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.