More Ribbons

 Whoops,  I should have posted a few months ago. 

I made the flower headband which I first saw at Camp Wanna Tat and expanded on the original adding many more flowers and the pinecones at the ends. I used a ball cap for display but it currently adorns a sunhat.  The flowers leaves and pinecones were from a variety of patterns that I either purchased or was taught in a class.

The angel is made with one continuous Sanbest thread.  I took apart some earrings to use the bead for the head.  Lesson here is search your stash, you never know what you may find.  There are over 2500 double stitches used to make the angel.

I was awarded second for the flower headband and a third place ribbon for the angel.

Mobile of Angels

  It is called "Cathedral Angel" and the design is by Elaine Gan.  I really like this one she designed as it makes good use of those chandelier drops. 

I inserted a crystal drop inside and used another crystal bead from the chandelier for the head.

I didn't have a form to block these on so I just used a large dowel to hang them of to dry as I had dampened with water and straightened out the skirt.  I added beads to all the edges and was able to complete in one pass.  So if you haven't learned to do a split chain yet, it will open a whole world of seamless tatting. 

I entered this into a judged competition at the Calgary Stampede and won a third place ribbon. 

  

Inspiration Angel

She is called "Inspiration Angel" and the design is by Elaine Gan, who sells it on Etsy here.  I tatted in in a Sanbest thread and made a gold seed bead halo. 

The angel is very lightweight and measures 3 by 3 inches or  8 x 8 cm.  There is a red bead used for the head and a red drop bead inside the body. I used a bit of fishing line (8lb) to tie the beads and the hanger as one. 

String Art

Ever have a thread that you just can't tat with? This Altin Basak size 50 was gifted to me but because of the silver metallic thread wrapped around the cotton core it was impossible to shuttle tat with,  the metallic thread kept stretching or breaking. I have not tried it with a needle. I have been trying to create gifts from my stash so this bit of string art was created.  

This pattern is for nails in a board but I stitched it instead and I think it turned out ok.  The card is from  a create your own wedding invitations package.  Yes it was my wedding and a long time ago.  That metallic thread did not make it any easier to stitch on the card either.  

To cover the back of the stitching I used some pink cardstock, now the inside right of the card has room for a personalized note. 

The pattern was purchased from Etsy StringingAlongWithMe.  She also uses Facebook and Instagram.  

For Carollyn

 

The designer of these "Fairy Wings" is Carollyn Brown who passed away in September.  She was an excellent tatter among her many talents.  We had exchanged  emails as we had a few things in common but I never met her.  

Using up my stash of chandelier crystals I revisited one of my favorite wings.  These were done using 54 red seed beads all on shuttle two as they appear on the throw off rings and a silver sanbest thread.  I created a halo using one row of gold seed beads.  Carollyn also had a few videos up on YouTube and used the name Madtatter80, I provide links below.

Carollyn's Tatting Blog

Madtatter80

Joyce's Angel

She is called Joyce's Angel but she will be going to my sister who has a holiday tree full of angels and her favorite color is blue.  This is a pattern by Martha Ess and available on her blog here. 

I tatted this using my never ending spool of Wonderfil thread. It works up in a size 80 to a final size of 6 cm or 2.5 inches.  I added beads to the first six picots or the pattern gives stitch count for a halo.

There is also another discussion of this  Angel using a half moon split ring.

With the Wonderfil thread still on the shuttles I made up these quick earrings found on Facebook site of Svetlana Borovik or on Youtube video here.  I do not like how the two ends finish up so I have an idea on how to make these sit better on the ear wires.

Trending

I tatted these two angels and gave them away in a local exchange.  The bell below was received as a thank you and came all the way from Denmark.  

I hope you are all enjoying this  "silly season" as Jane calles it .  

Still Another Angel

I purchased the set of 3d Angels from Renata Niemczyk/Renulek from her etsy site.  I used a  vintage thread Coats 30.  They are less than 2.5 inches tall .  I used a white pearl bead  about 14mm.   

Each angel is constructed the same but each has a different finish to the skirt which makes them even more unique.  I need to make a few more because these are already spoken for and I'd like a few for my tree.

Sorry for the poor photographs today, the light just didn't want to come into the kitchen.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

An angel for M

One of the ladies from the Wild Rose lace makers Guild gifted me a tin box full of her excess jewellery. Inside the tin were  many  shiny pieces, bangles, bracelets,  beads and chains. She thought they would be useful for me to tat around. 

As a thank you I have made her this angel.  The tiny halo is tatted with a Diamant metallic thread color D301. It is a shiny copper color to match the repurposed bead which has a glint of copper inside. 

I have tatted the body with a vintage Coats size 30.  The body is stiffened with white school glue diluted with water. 

The designer is Orsi from Hungry and at one time she sold her pattern on Etsy but it's still available on her blog here.  She also provides information to make another version of this angel and a head.

Crystal Angel Ornaments

When mom replaced her crystal chandelier with a more modern one I had hopes of rewiring it and using it but that never happened.  As time passed I revisited that box and recycled the metal parts, re-purposing the parts I could.  My first attempt at crystal angels are these three.

The first crystal angel you have seen before when I purchased it in St. Jacobs this past fall.  I'm not sure what chemical is added to the crystal but it reflects like a rainbow. The crystal itself is quite flat.  The wing pattern is from the online tatting class Angel Wings for IOLI 2007 Convention. The angel measures 2.5 inches tall.

The second angel is from mom's chandelier and the two crystals measure 2.5 inches tall. I used the wing pattern from Jennifer Williams Christmas angel, you make two and attach them together. Here is the link.


The final angel is from mom's chandelier and the crystals are quite large.  This pattern is from Agnieszka Michalowska and is a very frilly coaster, I used split rings and chains to make it in one pass.  Once attached the tatting covers both sides of the bottom crystal.  This angel measures 3.5 inches long.  The top crystal is beveled and flat on one side, beveled and pointed on the other. The lower crystal is rounded on both sides.  All the wings are made with a DMC 12 Pearl Cotton.

I have hung them up in my window waiting for the sun to separate the light and bring rainbows of color across the kitchen.  I'm thinking that a halo of tatting can be added too.

Weeks ago I had taken a picture of all the crystals once I had washed them and they were sitting on a towel to dry.  I think I may have given out a few but I still have many to craft into angels and icedrops.  Further suggestions for use of these crystals is welcomed.

Finally, wind your shuttles as the Tat it and see TIAS 2018 is almost here. Read the introduction here. 

Angels

I have been working on my monster doily over the holidays and should be starting row 14 any day now. Today I wanted to share some angel creations from my holiday tree before all is put away for another year.

This tree topper angel has some added tatted lace to her skirt.  She is 30 cm or 11.5 inches tall and as wide as she is tall.  I made her in size 10 white cotton. The halo is a covered plastic ring.  A few years ago she needed to be re-stiffened and now is stowed in her own box so she does not get crushed year to year. 

Some of the sequins and beads are extras from my wedding dress.  I have used her as a topper for my tree for more than twenty years.  

The pattern is from a the pamphlet Crochet Angels 7 Exquisite Creations by Wilma Bonner.   The pattern called for some very thin arms and braided cotton hair on the head which I had omitted.  I did stuff the head with cotton balls.

This smaller gal is crochet and is made from an angel I saw once at a craft sale.  I used a gold pipe cleaner for the halo. I have made hundreds of these over the years.

Made with size 10 crochet cotton she stands 11 cm or 4.5 inches. The pattern is a basic shell stitch skirt, overskirt and wings. Single crochet for the head and neck.

Years ago from the back of a craft magazine you could order stitched cloth labels with your name on them. I sewed a custom label into the skirt of each angel before giving as a gift.  I still have many labels left.

Wishing all my readers and especially those who comment all the best of the season and a most blessed new year.