This Is Not An Announcement! (Also Motifs 10-13)

Just thought I'd get that out of the way... :)

 After The Big Doily was completed I decided to take a break from big projects for a bit...after trolling the Internet I decided to give Jane Eborall's 2013 "Tat It And See" a chance.

 Actually, it was a pretty timely TIAS, because 2 of my four sisters and sisters-in-law are currently expecting, and this years' pattern is perfect for a baby gift.

Motif #10

 Clearly, when a baby is expected, you have two obvious options for color choice, pink or blue. I know the sex of one of the babies, but the other one, the one I decided to make the gift for, is still a mystery...but its mommy really, really wants a girl, so I made my pram out of the most pinky pink thread I own to give her good luck in getting what she wants.

But, how to give it to her?

 Last summer I bought a really pretty baby's bib with the idea of adding some tatted edging, but every time I try, it looks silly. The bib has a white machine-embroidered cross on the front, but the back was lovely blank terrycloth.

So, I decided to put the pram on the back:

 After that, I decided it needed a little something else, and remembered an antique pattern of tatted letters sent to me by Wanda Salmans last year. (Thanks again!)

We don't know the sex, so of course we don't know the name, so I decided to stick with the what I know...for sure, it will be a BABY.

The letters were simple-looking, and relatively straightforward to tat...except for the "A"...

Try 1-- it's doing the splits... :/

Try 2--This is what it's supposed to look like (more or less) --very ornate...too ornate for me

Finally I decided to nix following the pattern and make up something myself:

Try 3--Just right!

Here is the finished product, as it stands today...

Motifs 10-13 (pram, B, A, and Y...yeah it's a bit of a stretch. :)

I'm not 100% happy with it.

 It's not terrible, but not perfect, either...the wheels are awfully close to the bottom of the pram, and the "B's" look a lot like "&'s"...

I attached it using invisible thread, and it's stuck on tight, but it looks a little...scrunchy.

 Does anyone out there have suggestions on how best to attach tatting to cloth? Do you tie down each free-floating picot, or just concentrate on the rings and chains?

I tied down the picots, but I don't think I like how it looks...luckily the baby's not due until fall, so I have plenty of time to get it right...

 All that aside, I'm proud that I came up with a way to make something I tatted pretty, functional, and will manage to give it away, too! :)