Box of delights!

Just look what I received in the post yesterday. This gorgeous box from my dear friend Eileene all the way from the USA. It was made by Eileens's husband, Frank, and didn't he do a grand job? Eileene included a ball of thread, a shuttle and a couple of patterns. I was so made up that I sent her a little package today, but shhhhh don't tell her, it's a surprise! LOL!!!

Oval doily in progress - completed

Here is my latest doily completed. I wanted an oval doily to go under glass on an oval occassional table that I have. The doily that is on it at the moment is an old one from a pattern book and I wanted to replace it with something that I had designed myself. I have used a very standard edging, with a few tweeks, that can be found on many old patterns.....but I think that it works well in this case.

I doubt if I will ever write out the pattern for this as I would have to rework it to make it absolutely perfect......maybe one day, when I am bored and looking for something challenging!

Oval doily in progress

This is the project that I am working on at the moment. It is worked with DMC size 70 vintage thread in ecru with a white border. Another couple of days should see it finished. This is another pattern that I have simply made up as I went along. I have only had to remove one round that did not work! LOL!!!

Bad news!

I saw my spinal specialist on Monday 16th May, only to be told that the operation I had last year has failed. The top two screws are loose and will have to be put right, so I am back on the surgical waiting list yet again!
He is hoping to be able to do a simple exchange of screws (bigger ones) and bone grafts with my own bone and also synthetic material, but if when he gets in there it cannot be done, then it will mean fixation all the way up to my neck!

Rachel's wedding cake

Here is the last wedding cake I intend to make. I only agreed to do this one because I had already made the bride's sister's wedding cake two years ago.

Why the last one? Because with my health problem, I worry that I would not be able to deliver on time. The pressure is too stressful! I adore making them, but the strain is too much!

Wedding dress - Royal? Edging

I have been requested to show a close-up of the edging of the wedding dress and veil. This is the best I can do as the photo is not digital.

Each extending ring has a pearl bead and so you can imagine how many hundreds I used!

The edging was worked directly onto the tulle, but I made yards of the edging for the dress and sewed it on by hand.

The dress and veil can be found in my book From Petals to Pearls.

3 years 5 months already!

Remember Imogen Rose, born on 3rd December 2007.

Where does the time go?

Wedding dress - Royal?

This is a picture of a wedding dress a friend made that I took 3 months to decorate with tatting. The same beaded edging is all the way around the dress skirt and train and all around the cathedral length veil. The bodice has appliqued tatted motifs all over it. The fabric of the dress was watermarked silk.

It was made in 1988, modelled by my (then) 16 year old niece, Paula.

Does it remind you, similarly, of a recent royal wedding dress?

The old designs never date do they?

Sorry about the quality of the picture, but there were no digitals in those days! LOL!!!