Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Winner of Fox's moving give-away

Saturday I got a most awesome surprise in the mail(yes, I was expecting it, but I wasn't sure when it would be here).  I won Fox's moving give-away and received this awesome package of goodies.
There are two tatting books(one has cluny tatting which I have said I want to learn-since last year), and the other has wonderful patterns too.  There are 2 shuttles, buttons and doodads, thread, earring hooks, 3 beautifully tatted pieces!!!!, one brooch pin(looking for tatting-I have the perfect thread for and a possible inspiration), and a GORGEOUS pair of tatted earrings!!!!(sad news, I don't have pierced ears, so they will be a lovely gift for either my daughter or mother-in-law-although, I have toyed with the idea of making something for me with them***hmmm...time will tell)  :)
These next two pictures are for Diane(Lace Lovin' Librarian) First is all the snow you were missin'.....
 Second is what it looked like yesterday, and...from tonight till Friday they are expecting 6-10 inches of new snow.  I wish it would decide to be winter or spring and quit making me crazy!!!  :)  
Maybe I will have some more snow pictures soon.


Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Continued tatting

I am so glad to have snow!!!!!  It has kept me from having to go out and to do other things, allowing me to stay inside and get some tatting done.
Still working on the doily(now doilies) that I was telling you about.  I am hoping to get it finished by next weekend(third time I have said this).  I am real thankful for the progress made!!!  Snow and frigid temps with windchills from -5 to -20 are keeping others from asking me to go out.  :)
Love how the thread sticks to the new microfiber mat making it like blocking.  :)

Friday, January 11, 2013

Love the chance to have some tatting time again!!! :)

Tried my own thought on HDT(hand dyed thread).  I was hoping for something like Confetti with just dots of color.  I bought some Tulip brand Permanent Fabric Markers and used size 20 Lizbeth Snow White thread.
The first attempt was just "dotting" the thread randomly to get color on the thread, but I found out it would take more pressure and work.  I did get one done this way.  
 I could not get a good picture no matter how hard I tried, but I took these 2(one above and the one below) to try and show it.
 Next attempt was to draw lines across the thread(oh, for both techniques you have to do one side of the thread and then the other).  This drawing of lines is again, more challenging then you would think because I had to apply pressure to get the color on the thread.  Either way I did achieve what I was looking for.  It does make a very pretty(and very! light) Confetti thread.  :)
 Next, I am working on a doily that has inspired me, but I am not telling which one till it's done and hopefully you will see what it inspired.  :)
 This little bit below is a piece of tatting with my Confetti thread(the striped one), but I messed up on the outer round and then goofed and cut the picot so I couldn't finish it.  Either way I really like the way the thread looks!
 This last picture with tatting is to show you something cool(at least I think so).  My daughter talked me into getting this really pretty snowflake drying mat for my dishes for the holiday season.  Well, when we got home I liked the feel of it and thought it would make a great tatting mat.  Well, she surprised me and bought me this  cream colored one which is a bit different than my snowflake one because it has a loop for hanging and a snap to keep it closed if you want it closed.  And the Lizbeth threads I have had on it seem to cling(as the picture shows) to it like felt pictures on a felt board(for those who know about them).  I love it!!!
 She says she got it at a local store call Meijer here in the kitchen supplies.  Here is a picture of the wrapper that was on it.  It's a microfiber drying mat.  Just thought someone else might like to know about it too.  :)

Monday, January 7, 2013

A tatted Christmas gift

My friend, Cheryl(a beginner tatter) fell in love with Marilee's(Yarnplayer) Beguile Necklace from her Up and Tat 'Em book.  I tried to find beads and rings to match the ones Marilee used, but I couldn't so...I used a different color scheme.  The thread is size 20 Lizbeth Ecru, the beads are Czech glass beads 11/0 seed beads Metallic silver(although, they are a gold color), and the rings are a shell-like material that compliments the colors very well.
 I tried my best to get a good picture because it is really beautiful in real life!!  :)
Cheryl says she really loves it!!  :)