take the time to blog about.



But not this time :-)

I was told by KBDesignOriginals that I was the first person to purchase the Rosy Ironbark pattern when she posted it in her etsy shop back in April. Since then I have made it a number of times, at least 4 or 5. Finally I am remembering to show you one of them before I gift it away.

Tat On!

Bonnie

9-11

I have struggled all day with something to say about 9-11. Every time I've tried I can't bear to put my thoughts into words. So simply I'll say ...

I have not forgotten all of the people we lost that day, nor the people we have lost in the fight against terrorism since then. God Bless Them and Their Families.

And to all of our Service Men & Women who continue to serve the USA and keep us safe, Thank You and your families.

Jon's New Book Final Part #4

My final opportunity to test for Jon's 2nd snowflake book was #17 Firus.

I was sad to see that this particular "tatting with a purpose" had come to an end. I enjoyed every minute of it and although I have thanked Jon many times for the chance to do this, I would like take this opportunity to do it publicly as well.

Jon, it has always been a pleasure to tat your patterns, so to be a small part of your new book has been a tatting honor for me. Thank you!

Jon now has her book, Elegant Tatting Gems available for purchase. You can find the information here.

Tat On! And if you haven't already please plan to get Jon's book, the patterns really are ***Elegant Tatting Gems** (smile).

Bonnie

Jon's New Book Part 3

#14 Sahmura

I need to remind you this was a test tat, Jon may have tweaked it some before it ended up in her book.

Super fun!

Jon now has her book, Elegant Tatting Gems available for purchase, you can find it here. She also has a give away going until the 15th for a chance to win a copy of the book. Go check it out.

Tat On!
Bonnie

Jon's New Book Part 2

When I test tatted for Jon, I felt like I was tatting with a purpose.

#11 Lazuarid

I was anxious to get the next one one to test, but while I waited I retatted Lazuarid in the reverse colors.

That picture isn't as clear because it was taken with my cellphone at work, rather than scanned like the original one, and the lower point wasn't flat.

Please remember these are test tats, Jon may have tweaked them some before they ended up in her book.

I am writing this on 7/10 to post on 7/12, as of today Jon doesn't have her new book available to purchase, but she told me I could start talking about the snowflakes so I know she plans to release it soon. You will be able to order it from her website.

**** UPDATE Jon's book, Elegant Tatting Gems is now available for purchase on her website. The information can be found here. To launch the book, she is having a giveaway, from 7/12 thru 7/15 you can enter for a chance to receive a copy of her book. Quick go here and check it out.

Tat On!

Bonnie

Jon's New Book

....... is coming soon. I'm so excited!

I was lucky enough to get a peak at it when I test tatted for her earlier this year.

Since my posts are few and far between lately, I am going to post them over a few days rather than just all at once.

Please keep in mind the ones I will show you are from the test tat, Jon may have tweaked them before they ended up in her new book.

#4 Baiduri

I didn't do a very good job of blocking, I was to excited to go on to the next one. Stay tuned for that.

As of today, Jon's book isn't available, but she said I could start talking about the snowflakes, so I know it will be available soon. You will be able to find it on her website.

Tat On!

Bonnie

Is That Giraffes I See?

In April I started helping my friend Peggy learn to tat. Maybe I should say I helpED my friend Peggy learn to tat. She's doing a fabulous job and I'm very proud of her.

I'm pretty sure she's caught the tatting bug, let me tell you why I think so.

• She has more shuttles then she can use at any given time and carries the new ones around ever where she goes.... still in their packages.




• Last Friday she placed a Handy Hands order and ordered MORE shuttles .... different kinds and colors .... a book and 10+ spools of Lizabeth threads.




• She has already visited Etsy and scored some lovely HDTs, some she gifted to me!!




• She has spent hours searching the internet for patterns and probably just as many hours looking thru the books I loaned her.

How would I know all of this? I know because she can no longer carry her "portable" craft in a little ziplock baggie or coin purse, she's graduated to a large bag with giraffes on it.

Last Thursday I noticed the giraffe bag, next I noticed the giraffe on her necklace. Humm giraffes, is there a pattern here? Then Friday I went to her office on a work related matter and I noticed there were giraffes every where. How did I miss this ? So giraffes it is then.

Tomorrow I am leaving home for a week, but rather then spend the weekend preparing to be away from home, I spent it tatting giraffes to make Peg a fabric postcard.



They are made with Tatskool's Antique Bronze HDT, using the pattern from my autographed copy (*smile*) of Martha Ess' More Critters on the Block.

Tat On!

Bonnie

Earrings

I tatted some earrings for a swap I was in, using a pattern from Free Tatting Patterns.

Mary at Peachtree Cottage turned me onto that website and pattern. Thank you, Mary.

Tat On!

Bonnie

Fabric Postcard with Tatting

A few weeks ago a friend from work, Patricia, found some old tatting shuttles at a garage sale for me, to thank her I made this fabric postcard.

The dachshund was originally made here, I just never got around to finishing it into the postcard. I think it turned out pretty cute. Since Patricia, has a dachshund she will be very pleased I'm sure.

*Blogger still won't let me stay signed on to leave comments on any blog posts. I've cleaned out, cleared out, reset passwords, any and everything I can think of to do. Any one else have any ideas that may work?

Tat On!

Bonnie

Bookmarks

Recently I was in 2 different bookmark exchanges, the first at The Tatting Forums and the second at InTatters.

I wanted to work on Rachael Mohler's Flower Bookmark, so this was a good opportunity for me to give it a try. The first attempt was pitiful, but the second try I got the hang of it. So I went to my HDT collection and picked out a very mild green and equally mild blue. They worked up beautifully together.

They are done in size 30 HDT, dyed by Crochet4u2Dye4.

Some of us on the forum had a time with how to make the twisted tassel, I know I sure did, so Rachael was kind enough to make a video on it which can be found here.

On a different note, I'm having a hard time with blogger. It lets me sign in but not leave a comment. It is my understanding that others are having this problem too, any idea how to fix it?

Tat On!

Bonnie

* Diane's suggestion didn't work for me, I tried to comment on my own post and after 8 times of signing in I got no where and came here to leave this instead.... grrr * Nothing new no updates to computer, internet explorer, nothing.

what was..

This ...... Was similar to this...


...Until we got this...

A few weeks ago we "lost" one of our girls, Ruby. That's all I'm going to say about that. .................. Zoe, our Sheltie, didn't like being alone, nor did DH and I like how quiet the house was. In the past we've learned the only way for us to go onward is to put all that time we spend being sad into a new friend, so we got Maya. She is a Springer Spaniel (field breed) puppy.

Really what were we thinking LOL. Most certainly not that we were getting a tatting eater :-)

Both the original and the redo dachshund were tatted in size 20 Lizabeth thread using a pattern from Martha Ess' More Critters on the Block. I had originally made the dachshund to attach to a fabric postcard for our friends who recently got a new dachshund puppy. I also wanted to make a second one for Patricia, a friend from work. I still plan to make the postcard and tat another one of these fun creatures for my friend, but having a puppy has taken up alot of my time!

Plus, I am working on some secret projects. You may have seen some of our tatting friends talk about the secret projects they are working on, well I am a part of that too. That's all I can say about it though. :-)

Since Maya and the secret projects are taking up alot of my time, I don't have any other tatting that I can show you ............. right now :-)

Tat On!

Bonnie

Multi-Media

I enjoy creating. I love tatting, but greatly enjoy working with paper, stamps & inks, fabric, yarn, you name it I enjoy it.

I participate in a swapping society called Swap-Bot and occasionally I find fun groups to be a part of, the latest one is call "Instant Books". Here is what I made

Notice the flower here. I used green paper to made a stem, then tatted a series of rings gradually adding more ds-s to make bigger petals, and form a flower.

I have learned that some people there don't understand or appreciate tatting. I was in a swap called "Surprise your partner with 1 of your crafts" Here was my rating "it met requirements I guess and is cute... however I don't think I'd enter a swap like this again... to broad of a spectrum and I am left feeling slightly deflated."

I myself was deflated with that rating. It's hard to put so much into a tatted piece and not have the receiver realize how much work it is.

Tat On!

Bonnie

Thread

I know that most of you are enjoying your Lizabeth thread from Handy Hands. In fact some of the HDT artists are using it to dye the threads I so greatly enjoy.

I am not however having a good time with it. Previously I blogged about finding it at JoAnn's Fabrics and the problems I was having. Well it's not getting any better with the thread I purchased directly from HH. This what I found about a fourth of the way thru a ball of white.

It was found as I was winding the second shuttle for The Little Girls' Christmas Barrettes. Thank goodness *this time* it wasn't in the middle of a project.

I prefer 6 cord thread, and in solids I guess this is the best I can get here, so I will still use it.

I continue to "Tat On" dispite the disappointment.

Bonnie

I Am Not A Designer!

I learned something, I am not a designer.

I wanted to tat something special for my 2 little nieces. They are to young to understand what tatting is, but not to young to know they enjoy bling. :-)

I wanted to make them something for them to wear in their hair. My first idea failed miserably, I don't even have it to show you. But I realized that I couldn't do hair bands, so I went to barrettes instead.

I had a hard time finding something that work with their thin hair and would showcase the tatting more than the barrette.

The one in the far top left is my first try. I felt the hole in the middle was to big. Then I decided, I could tat it a bit differently and cover the hole with something cute in the middle, which is on the top right. At that point I talked to my sister, and she'd had special Christmas shirts made for them in red and green, so I decided to go with those colors, which is lower left. However I didn't feel like it was very blingy. I took it to work and ask my friends, they agreed, so back to the original with the ribbon and rosette. So I had to figure out how to connect them to the barrette, so I made another one, the lower right, in blue so I could test how to put it on. It didn't turn out to good, because I didn't take into account how it closes as you can see in the next photo.

I finally got the hang of it, and was able to finish them in time for Christmas day.

According to my sister, most days they are what The Little Girls pick to wear in their hair. Hummm I wonder if I still have my final chicken scratch notes in order to make a couple more sets.

I started this post by saying, I am not a designer, however they did turn out pretty cute, so maybe what I should have said is ......... I am not a pattern writer.

To all Tatting Pattern Designers/Writers : Thank you for the work you do.

Tat On!

Bonnie

Blinged Shuttle Exchange with Wendy

In mid-December I blogged about the shuttles I blinged out to exchange with Wendy at Umintsura. Even though the pink one's tip wasn't very useful I sent it anyway.

Earlier this week, Wendy blogged about the shuttles she received from me and showed what was on the back of the blue one......If you want to see you'll have to go to her site to check it out :-)

Well yesterday I received mine in the mail from her. Look at this lovely red envelope it was wrapped in. Some how I'm sure I can recycle that into something.

Thank you, Wendy.

As usual the pictures are taken with my cellphone camera.

I could get into this blinging and exchanging of shuttles. Anyone game?

Tat On!
Bonnie