"Growing Up" in Tatting

One of the things I love about tatting is the progression I see in what I can do, and what I will try to do. It's like growing up, tatting-style. 

It has been just over a year since I started shuttle tatting and I can really see the difference in what I can achieve now--my picots are more uniform, my tension troubles have eased, and I no longer am intimidated by small thread sizes, adding thread to a shuttle that has run "dry", or Jan Stawasz patterns. 

Well, ok, maybe the Stawasz patterns still make my heart go thump, but more in a "Let's do this!" way, rather than a, "Yeah, right" manner. 

Not that his patterns aren't incredibly challenging, because they totally are. And not that I have mastered his technique, because I totally haven't. But, I did successfully complete my first Stawasz pattern and am on my way to my second:

The first Stawasz pattern: Christmas decoration from "Tatting Theory and Patterns". 

A messy work in progress: "Doily" also from "Tatting Theory and Patterns". Four rows to go!

I find his patterns so satisfying to work. They are so...solid, but so delicate at the same time. I have his second book on order and can't wait to add it to my ever-growing collection. 

Oh, and speaking of my ever-growing tatting book collection, I got another book in the mail today that I am pretty psyched about...I have a bunch of Russian tatting books (because, you know, I live in Russia) and someone offered to swap one of my books for a Japanese book:

Hoorah!! A new language to tat in!!!!!!!

This was such a satisfying experience, if anybody out there has tatting books they want to swap, just let me know! :)

In the meantime, I'm goin back to Stawasz-land! :)

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! :)

A New Shuttle and Motifs 36-38

So, a month or so back I participated in Wicked Nothings' Shuttle Exchange...and today I received my return package...and I am so excited and thankful!!!!! :)

Look at all this great stuff! :)

 Many thanks to Vicki for the beautiful wooden shuttle (my first-ever handmade shuttle!!) :)

How amazingly adorable is that! Vicki said it was made by Ontario local Norm Reid...it's awesome! :) The thread is "Picking Raspberries" by Karey Solomon, and is really, really nice! I can't wait to tat something with it!

 Vicki also sent some examples of her own gorgeous work! It's hard to tell in this picture, but the motif on the left has gold glittery thread though both the black and mustard-colored thread, and the motif on the right is all sparkly! Lovely!

Vicki also included this sweet little blue travel box, some doodads, beads and some ready-made picot gauges ;)

Thanks again, Vicki!! :)

I have also been doing some holiday tatting in preparation for teaching my second tatting class this weekend...and somehow I've managed to make three motifs in three days!

This was my first one, and it was a pain to make!!!

Motif #36 (#3 on my way to 25 by the 25th) It's the "Little Ring Snowflake" from Vida Sunderman's "Tatted Snowflakes", tatted in size 80 DMC...this one makes me giggle because hopefully there are never 'yellow snow' flakes in the sky ;)

 You can kind of tell that the white thread in the middle is slightly discolored...there was a lot of tugging and pulling to make this one work out...not sure why, but there it is. Ick.

Last night I followed with another snowflake, this time all white:

Motif #37 (#4 on the way to 25 by the 25th) More DMC size 80...This is "Snowflake 5" from "Festive Snowflakes and Ornaments" edited by Barbara Foster. The weird discoloration on the "butterfly" at 2:00 is water from our broken iron... :)

 Finally, tonight I worked on this, a bell:

Motif #38 (#5 on the way to 25 by the 25th... 1/5th of the way there!!) This is Lizbeth Wedgewood Dk (#656) size 80...I have to admit, I am consistently amazed at the quality of Lizbeth thread. Needless to say, the issues I was having with the DMC earlier in the week were virtually nonexistent with this thread! The motif is "Cloverleaf Bell" from Monica Hahn's "Christmas Angels and Other Tatting Patterns."

 I actually added two chains to the pattern to avoid a cut-tie-hide (reducing the pattern from 4 rounds to three, a win in my book.) :)

So there you have it...back on the tatting wagon once again! I'm looking forward to teaching my second class this weekend...it will be basically the same people attending, and we'll be working on holiday-themed motifs...we'll see how it goes! :)

Leaving on a Jet Plane...again (Also Motif #34 and the end of the TIAS)

Well, at this time tomorrow I'll be winging my way across Europe, heading toward a job training in Frankfurt, Germany. It's a tough life, I guess. :)

Anyway, my thread is wound and my tatting books carefully selected...it's always hard to choose what to take and what to leave behind!!

I've also done a bit of tatting in the past couple of weeks:

The TIAS! And motif #34 (#1 on my way to 25 by the 25th of December...clearly I need to pick up the pace!)

Here is another fun project I'm working on...

 I'm not going to tell you the story behind it yet, but you can guess if you want :)

Last weekend I taught my first ever tatting class! Here is the aftermath:

 I was so proud, I had 6 people over and all were able to make rings and chains by the end of the 2-hr lesson...one even brought a completed motif to work the next day!

Becky's First Motif!

Since then I've given refresher lessons, provided fresh balls of thread and lent out a couple of tatting books; definitely signs of tatting fever in Vladivostok! And, the best part is most of the people have asked when the next lesson will be...so fun!

I also sent off my package for the Secret Shuttle Exchange...I hope it doesn't take too long to get to the US from Russia!! If you're interested, there is another holiday-themed exchange being planned: Secret Santas!

TIAS Day 4 and Just 1.5 Rows To Go on the Spiderweb!

 So, here we are again, another day, another bit of the TIAS completed:

It looks like it might want to be an elephant when it grows up.

The reverse work vs turn work thing was super-confusing, even though Sherry included the tutorial, but I think I got it right in the end...

Also I think I have the most boring TIAS on the community blog...silly me with my penchant for beige thread!

--

I've also continued a bit on the spiderweb/sunburst...you can see it completed through the second-to-last row in this photo:

I like it. I kind of want to send this picture to CBS Sunday Morning so they can use it as their icon between segments...with the proviso that they do a segment on tatting, of course. :)

I'm also pretty excited, I entered the Wicked Nothings' Secret Shuttle Exchange, and you should, too! :) Who knows, you might get a shuttle from Russia! :)