Sunday, March 23, 2014

Continuing the Spring Doily, an Interim Project and a Lovely Gift

I am highly enjoying Reneluk's Spring Doily and am making surprisingly quick progress...probably because my husband has been gone the past two weeks so I've had nothing to do but tat! :)

Here are rounds Four:

Five:

Six:

and Seven:

I also decided it would be fun to work on something in a bit larger thread. This is the first couple rounds of Karey Solomon's "Plain and Fancy" from her booklet Doily Delights in size 20 Lizbeth.

I also received a lovely package from Aileen from Wicked Nothings this week.  I participated in her Secret Santa exchange, but the package that was sent to me (I like to think it was sent) never made it...even though she really didn't need to, Aileen was kind enough to send a replacement, and
I appreciate it so much!!!
Blue and white thread, rubber thimble, two decorated shuttles, origami paper for decorating my own shuttles, beads (more on that in a later post), a decorated card AND a fun cultural momento, a good luck "red packet" for the Lunar New Year. Inside my good luck envelope was a beautifully tatted bookmark! Thank you! :)
I especially love the decorated shuttle she sent, and some extra papers for me to practice decorating, too. I sense a mod podge order in my future! :)
 I enter all exchanges at my own risk and with the full knowledge that I may never receive anything-- I just think it is so fun to have the option to connect with tatters all over the place! Thanks again to Aileen for organizing the exchange!

I will leave you today with a bit of inspiration I'm mulling over:
I saw this vase at a restaurant over the weekend and thought, I can do that! So, I'll be thinking of exactly how to do it over the next few weeks. I'm thinking there will be a lot of stiffening agents involved! :)

14 comments:

  1. What size are you doing Renulek's doily in? It is so big already! And looking great!

    I notice a lot of hanging threads on your new piece, Plain and Fancy. Do you know how to do split chains to climb into the next round, or are you changing colors every round?

    And what an awesome shuttle you got! How did you get involved in a tatting exchange? Can you point me in the direction of that set up? I would love to play along!

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    1. I'm working with size 40 Lizbeth, but it does seem larger than I thought it would be at this point. I think I have a solid contender for the "Home Accessories over 12 inches" category at the fair this summer!! :)

      I haven't figured out how to do split chains yet. I looked at some instructions but the theory boggles me. Do you have a user-friendly description of how to do it?

      The last exchange I participated in was WAY back in December--I'm part of a few tatting groups on Facebook that seem to do exchanges every so often...if you have FB search for Tatting Shuttle Addicts and Tatting, they are both very active and interesting groups. I think InTatters does exchanges sometimes, too, but I haven't gotten as involved on InTatters as I'd like. :)

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  2. Kristen, for split chains, basically you are joining a bit of bare thread to the next element. then you are working unflipped stitches over that bare thread - some times called encapsulation - One good way to practice is to work stitches over something solid. like a very large safety pin, you can't get your shuttle through the middle, so you have to work the stitches one piece at a time. The are fun once you figure them out. I learned from an awesome tute online, but it has disappeared, bummer. Anyway, contact me, my email is in my profile, if you want some help.

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    1. Thanks! I will work on this and let you know if (haha when!) I get stuck. I have figured out climbing out with a ring so it's only a matter of time before I master split chains...until then, I have a lot of practice with hiding thread ends! :)

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  3. love your work and it would be fun to know the pattern from the book mark, I like it! your post inspires!

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    1. Thank you so much, you are so kind! :) I will get you the bookmark pattern ASAP. :)

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  4. Linda Davies' video is where I learned. It is great. Her youtube channel is under "toptattyhead" I think? Let me know if you don't find it and I'll muck around until I find it.

    I can do it without the video finally! lol

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    1. Grace, you are a lifesaver!! (And so is Linda) Video perfection, thanks so much for pointing me toward it! :) I have some blog updating to do with all my split chain successes :)

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  5. Your doilies are looking wonderful!!! :)

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    1. Thank you! I have found my attention wandering from these two projects the past couple of weeks, I need to get back to work! :)

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  6. Your spring doily is looking lovely and the other one is beginning to look good too.
    Yesterday I am sure you could design the vase to look like that.
    Congratulations on getting your parcel, I hope you enjoy using your new shuttles
    Margaret

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    1. Thanks Margaret!! I haven't really thought too hard about the vase yet---I'll get to it eventually. :) The new shuttles are great, the variety of shuttles available is one plus to shuttle tatting that I enjoy! :)

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  7. Your doily is coming along nicely. How many of us don't have more than one project going at a time? That's why we always need more shuttles! And your new shuttles look good. I've tried decorating a few but they don't look as nice as that one. More practice is needed. Good luck with the vase idea. You might need stiffening agents, but if you put it around a glass vase or something it might not need as much as you think. Good luck with that, looking forward to your progress.

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    1. Thank you!! Yes, the vase in the photo is actually made of wire, so a stiffining agent will be essential...thanks for the suggestion about putting it around something...hmm...I keep buying shuttles, but somehow they keep filling themselves with thread...I never seem to have an empty one at hand when I want it! :)

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