Blame it on Diane

Sometimes you get a pattern in your head and you just can't stop tatting it.  Well that happened a few days ago and along came all these icedrops.  Made popular by Diane Cademartori.

I had posted about these earlier here. So it appears that I have again gotten Icedrop fever.  The pattern is a slight variation on the pattern Purple Fudge Ice Drop and is made in one pass.  Patterns can be found in the files of the Facebook page Ice Drop Addicts. hmm, seems to be a theme here.  

Over the years I have had many of these glass drops gifted but I mostly had a bag of clear ones.  I painted the flat bottoms with nail polish, one or two coats as needed.  Then tatted these up using some 6 strand Sanbest polyester thread.  

Finally I used earring stops and a coilless pin to create one into a brooch. 

It's a Shank Button

I needed two buttons a while back for my sisters slippers but they came in a set of three so this button sat idle in the button jar for a time.  I recently saw a design by Sharron Morgan called I Heart This. 

The design is a tatted heart attached to a 9/16 inch jump ring, then you put a shank button through the ring.  Using a coilless safety pin and earring stoppers the tatting is now changed into a brooch. 

So I borrowed this idea and this button can now be worn on my hat, well perhaps my sisters hat.   

Occasionally  I run across a few shank buttons that would look nice on a lapel or such. You could even do a cluster of them.   

I hope I have sparked your idea for the use of some of your favorite shank buttons.

Goldwork

One of the many perks of joining a needlecraft guild is that you are introduced to different types of fiber arts.  My local guild, the Calgary Guild of Needle and Fibre Arts put together a starter kit and taught this project in Goldwork.

I learned a little about pearl purl, rough purl, smooth purl and spangles.  Whew a whole new language.  

I still need to finish the back of this piece and perhaps that will be another class.

This is a pattern by Sarah Homfray and you can find her website here. 

Keeping Balance

I met a kind person who happens to love flamingos so I tatted this to put on a Thank You Card.

The pattern for this flamingo can be found for free on Jane Eborall patterns page and you have the option of tatting with two straight legs or one bent.  

I used a Manuela size 20 thread and two shuttles for all those split rings.  

 

TIAS 2022 Day 1, 2, 3

 

If you haven't begun there is still time to start.  Link to the TIAS blog is here. 

Lace Baskets

Years ago, I had the honor of meeting Judith Connors, She taught a course in making a tatted basket.  Designed by Lene McKenzie called Lacy Basket and Lid.  Judith told the class that Lene had made these to hold treats at her daughters wedding. Lene made one for each guest, I recall the number was over one hundred.

I never did finish that basket but I did finish this one, It is an adaptation by Linda Williams and Joelle Paulson. 

There were numerous mistakes and I will make another better.  The floral glass bead in the center was clear but I painted some nail polish on the flat bottom. School glue diluted with water was used to stiffen, remembering to remove excess and clean the glass before letting it completely dry.   

I have a few projects from last year still on the shuttles and they are calling me.  It is a perfect opportunity to work on those projects while I get to do TAT IT AND SEE 2022 which starts in just a few days.

 so 

 

Landing Pad

   

 

I was gifted a handmade tray from one of my DH hockey buddies Brian.  It was a thank you for some tatting I had gifted.  

The tray is made from repurposed wood, once part of a dresser.  The corners have lovely dovetail joints and it is finished with a coat of varnish.  It is just the right size as a "landing pad" for my tatting tools.

That green and purple thing is a needle threader with a different size wire on each end. My favorite tool is the smooth jaw forceps. They can pull a needle and hold a spot on the thread as you count beads.  They also can hold the shortest length of thread to assist to open a ring.

I lined the tray with Vellux as I had extra from an earlier project, now the tray can double as a beading mat.  I put a shuttle in the tray before I took the picture so you would know what craft I am up to as the tools could be used for many needlecrafts.  

Thanks again Brian, what a lovely gift and a great addition to my desk.  I am still getting organized for the next year of tatting and every little bit helps. 

`

Tat It and See 2022

Getting ready for Tat it and See 2022. If you would like to join tatters from around the world please refer to this page.   Jane is at it again and I have my shuttles ready.  

I have chosen a size 20 Lizbeth thread color 130, Island Breeze. Don't forget to send in your progress to Jane along with a guess.

Just before I took this picture I cleaned my keyboard. There were crumbs, dust, hair, beads and sequins stuck under the keys.  After a good upside shaking I removed (then replaced) a corner key and the last of the bits fell out.   

Along with the keyboard, I also have been organizing my loose pages of patterns and reviewing any projects that need to be finished.

Wishing you all a great 2022, happy tatting.