The Give Away

There was peril in the piney woods today!  After taking our daughter to school I returned home in a good, ready-to-tat mood.  I went inside, fixed a nice pitcher of ice water (essential here in the deep South), gathered my tatting box and proceeded to diddy bop out to my favorite outdoor tatting spot.  Well, the pines have been dropping their needles due to the excessive dryness & heat so I figured I'd rake before settling into my tatting time.  Whilst raking I disturbed a rather frightful copperhead!  After dispatching the snake (a non-poisonous snake would have been welcome, but I simply will not tolerate a poisonous one), I was entirely too freaked to tat as I usually do.  There was nothing for it, I returned to the air-conditioned, snake-free environment of my in-house atelier.

Poisonous snakes give me a serious case of the screaming heebie jeebies, so I did not exactly feel up to doing quality tatting today.  Since my tatting time was basically shot I decided to go through my thread and cull some of the excess.  I don't know- can one ever have an excess of tatting thread?!?   Anyway, I thought I would do a "Thread Give Away" to compensate for the severe lack of new tatting eye candy. 

 The give away will consist of:  3 balls of Majestic size 80 white thread, 2 balls of Finca size 16 peach perle cotton, and 2 balls of vintage Coats & Clark size 70 green & white tatting cotton.  Six extra small size tatting needles will also be included.  The antique Bavarian dessert bowl used for a prop is not included.  The winner will also receive a "mystery" tatted piece and several other "surprise" goodies. 

To enter, simply follow my blog by clicking on the google "join this site" button located on the right just below the poll.  Those already following are automatically entered.  Deadline for entry will be September 7th, 2011.  The winner will be selected by a random number generator and subsequently notified on September 8th, 2011. Please note, there are a few countries where I cannot ship lace and/or metal objects.  You are more than welcome to follow my blog (if you are from one of these areas), but please understand there are some restrictions I have to abide by.  Good luck and let's hope tomorrow will be a better tatting day!

Happy Tatting!

Step Two of Tatted Necklace Project

I've gotten a fair bit done on the next round of the necklace.

This is a really easy round to do.  Run the needle through any side - of any R & Ch9-(with 3 beads)9 CL, run the needle through next R's -, carrying the newly made chain across the beaded top of the foundation R.  Use your fingers to shape and neaten your work. 

The piece pictured above is another foundation necklace tatted to a little over Opera length (36+ inches).  It was done with Sulky Blendables size 12 quilting cotton in "Lime Sherbet" and is enhanced with size 10 Ornela Czechoslovakian seed beads in "Cream Pearl".  I will be doing a different elaboration on this foundation later.  Stay tuned for further developments...

Here are the two necklaces draped over a pine cone.  The ecru tatting on my blouse (used as a handy backdrop) was done by my great-great grandmother.  A few years before her death, my grandmother gave me a box filled with tatted and crocheted edgings done by various great- great & great grandmothers.  If she knew who did what, I used a safety pin and attached a label to it.  I love to wear my own work, but it always makes me feel special to wear something one of my grandmothers made.  They have given me the most precious legacy- the ability and inspiration to create needle art!

Until tomorrow...

Happy Tatting!

The Long Awaited Launch

After many years devoted to homeschooling and family concerns, I am at long last returning to my passion- creating original needle tatted art. 

My current project is in the above image.  It is a foundation for a necklace tatted in Sulky Blendables 12 weight quilting cotton in the "Caramel Apple" color variegation and is enhanced with Miyuki Shoji rocailles (size 15 seed beads) in "Gold Luster Cranberry".   To get to this point string a good number of beads (I did not keep an exact count) and proceed to tat the following until you have a length of approximately 26 inches:  R5-5-(with 3 beads)5-5 CL RW Ch 5-(with 3 beads)5 CL RW  R5+ (to last - of previous R) 5-(with 3 beads)5-5 CL RW & continue.  When you have reached the length you want, tat the last R5+ to last - of previous R5-(with 3 beads)5+ to the first - of the first R CL RW Ch5-(with 5 beads)5 CL join to the base of first R & Ch, tie, cut & hide ends.

Here is a close up of the foundation.  Round two will follow very shortly!

Please note that I am new to blogging and am working hard to learn how to layout and configure my blog to be more aesthetically pleasing.  Thanks for your interest and please remember to leave comments.  I appreciate the input!

Happy Tatting!!!