Piney Woods 2013 Wreath Pendant FREE Pattern

Blog theme for November~
"Transitions"

Good morning, dear readers!  Hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving.  Ours was blessed and full of good food and cheer.  Many folks are out hitting the "black Friday" sales, but I avoid them like the plague.  We are decorating for Christmas today.  Jim is putting the lights up on the exterior of the house and I am going through our ornaments and decorations.  There are lots of tatted tree ornaments that need to be blocked and freshened up a bit.

 

Well, I have a bit of Holiday cheer for you, dear readers- a FREE pattern!  Here is the Piney Woods 2013 Wreath Pendant Pattern:

 

 

It was tatted with a size 8 tatting needle using 3 different colors of Valdani Luxury Pearl Silk (S9, S39, S775) and an assortment of green silver lined Delica seed beads and cranberry Czech seed beads.  The following image is the foundation:

 

 

Using Valdani Luxury Pearl Silk in S9, string 60 seed beads onto needle in the order of green, red, green; then tat a foundation medallion of 10 Rs and CHs with the following counts:

R 5 - 5 - (with 3 seed beads) 5 - 5 CL RW 

CH 5 followed by 3 very small picots 3 - (with 3 seed beads) 3 followed by 3 very small picots 5 CL RW

After tatting final CH, join to motif body, tie & cut, hide ends.

 

Then next step will involve weaving chains using the groupings of 3 very small picots on each side of the beads on the CHs.

 

 

For the fluffy picot CHs on the left of the bead groupings, use the following counts:

Begin by running needle through the very first sm picot, pick up 1 green seed bead, then CH 3 followed by 11 medium picots 3 CL, + to the very first picot on the next CH previously tatted.  Continue around motif, join the last CH to the base of the first, tie & cut, hide ends.  Repeat these counts for the next two CH rounds on the left of the beads.  I used S39 for the first and third CHs and S9 for the second of this round.  As you tat the second and third CHs, weave them as you go.

 

For the CHs on the right side of the beads, I used zigzag tatting by using the first half of the ds for 10 counts, followed by the second half for the next 10 counts, alternating for a total count of 60, CL, then + to the corresponding picot on the next CH.  Continue around motif, join last CH to base of first, tie & cut, hide ends.   For the second and third CHs, weave as you go.  Don't forget to pick up 1 green seed bead with the needle after you join to the very small picots and before tatting the counts.  Again, I used S39 for the first and third CHs and S9 for the second of this grouping.

 

The last step is to go back to the center of the motif, using S775 (Turkey Red) string 30 seed beads onto the thread in the order of green, red, green.  Run needle through and picot joining the Rs, pick up 1 green seed bead and CH 6 - (with 3 seed beads) 6 CL + to next R.  Continue around motif, tie & cut, hide ends.  Now you have a nice pendant or ornament.  Hope you will enjoy the pattern! 

 

What Christmas tatting projects are you working on?  I am making a special heirloom piece for our daughter which I cannot describe in too much detail as she is online often and helps with the website and such.  Don't want her to know exactly what I'm doing! 

 

Well, I had better go- Rosie Fey is ready for her morning run.  She and Jim are waiting for me.  May you have a wonderful week full of tatting adventures.  Until next Friday~

Happy Tatting!

 

 

 

 

 

 



Turquoise and Pearl OOAK Piece

Blog theme for November~
"Transitions"

Good morning, dear readers!

It is still rainy here in the Piney Woods.  We enjoy a pretty Autumn day or two, then we're back to rainy, grey days.  That's okay because I get more tatting time in the Shanty or Atelier with Rosie Fey at my feet and a mug of hot cocoa or tea on the side table when the weather is disagreeable.

 

Here is an image of a OOAK piece I tatted last weekend featuring original needle tatting done with Valdani Luxury Pearl Silk in S49 and size 8 Valdani Pearl Cotton in M49. The eternity circle foundation is comprised of turquoise beads and cultured pearls.

 

 

There are also antique sandy beige Czech seed bead accents on some of the tatting.  I beaded a necklace with various and sundry beads that were in my stash.

 

Well, I have some great news- Jocelin received a VERY high score on her ACT & is eligible for several scholarships at her chosen college.  We are so proud and thankful!

 

Are you working on Christmas projects yet, dear readers?  I am in the process of designing the next FREE pattern for your pleasure and hope you may find it useful for the holiday season.  Let's hope I have time to finish it this weekend so I can proof it during the coming week.  Thanksgiving is less than a week away and I have oodles of cooking to do!  Then, on the day after Thanksgiving, we put up the exterior Christmas decorations while everyone else is at the stores for "Black Friday" shopping. 

 

Rosie Fey is ready for her run in the woods and I need to take more Godiva cocoa to the Shanty.  May you all have a wonderful week and blessed Thanksgiving!  Until next Friday~

Happy Tatting!

 

 

 

More Playing with Valdani

Blog theme for November~
"Transitions"

Good morning, dear readers!

I have been busy in the Atelier making new OOAK pieces for the Atelier shoppe.  They will debut AFTER the new year.  We simply have too much going on with homeschool and family activities for me to be able to get the new lines ready for the holiday season.  Here is a little peek at the progress of a piece I've been playing with featuring Valdani Luxury Pearl Silk and Pearl Cotton with a Swarovski crystal chaton and champagne pearls:

 

 

Additional rounds have already been added, but it is hard to take images when my favorite places to lay work are wet with rain.  It has been very wet down here and I am ready for a dry spell! 

 

Jocelin and I are having a Mama/Daughter day today.  I plan to relax and take a break from the Atelier and tatting shanty.  Rosie Fey will be accompanying us as we shop for a doggy sweater/coat for her.  After we get Rosie Fey taken care of, we are headed to our favorite local Mexican restaurant for lunch, then the antique stores better be ready!  Jocie and I are on the hunt for vintage goodies!!! 

 

Well, I had better get some tatting done before we head out for the day.  May you have a marvelous week ahead.  Until next Friday~

Happy Tatting!

 

 



November Musings

Blog theme for November~
"Transitions"

Good morning, dear readers!

 

It is rather chilly in the Piney Woods this morning.  I must say that Autumn is my favorite season.  It has inspired me to make some long needed adjustments and tweaks to how my work is presented and made available for purchase.  As mentioned on the blog previously, I prefer to do OOAK pieces. My focus is currently on that aspect of my work along with deciding whether or not to stick with my current website host, and what is the best vehicle for selling my work online.  There are several options up for consideration at the moment and I am uncertain which direction is the right one for my artwork and creative temperament.  I will say that the wholesale offers I've received are absolutely ridiculous.  There is no way I will wholesale my OOAK pieces!  And I will not allow anyone to "convert" my original designs into patterns for embroidery sewing machines.  While I have nothing against those who use such machines, my work is totally handmade and I take GREAT offense to it being "converted" to a digital pattern for a machine to make.

 

Aside from these tatting issues, we've been busy enrolling our daughter in the next semester of online college classes.  Let me tell you, it is just as involved as registering for regular college courses!  At least we've got that done and are awaiting her class schedule.

 

Well, Rosie Fey is ready for our morning run.  After our run, I plan to spend the morning tatting away in the tatting shanty with a rich, steamy mug of gourmet hot cocoa.  I will post images of new OOAK pieces soon.  My favorite places for taking images are soaking wet from a recent rain and I do not dare put any of this work on it.  Maybe it will dry out enough this afternoon or at the latest, this weekend.  May you have a wonderful week full of tatting adventures.  Until the next time~

Happy Tatting!



Haunting Elegance Winner

Haunting Elegance Winner

Congratulations,

Miriam!!!!

 

You are the lucky winner of the Haunting Elegance Pendant!

Miriam wrote:  "Your pendant is just beautiful! I hope I can learn to tat as well as you someday!"

 

Thank you for the kind compliment, Miriam. I'm sure you will be a fabulous tatter, if you are not already!  Please be so kind as to click the "contact me" button to the right on the blog and send me your particulars so I can get your pendant in the post.

 

Thanks to all who participated in my Halloween event.  Be sure to check out next Friday's post to find out the blog theme for November and see some new eye candy.  Until then~

Happy Tatting!