Afternoon Play

After a long day of practicing my ribbonwork skills, I was compelled to pick up my tatting needle this afternoon whilst reading a wonderful post on Intatters about Autumn and this is the result:

This is a motif that I can tat on "auto-pilot".  It was done using Valdani 100% COLORFAST hand-dyed size 8 pearl cotton in color #O533 "Golden Autumn" and solid #200.  There are Swarovski 4mm bicone and seed beads accents.  The motif is very easy and is tatted as follows:

With #O533

R5-5 - with seed bead, Swarovski, seed bead 5-5 CL RW

CH7 with 5 graduated -s 7 CL RW

R5+5- with seed bead, Swarovski, seed bead 5-5 CL RW

Continue tatting for a motif of 8 Rs & CHs.  Tie, cut, hide ends.

For accent tatting:

With #200

Join to any joining - of previous round and over tat

CH12 CL + and continue around motif, tie, cut, hide ends.

Second round:

With #O533

Run needle through top cap of ds 2 stitches prior to graduated picot set of first round chain and

CH9 with 5 graduated -s 9 CL + on other side of previously tatted picot set in corresponding ds cap

CH2-2 CL + to next chain as you did at the beginning of this round.

Continue around motif, tiem cut hide ends & voila!

Many thanks to Frivole for the beautiful Autumn eye candy that inspired my tatting today!  Check out her fantastic blog.

I must admit, my ribbonwork skills have declined seriously from lack of use.  Wish I hadn't let myself get so rusty!  I found this little cloche at Target yesterday:

It is a lovely 100% wool felt hat but has some really ugly felt flowers on it.  I have a love for the 1920's & 1930's and could not pass this hat by.  It was begging to be redone with some hand sewn silk ribbon flowers, leaves and needle tatted accents.  I may even have to bling it out with some of the pearls and Swarovskis I purchased recently.  I am currently looking at my thread stash and considering my thread options as well as picking through my vintage millinery accents and ribbons for possible working materials.  I hope to at least start the hat refurbishment this weekend.  Any comments or suggestions for what would help this cloche look cute on my short red bobbed hair?

I am still awaiting suggestions, folks, for the next Piney Woods Give Away Event.  Let me know as I am going to decide tomorrow what to do.  I value my readers input.

Well, I am off to play with the Autumn colored thread some more.  Until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!