Plain Jane Accent

Olde West Inspiration

Good morning, dear readers!

  The main focal piece of the Plain Jane Project is now complete.  Today we will be tatting the accent piece for the project:

 

 

The accent consists of an ICR foundation and 3 interwoven chains around it.

 

 

Tat 3 ICRs, all with the counts of :

ICR 13 followed by 3 very small picots 13 CL.

Tie, hide ends & cut.

 

The next step is to tat the 3 rounds of CHs around the ICR foundation.  ALL CHs are the same count.  Run needle through/join at 1st very small picot and CH 31 CL + to next corresponding very small picot. Repeat, tie hide ends and cut.  Do the same for the second and third CH rounds around the ICR foundation, weaving them as you go.

 

At this point, you may use the piece as an applique or attach the accent piece to the focal piece with a jump ring or additional tatting.  Tomorrow, I will post the last step of the Plain Jane Project.  I sincerely hope that y'all are enjoying this tat-along.  It has been fun to put it together this week in between putting up our harvest from the garden.

 

Speaking of the garden, I need to go pick tomatoes, speckled butter beans and okra before it gets too hot outside.  Hope you have a wonderful day and be sure to check out the blog tomorrow for the final bit of the Plain Jane Project.  Until then~

Happy Tatting!

 

 

 

 



Plain Jane Beginning

Olde West Inspiration

Good afternoon, dear readers!

We had a busy weekend dealing with the garden and putting up our harvest.  I did manage to get some tatting time in and have a little surprise for you- we are going to have a tat-along on the blog this week.  Here is the beginning of the "Plain Jane Project":

 

 

Using a size 7 tatting needle and a ball of size 8 Valdani Pearl Cotton in M49 "Subtle Elegance", tat 6 ICRs with the following counts:

ICR 11 followed by 5 graduated picots (sm, med, lg, med, sm) 11 CL

ICR 13 very small - 13 CL

Tat 3 of each, alternating for a total of 6 ICRs. Tie, hide ends & cut.

(For a tutorial on needle tatting ICRs, click here.)

 

The next step will be featured on tomorrow's post.

 

What did you do this weekend?  Any interesting projects being tatted out there?  I'm busy working on OOAK pieces for my upcoming Olde West Collection and adding to the Romance of the Piney Woods Collection.  I'll have to hit the estate sales and auctions soon as I'm running low on antique cameos & intaglios.

 

Rosie Fey is ready for an afternoon romp.  Have a great day & until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!

 

 



500th Post

Olde West Inspiration

WOW!  It's my 500th blog post!  Can you believe it???

 

Time in the Atelier has been spent working on 2 new design prototypes and their variations.  I am hoping to have one of them ready for next week as the July FREE pattern.  I did manage to start the other project that was floating around in my head.  This is what I did on it yesterday:

 

 

I finished the first round and have set it aside for the time being.  It should be complete & ready for viewing next week.

 

Our garden is still producing like mad.  The tomatoes are most prolific this year.  That means I'll be busy putting up salsa and tomato sauce this weekend!  The squash have slowed down, but they are still producing fairly regularly.  And the speckled butter beans and purple hull peas are at their peak.  To top it all off, the figs are beginning to turn.  I shall do my best to fit in tatting time amongst all of the harvesting and "putting up".  Please be patient with me.

 

Well, I am off to the Atelier once again after I get the butter beans shelled.  May you all have a fabulous weekend filled with creativity & fun.  Until next week~

Happy Tatting!

 

 



Garden Work

Shabby Vintage Bridal

Good afternoon, dear readers!

 

I have been busy harvesting goodies from the garden and putting them up.  Here is what I've put up today:  creamed corn, snap beans, speckled butter beans, purple hull peas (my fingers are still purple from shelling), squash, and okra.  We also picked a couple quarts of blueberries this morning.  I think I'll use them in a cobbler tonight.

 

 

Pictured above are tomato blooms, pinto bean blooms and a small squash & squash blooms.

 

This time of year I may have to take a day or so at a time to keep up with the garden chores.  I will try to get the purple off my fingers so I can tat this evening.  We love purple hull peas, but they sure do leave a residue on your fingers when you shell them!  Well, if you're in my neck of the Piney Woods, stop by for supper.  We're having chicken dumplings, speckled butter beans, homemade biscuits, blueberry cobbler and sweet tea.

 

 I'm off to see about getting the purple off my hands.  Have a wonderful day & be looking for a special blog post Friday!  Until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!



Garden & Porch Flowers

Pearls & Lace

Good afternoon, dear readers!

We had a very pleasurable, yet busy weekend.  Jim finally got the garden fully prepped for planting- which we will begin late this afternoon.  The delay in our prepping was due to the large amount of poison ivy that had grown down the back of the fence.  Jim is highly allergic, but I seem to be able to roll in it with no adverse effects.  Now, our 30' X 30' garden is ready for planting!

 

Jim gave me a few new pretty flowers for the front porch:

 

 

The petunias and dianthus are in cute hanging baskets, and the blue plumbago is going to the right of the steps.  The other image is of the dogwood outside our bedroom window.  It is in full bloom.

 

 

Here is an image of our little garden, well, most of it.  This was the best shot I had thanks to the glare.  Notice the recycled swingset frame in the back.  Jim puts a mesh on each side of it and it is perfect for our pole beans.  He is also building tomato towers and a trellis or two for gourds and cucumbers.  I hope we have a good growing season!

 

The other thing that had me busy this weekend was going through my MANY thread cabinets.  I am culling the thread and let me tell you- it's a job!  If I do not plan to use it, I'm giving it to my tatting buds.  I really need the room for a future Valdani order as I'm coming out with 3 more original design lines!  After I cull the thread, I plan to move onto the - GASP- button jars and bead boxes.  Yep, it's going to be a fun couple of weeks, so please be so kind as to bear with the crazy tatting lady!

 

Well, Rosie Fey is begging for her afternoon romp.  Have a wonderful day & until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!

 

 

 



Garden Goodies

There was very little tatting done in the Piney Woods yesterday but, I managed to get a lot of garden work done.  One thing though, I did get too hot and am paying for that mistake today.  I'm drained, so I think I'll sit in my comfy chair and tat the day away.

Here are some images from our garden:

One of the many bowls I filled with tomatoes, purple hull peas, squash, Christmas beans, speckled butterbeans & figs.

This is a Christmas beanpod.

And these are Christmas beans- they are a type of very large speckled butterbean.  My bunch loves them!

While the beefsteak tomatoes are ripe & plentiful, my roma tomatoes are taking their time ripening.  I'm ready to make some homemade salsa- they need to hurry up!

And our huge fig tree is just LOADED with figs!  I'll be making fig preserves this weekend and will probably bake a fig poundcake.  Big Daddy is awfully fond of my fig poundcakes!

Well, I am going to make a fresh pitcher of mint iced tea and then settle in my favorite tatting spot.  Have a great day & until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!



Spring Planting

We finally have done ALL of the Spring planting!  The vegetable garden is thriving and my little herb garden is planted, mulched and soaking up the sun.  Jim and I will need the rest of the week to recover from our weekend!

I tried to get some images of the herb garden, but the light was too strong on the light meter.  The images would have been way too bright.  I'll try to get a couple of shots this evening after the sun goes down.

We did have quite the flower show in the yard.  Here is a montage of some of my blooming beauties:

The lower right image is of the goodies I found Friday on the antiquing trip with my mom.  The Bavarian bread & butter plate is just beautiful, and I happened upon a selection of vintage florist cards.  I thought they would be great to use as earring cards.  There are a number of different cards with a variety of sentiments.

I did not do much tatting, but focused my energy on taking care of the gardening chores.  With all of those done, I hope to put much more effort into my tatting this week! 

 Well, I am off to the Atelier to dig through thread, beads and buttons.  What could I possibly come up with to share with you tomorrow?  Stay tuned for some tatting goodies and perhaps a surprise or two this week.

Until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!



Flowers, the Garden & A Day With Mom

Thought you'd like to see what we've been working on in the yard:

The upper left is the peach Gerbera daisies that have finally decided to bloom.  The upper right is the container of mini-petunia like flowers (I forgot exactly what they're called).  Lower center is my gorgeous bougainvilla.  The lower left is a shot of my "Contender" snap beans.  They are really taking off.  The lower right is an image of our "Jackson Wonder" speckled butter beans.  The corn, okra, purple hull peas, squash, turnips and tomatoes are all growing rapidly.  I hope our garden will be productive this year!

What are you doing today, dear readers?  I am getting ready for a special "girls day" with my mom!  It has been a while since we have had time together- just us.  We plan to go shopping at the nearby outlet mall and a few antique shops, then have an enjoyable lunch before picking Jocelin up from school.  With my mom along, you never know what goodies we'll find on our shopping excursion!  She loves antique/junque shops, too.

Mom will be expecting me soon, so I'd better hop in the Jeep & head that way.  May you all have a wonderful weekend doing whatever it is that makes your soul sing!

Until next week~

Happy Tatting!