Motif and Coronet Edging

I have been asked to video myself working the outer edging on my Coronet Doily and so, of course, I had to make another one to achieve this. I used Lizbeth thread, size 40 in 120 colourway, but this thread was a real nightmare with the amount of twist in it!!! No matter how carefully I wound my shuttles, or let them dangle, there was always too much twist.....I had to be really careful how I closed my rings!
The software with my new computer is soooo different from my last one that it is going to take me sometime to work out how to edit my video. For YouTube it can only be 10 minutes or less and at the moment my clip is 30!

This is a little motif that I doodled with a couple of nights ago. I just wanted to tat something while I was watching television and this is what I came up with.
I used split rings, split chains and thrown off rings to achieve the look.
The thread is Altin Basak 50, although it tats up more like a 20 size!

Bandwidth exceeded again!

With uploading my lastest book, and it being so popular, I have exceeded my bandwidth on my web site.
Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience for anyone wanting to purchase any of my books. The web site will be back on line on 1st March 2011.
This only happens when I actually upload a new book.......and this latest book is quite a big file!

Hexagon doily

I played around with the square motif I did last year using mock rings and made it into a 6-sided hexagon shape.

It is a very basic pattern that I am sure many other tatters have come up with.

I simply joined each motif so that the whole shape was a hexagon and then finished it off with a border.

Tatted Tiaras and Bridal Pieces

The new book "Tatted Tiaras and Bridal Pieces" is now available and uploaded onto my web site, Here is the direct link to the appropriate page.

I decided to get a move on with this publication so that fellow tatters had plenty of time for tatting for spring brides and weddings.

The pictures show just a few of the 24 pages.

I hope you all enjoy having a go!

New book nearly done!

This bridesmaid's headdress completes my new book. All I have to do now is to check through it for mistakes and to add an abreviations/instructions page.

Yippee!!!!!

What on earth am I going to do now? Any ideas? Mind you, the last time I asked that question I was landed with designing this latest book! LOL

Finished arrangements

This is just to show how different the same motifs can look, simply by assembling them in different ways!

Designing all done!

Here are a few more motifs that I have done for the new book.





I have done enough patterns now and my next job is to show how I assemble the motifs into arrangements.

Here are a couple of motifs that I am going to use in my new book "Tiaras and Headdresses".

My idea is to show that the same motifs can be put together in different ways to achieve a different look.
In these pictures, the motifs are simply placed together for the camera. I will eventually wire them and then tape them together, probably with some little fill-in daisies as well.

Headdress motifs

Here are a few motifs I have come up with for the latest book of patterns. I shall show how to assemble them into both a hair slide and a corsage, showing that the same motif can be used in more ways than one.

Tatting time again

At last I can get back to my tatting. Boy have I missed it.....but I suppose that it will be all the more pleasurable after the break.

Now, do I continue with the tatting tiaras or have a go at Jane's TIAS (tat if and see)? Hmmmm, I'm spoilt for choice!

Still knitting!

Just to let everyone know that I am still alive and kicking and still knitting!

I have now finished my second aran cardigan and at last I have started an aran jumper for myself. I was hoping to have it finished in time for Christmas, but unfortunately, life got in the way LOL, like appointments of one kind and another and decorating two Christmas cakes!

When I have finished with the knitting I will get back to tatted tiaras and headdresses etc..

Tiaras assembled

While I'm waiting for my new wool to arrive I thought I would finish off a couple of tiaras.

I have attached the tatting to the headband using fine jewellery wire. The left one I added pearl beads at the same time. This could also be done for the one on the right and I think it would benefit from it....what do you think?

After I had assembled the tiaras I felt that they were not stiff enough - I had used "Fraycheck" - and so I dipped the tatting in full strength PVA glue, wiped off the excess with a damp cloth and reshaped the tatting by moulding them against curmpled alluminium foil. The stiffness is now perfect!

Christmas knitting

My tatting is on hold at the moment as I am now concentrating on knitting presents for Christmas.

The cardigan shown is one I have just done (it took me 10 days to complete....it would have been less, but I had to wait for the zip) and did not have pockets in the pattern so I made up my own. What use is a jacket without pockets! This cardy is acutally a birthday present for our best friend, Allan's, 65th, which is only 4 days before Christmas!

I won't be able to start my next garment until Thursday.....that is when my next lot of wool will arrive. I use 4 ply cone wool and put two strands together to make double knitting weight and three strands together for Aran weight. I find this much better than buying wool of the actual weight, especially if it is acrylic. It produces a much tighter knit and keeps its shape wash after wash. I also use smaller needles and adjust the stitch count for the tension. With the cardy just done it was three strands of different colours, dark brown, camel and beige, which made an interesting tweed look.

Bridesmaid - first design

Here is the first little headdress completed. I think that I will design a certain amount of 3D flowers and then show how they can be arranged in different ways.

How does this sound?

Project "Tiara" started!

Following the request to make a Tiara pattern book, I have made a start on the designs.

The creamier colour is a size 20 thread and 4mm pearl beads and the one in the top left of the picture is done with a perle size 12 and tiny beads with a silver centre.

I have now soaked the pieces of tatting in a stiffening solution and when they are dry I will attach them each to a headband.

The new book will also contain headdresses/fascinators and corsages. The first one is almost ready to assemble. I will post a pic when it is done.