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. 

Fairy and Tardis

This Fairy, pattern by Jane Eborall, found its way to another's tree as part of an ornament exchange. I used Lizbeth 101 Spring Flower size 20.  The legs are added separately.  I really liked how the beads gave this pattern sparkle. The exchange partner has a little girl and I thought she would like a fairy. 

I also sent along this Tardis.  The Tardis is made with Hakelgarn 20 navy blue. I made it right after the US election but sadly it's not big enough for anyone.

The Tardis is designed by Anne Bruvold and a free pattern is available here. This pattern uses split rings  to move on from one row to the other. and a split chain to finish.

 As it turns out the recipient  of these ornaments is very interested in tatting and wants to learn, sadly she is many miles away but I'm here to help in any way I can.

Vintage Lace Revisit

Many months ago I received a few yds/m of vintage trim.  I blogged about it here. It sat for some time all crumpled up in a bag.  I measured the smallest tablecloth I have and there was not enough trim to go around and I was positive I would not be adding to the piece I had.

This week I was looking for something to make my Christmas pin a bit more fancy for a community dinner.  I took the trim and carefully cut through the joining picots and then blocked the six joining hearts. Once dry I joined the point of the hearts and put them ruffled behind my brooch.  It made the pin fancy and I even got a few complements at dinner last night.  

That project worked so well I took another six hearts and put them round the skirt of an angel I put on the top of the tree. I still have lots of trim and I keep seeing uses for it all over the house. 

Unicorn

This Unicorn is a Martha Ess Pattern found in her book "Flights of Fancy". I added a few sequins for a saddle and a bead for the eye.   It has arrived at a new home through an ornament exchange organized on Instagram.

It is tatted with Lizbeth 101 Spring Flower in size 40, it measures 5 by 4 inches or 12 by 10 cm. I used two shuttles one continuous thread. The gold horn added later is done with DMC metallic Diamant embroidery thread. 

I love Martha's patterns and although this one did test me I really enjoyed how it all came together. I made the mane picots quite long as I wanted more of a fantasy look. 

Simple Star

This is a quick one shuttle pattern, Helen Stammers Simple Star.  The pattern can be found here.  I have used a vintage Coats 30 thread so it does not show up  super white.  The stars  are tatted with silver, gold and blue beads, I used a diluted white glue to stiffen.

Put 40 beads on the ball thread and take about a meter off the ball and wind a shuttle.  The pattern can also be done without beads on the picots.