Great News!

Great new folks! I recently contacted the craft suppliers Handy Hands in the United States and told them about my tatting pattern books. One of their staff visited my blog and website, were impressed with what they saw and ordered 50 of my first book (that was published professionally) "From Petals to Pearls". I am still walking on air! I am not interested in making a lot of money out of my books...it simply would not be possible...but to promote tatting, that is my goal!

Doily Progression So Far!

I have continued with the same pattern rounds as before. Only two more rounds after this one and it will be completed! Obviously it will look much better when it has been blocked and pressed!

My method of marzipanning and icing a cake

Next Stage of Doily

After completing the round with the scallops it made a very pretty doily and anyone wanting this size of doily, 7" in diameter, could stop there, but I want to carry on as I have never designed a large doily before.

I tried with the repeat of the round of split rings and it works in perfectly and if my sums add up correctly when I have completed another 4 rounds after this one I should end up with a last row of 18 scallops and the whole thing should measure approximately 12" in diameter. Fingers crossed!

More Doily Progression

I am very please with the doily so far, but as it is very "dense" I think it is time to put some negative space into it. I am doing the next round as a scallop with a space in between for a couple of josephine knots. The doily could end with this round but I think I may add some more rounds, I will know better when this round is complete.

The Grand Opening!

We have had a Christmas in July exchange within the Here-Be-Tatters group and this is what I received. Thanks to Sue Fuller I now can have a go at needle tatting which is something I have wanted to try for ages but hadn't got around to buying needles etc. Sue sent me a bunch of tatting needles and a pattern book. As you can see from the picture she also sent me lots of lovely beads and pure silk thread! I am in heaven! Just don't know which to pick up first!!!

New doily progression

This doily is my latest creation. After tatting the Starlight Doily (see previous post) it inspired me to design a doily of my own instead of my usual flower creations.

So far I have completed (after the centre ring) 4 rounds. I thought that I had made too many stitches in round 4 as it was having trouble lying flat, but I decided to continue anyway and low and behold round 5 is tightening the whole thing up nicely!

Now.....what do I do with following rounds? Do I continue in the same vein or do I take a totally different direction? What do you think? Your input would be most welcome.....mind you, I might totally ignore it!!!! LOL ;-)

Star Doily All Finished!!!

I have now completed the star doily and am very pleased with the end result. With using size 40 Coates thread it is only 7" in diameter....I was hoping for a larger doily and so I will have to do a different one in the future.

The only problem I found with blocking, was that I had to slightly overlap some chains in the outside row (see picture) to make it lie flat. I think that one picot less would have prevented this and so I will try 6 p instead of 7 p next time!

Ecru doily progression

Good news! I am able to tat again! Here is the next row and a bit of the doily I started before my shoulder surgery. I am very pleased with it as I think it looks much prettier than the picture in the pattern book!

Latest Project

At last I have something to show you all! I started this doily just before my surgery and I am going to try and continue with it this evening. My first attempt at tatting since surgery!

I decided to do a doily from The Tatter's Treasure Chest edited by Mary Waldrep as I thought it would be more gentle to ease myself back into.

The thread I am using is an antique Coates size 40 in ecru. This thread is an absolute delight to work with! It is firm but also has a beautiful sheen that makes the rings just glide to a close! It is a solid colour, the photo makes it look variagated, but that is simply the shading on my windowsill.

May I take this opportunity to thank all the lovely get well wishes that I have received from the tatting community. It was really heart warming to receive so much encouragement!

THANK YOU!!!!!

SURGERY ALL DONE!

Well folks! it's over and done with!

The surgery to my right shoulder was carried out last Saturday. The surgeon had some good news for me and some not so good! The tendon he thought needing repair, didn't, and one that didn't need repair, did! However, none of it was as painful as I was expecting, which has got to be a good thing! I have to see the physio tomorrow and then I will have a better idea of how long my recovery is going to be. Tatting will be my excuse for good physio!

Good and bad news!

The good news is that I am having my shoulder surgery (right one) tomorrow morning....yes, I know it is a Saturday, but the hospital are trying to reduce the waiting lists! It had been delayed twice because I had had a chest pain that they needed to check out.

The bad news is that I do have some minor heart disease...ischaemia...and I thought it was all a fuss over nothing! It doesn't seem fair that this should happen to me as I have had a low fat healthy diet since 1989! I do not smoke! I am the perfect weight! and I only drink very moderately! so why me????? Genetics I suppose. If I hadn't taken good care of myself I would probably have had a heart attack a long time ago!

Birthday flower book

Unfortunately I have no pictures to show at the moment as I have been working on new flower designs for Georgia Seitz's Birthday Flower Book that will be used to raise money to send the less fortunate tatters to Palmettos tat Days.
The rules of the designs are that they must be new and never been published or in the public domain before.
I will have submitted at least 4 flowers (maybe more before the end) but sorry can't say which ones! LOL But of course, that does not mean that they will be accepted by the adjudicator! Just keeping my fingers crossed!

Tatting Exchange!

I'm very excited about being involved in the tatting exchange that is being arranged by the Here-be-Tatters group! I have received notification of my secret partner with his/her preferences and have already compled the tatting that I am going to be sending. I have had to make sure that I will complete the whole package early as I MAY end up with this shoulder surgery on 12 July. I say maybe, as it has already been cancelled twice and I may not have the results of my heart scan in time for the next date!

Anyway, I am really looking forward to sending my parcel and don't know if I will be able to resist taking a peek of my received parcel when the time comes!! LOL Only kidding! I'm pretty good at not opening presents before time! Hmmm, I wonder what I will get!

Large Gladdy!

AT LAST IT'S FINISHED!
Jeff Hamilton kindly test tatted the gladiolus for me and his input was extremely valuable. I decided to tat another one, in red this time and with more flowers and buds, and in doing so, discovered a couple more mistakes in the written pattern.

It has been quite a marathon, this design and I am glad to be able to move onto another one. I have a hollyhock partly done and only have to write out the instructions for the Queen Ann's Lace and then the new book should be complete.

I have made a start on the parcel for my exchange partner from the Here-be-Tatters group. I am really excited about this as it is the first exchange I have participated in and I've got lots of ideas that I hope will please my partner!