From Down Under

I participated in another Fringe Exchange and received these beautiful tatted items all the way from Sydney Australia. We were to exchange a favorite pattern.  I sent my go to butterfly heart of course and received these from Ms DS.  

She states that she tats these,  the larger an anklet and the  smaller  bracelet, to entice the younger generation into the world of tatting .

The ankle bracelet is made using the balanced double stitch (BDS) and the smaller bracelet using the spiral chain.  the beads are a lovely black 4mm crystal and unfortunately one of them broke in transit. 

This is the link to the FRINGE ELEMENT TATTERS website so you can see what this is all about. 

Metis Beadwork

In mid February I took a Metis Beadwork course offered by the Calgary Guild of Needle and Fibre Arts.  The class was a full day and a reasonable cost.  The teacher Deborah Fitzsimmons provided kits which included pattern, beads, threads, needles, cloth and instructions.

She calls this piece Blue Flax & Rocky Mountain/Wood Lily - Grassland Flowers.  We used a two needle method, couching over the row of beads.  Deborah also provided many hints with her detailed instructions. 

During the class I was only able to do a few outlines.  The piece did not really come together until I did the stems.

The centre small orange flowers and the amber ground runner are vintage beads made in  Murano Italy 1800's to 1920.

Happy St. Patricks Day

I had made two previous pairs of earrings and brought them to my guild for show and tell last week.  I had a request for them so I gave them away.  Of course I needed to make another pair for myself .

These shamrocks with the celtic knot in the centre are a pattern from Yarnplayer, Marilee Rockley.  She has provided a free pattern here.  I made slight pattern alterations by using a SSSR to finish and hide ends in the stem.  I used another the SSSR again in the second round; a ring for the earrings attachment.  This is one of my favorite ways to end an earring especially to hide both ends.

Hold on a minute

Another year here and many new things happening in 2020. Firstly on the tatting front I must get some of my projects finished from past conferences and workshops.

I will post my progress as it happens.

I have also been reviewing conferences I want to attend in 2020 and reviewing costs and logistics.  I hope to see many of my tatting friends and see all the wonderful things being done round the world.

If you have ever considered attending a workshop or conference please do so.  It is very rewarding and will give your craft a boost, plus it would be fun to see you too.

Below are the tatting events happening in 2020 with links to the web pages.

Finger Lakes  CANCELLED

Shuttlebirds  CANCELLED

Tatting Corner Tat Days

Palmetto

Fringe Element Tatters

Happy Tatting

Test tat

I was asked to test tat a new little motif by Robin B a new tatting designer.   You can find a link to the pattern on her facebook Robin's Nest Tatting Designer page here. 

I love how it almost looks interwoven but it is not.  Just three little rounds.

I started on a chain and used a split ring to climb to the second round.  Then I added magic loops to the first and last chain and no ends to sew in.

Using a Coats thread size 20 the small doily measures 4.25 inches from point to point.

To start on a chain you can use a paper clip or one of those coiless safety pins.  You might try what I did by starting with an unflipped second half and then with a flipped second half counting as the first double stitch and you can remove your paperclip once the chain is completed.