Friday, May 9, 2014

Prolific...Beads, Bells, Booties...and a doily, too! (Motifs 15-22)

So, in case you were wondering (and thanks to all of you who weighed in) I decided to go with the beads on the Sunburst/Spiderweb doily:
Motif 15
 I'm quite pleased with it! For those who are interested, it's size 80 DMC thread and measures 13" in diameter.

We are enjoying the second of three long weekends in May, and last weekend's was 4 full days, so I did A LOT of tatting. It was awesome!!

First of all, I FINALLY got to tat the Tatted Accent Doily I won in  OneMadTatter's 200 Facebook Likes Giveaway a few weeks ago!
Motif 16: Pattern from the etsy store of lacemakermom, tatted in size 30 Cebélia thread.
 I'm pretty proud of this doily, mostly because I finally figured out how to tat over the starting threads (instead of having to hid them when you're done)!

After finishing those doilies I thought it would be fun to try something a little different... 3D bells!

Here is the first one I made, but I honestly can't remember where I found the pattern...it's in one of my many tatting books, I'll find it eventually I'm sure! :)
Motif 17: This one ended up a little smaller than I thought it would
 Here is the second, from the Annie's Attic book Heirloom Treasures in Tatting. I'm not
Motif 18: This one is a little taller than I think it should be--it doesn't flare out as much as I think a bell should.

Pip think it looks more like a hat than a bell.



I was on a bell-making kick, I guess, because I kept going and made this one, my favorite of the three, Reneluk's Bell.
Motif 19


 Again, I need to remind you that I've had two long weekends in a row, this is the only reason I've been so prolific...

Yesterday, day 1 of our most recent three-day weekend, I decided to tat his little gem:
 It's a vintage pattern by C.B. Platt, which you can find by clicking here.
Motif 20

 Now, I'm no expert, not being a mother or anything, but this doesn't seem like it would fit any but the very smallest of preemies...
 I used the softest thread I have to make this, Perle size 8...the instructions said to use size 20, and Perle 8 tats slightly larger than size 20, but still...crazy-small.

 Finally, in preparation for the upcoming State Fair, I thought I would take a stab at an edging. The regs say that a doily edging has to be at least 2" wide, but patterns for that wide of edgings are remarkably hard to find! These two are Mary Konior patterns, tatted in Perle 8, and only the one of the left comes anywhere close to 2"...if I wanted to make it with my normal size 40 or 80, I'd barely make it over an inch.
Motifs 21 and 22!
Any suggestions for a wider pattern (or two patterns that can be easily converged into 2"?)

Whew. Finally, something to show you. :)

...I really need to do a better job of spreading these posts out! :)

14 comments:

  1. I hope you are enjoying your second long weekend. Both doilies are lovely, lovely patterns.
    Your bells, I had a laugh at the bell being a hat for the dog, it's a pity one is narrow and tall but they do look like bells. Beautiful booties, I like the way you have done the pink at the bottom and on the round on the top.
    Well done with your tatting look forward to seeing what you tat this weekend.
    Margaret

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    1. Thanks, Margaret. I'm going to try to be a more regular blogger in the future! We'll see!

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  2. Look at you go and go and go and go! i have lacermakermom's doily--that one--bookmarked to buy. I just love it. Simple but very pretty and kind of bold with that contrasting outline.

    So glad to see you posting, Kristen!

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  3. Your tatting is amazing! But, le pauvre Pip! I am not sure he is very pleased with his chapeau nouveau... He looks a wee bit embarrassed. : ))

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    1. Yeah, Pip is not a tatting fan...he takes after his Dad that way :)

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  4. Wow, you've been busy, good work! Thanks for the link to the bootee, I'm going to follow it up now.

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  5. Love how the doily came out I bought the pattern in the book you said and then found it in another book ! love all the other items and the dog love the dog as a model makes you laugh!

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  6. I just read the last part and I do have a suggestion for you I have done size 80 and over 2 inches by doing a netting first and the add and edge to the netting the netting is done a lot like your spiderweb doily and I have fragment of a picture of one of my wedding hankies, on my blog as a background in the bottom right hand side. I did the tatted edge first then the netting and a little chain afterwards on that one. sadly I never took pictures but the baby bonnet is made like described.

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    1. Ooh, netting...that might work! Thanks for the suggestion!!

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  7. You certainly have been busy! I agree with Madtatter80 about the 'netted' edge or rows of rings to 'stretch' the measurement. My suggestion for an edging is Mary Konior's Maids of Honour, in her Visual Patterns book.. In size 30 it is an inch wide, so in 20 it would be wider. It's such an attractive edge. And speaking of bells, I used that edge successfully in a bell I created back in 1996 which I showed recently on my blogpost of January 9. I combined it with her 'beauty spots' edge (from the same book) which wouldn't work on a 'flat piece of Maids of Honour but worked out beautifully around the 'middle' of the bell. Mary even provides a corner for the Maids of Honour. It would be a winner for sure!

    I began creating bells (fincorporating edgings) about 25 years ago (there were few 3-D patterns back then) and I always used a styrofoam bell form to figure out the stitch counts in the upper sections - and also had good luck! I also use the bell form (covered with plastic wrap) to dry the bells after covering with the stiffening solution. And I add a metal chain and a crystal or metal filigree clapper. I was pleased when Renulek's designed her bell, as it also has a perfect shape. I like the effect with the blue and white threads that you used! I also like the blue and white doily. A lot of picots there!

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    1. I tried Maid's on Honour, it still came in a bit short (but oh, so pretty)! I think I just need to make up my mind that it's ok to to have a 2-level edging and get on with it! :)

      I checked out your blog and some of your bells...you are so creative, I'm not sure my brain would have made the connection to turn an edging into a bell...what a great idea!!!

      I like the idea about the styrofoam bell form; I'm headed to the States soon, maybe I'll hunt one up. Thanks for the suggestions and feedback!! :)

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  8. Kristen!!! It's time to post something again! What's up with your moving adventures or your tatting?

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    1. Gracias, Grace :) Or, I guess I should say, спасибо. :) New post today!

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