See? I *can* still tat :)

Since blogger won't let me read about half my follow list this morning, I'm forced to post! OH, what a terrible fate!! :) So, I thought I'd post some pictures of what I've been working on while I've been lurking around here in the computer world.

 I got this pattern from Ellen Lai (I believe that would be SingTatter, but I can't get a link to work!) a couple of months ago, but haven't tried it until the other night. It only took around 20 minutes for ME to tat, so that tells you how easy it was. It's almost exclusively chains, but it's suprisingly easy & enjoyable. I think I'll keep this one for me :)

 This is the center of MPD, already sewn to the purse I had to mutilate to get it on there. I'm having an issue with teal colored fuzz coming through into the thread as I sew it on, so I'm not sure if I want to continue with this project. It's laying on my counter "marinating" until I decide.

 The whole thing, not sewn on yet, just looking sad....

 THIS I am proud of. More proud of than just about anything I've done lately. It's YarnPlayer's "Arches" doily. It's so far pretty simple, but what I'm proud of is the size. I'm working it in some vintage #80 Star varigated thread. I love the purples. I have NO idea where I came up with all this thread. Probably Ebay when I bought something else. It usually comes with shuttles, so I imagine it came with my antique metal Boye...I have 2 1/2 balls of this color, some pink, & a whole ball of blue varigated that I can't come up with anything to use for. But I LOVE how it's working up! I've never been successful with DMC #80; maybe it's the thread, but most likely, it's that my tatting skills have improved since my last attempt at smallish thread.... It's been a couple of years so....

 Oh, how I'm going to miss this when its gone.... I love this thread, but it's Flora #20 so it won't be around forever :( This is a bobby pin flower. But I'm kinda burnt out.. So Hmm...

Do you think this looks like a pentagram?? I don't. But sometimes my eyes don't pic up shapes the way other people's do. My sister does. It's supposed to be a snowflake, but even I don't really see that. But I do like it. It's what Ive got going in my purse right now. I'll probably make earrings or something out of it, if I can figure out how to get that top ring to sit right :) It's Lizbeth #20. I think when I empty the shuttle I'll try it in some of my #80... oooo I'm feeling brave!
Ya'll have to understand I've had about 8 colors of DMC 80 ever since I figured out how to flip my stitches right. I always wanted to use it, but it #1 wouldn't tat well for me. I'm sure it was my technique. & #2, I would either break it trying to pull a ring closed, or break it trying to retro tat. I haven't tried to open a ring with it lately, but we shall see :) I truly hope my "skills" have just improved enough to let me use smaller threads.... I do love how truly "lacey" they look.
Enjoy your day!

So...

No pictures today... Just a post to let ya'll know (all 4 of you:) That I'm still here.
You know I finished MPD, & you know I was planning on adding it to a rather plain purse I got for almost nothing....... But it's still on the blocking board. I've managed to rip the seams out of the inside of the purse, but I just haven't made myself take the time to measure out the center & start sewing it on. I'm seriously burnt out on that doily & just can't stand to look at it right now. But I will finish it eventually! I will!
I'm still making flowers for bobby pins, but I'm pretty burnt out on them too. I still haven't sold one. They've been relegated to the bag in my purse for now, & today I plan on changing that out, too. I did sell a necklace I'd made, but it wasn't online - it was to a woman at a gas station here in town. She bought the one I made for Sister, right off her neck! So now I have to break out the black thread & beads & made Sister another one, just like the old one, only better because I've learned a few tricks since then...Good for her I guess :)
Does anybody have the book "Traditional Tatting Patterns"?? It's edited by Rita Weiss. I've done a couple of things from this book, no problemo. But I got it in my head I wanted to tat "Tatted Trio" on page 36. If you have this book please comment, please I'm begging. Or if you know somebody that's done this doily or if  you even have any advice for me! I picked the large one, because it has 2 star flower things in it instead of just the one. The directions are the same as the small one until you get to the eleventh round - not that I made it that far. I've made it to the 3rd round & the stupid thing just will NOT lay right. I wouldn't call it "cupping", so much as I'd call it a smushed mess! I've adjusted picots, stitch count, tension, number of chains.... I've blocked it, wet & dry, starched it, screamed at it, thrown it away & started over, threw it against the wall (to the detriment of my poor broken tipped sew mate....)
But I just can not get it to lay straight like it should! Help! I really want to make this doily. Really I do. But at this point, the 3 rounds finished are on the blocking board, & I've moved on to something else. Something that's probably just as bad an idea. When Untatter goes down for her nap, I'll be starting YarnPlayer's Arches doily. In some very vintage Star thread, in size 80 varigated purple. I'm not even totally sure where I came up with this thread, but I have 2 1/2 balls of it.... I've never done anything this big in 80.... nothing bigger than justa minor doodle... Wish me luck! And help! :)
Also - if anyone knows how I could come into posession of one of those darling tatting presses that seem to be floating around it would be much appreciated if you'd let me know. My "i want" button has been lighting up alot here lately, & mostly to do with those. I hear there's a pattern to make my own, but if any of you had seen my actual sewing abilities, you would laugh at that suggestion!
Enjoy your day

Finally

Look at this mess - & yeah, there's a ball of 80 DMC vintage & my metal Boye in there..Do you know what this means????? It means I have free time! It means Mom's Pink Doily is DONE. Finished. WOOHOOO!! :) Not that it was bad to make, just that for some reason it wouldn't come together for ME lol

I know you can't see it very well on my blocking board, but it's there. It's done, it's drying, & it's about to attach to the purse below here.

I wish I could figure out how to rotate my pictures! I couldn't get the whole bag in the picture without turning my camera. It's really a nice dark teal color, if it doesn't show up on your screen. I'm going to sew MPD to the front, if I can figure out a way to remove the liner & get it back in without totally destroying this bag. I bought it for $3 at Wal Mart on clearnance & decided I didn't like it plain. I may sell it, I may keep it. Who knows?

 This is what I did today. It's from a scan of an old WorkBasket Magazine. I don't have the magazine anymore.... Finished up it's about 2 1/2 inches long. A little long for the intended thought, which was to maybe add beads & maybe a dangly thing for an earring. Maybe a pendant? I only did green because it's called a leaf in the pattern... I usually like to do the first try at something in the intended color, by the directions. That way I know how the pattern works when I decide to change it.

Hmmmm.... Any ideas??

I'm going to fiddle with it a little more. That & I'm starting a new doily pattern from a book I have. I'll show you that later.

Enjoy your day :)

Message to Michelle...

This is really irritating.... For some reason I can only comment on my own blog, & I'm not allowed to send a private message. So. I'll post it here!
Michelle, if you want to try out a pin, I have my "experiment" drying with a clear bead. If you'd tell me what color thread you'd like, I'd be happy to drop it in the mail to you as soon as it's done. If you want it, that is :) It might actually help me out, you being my "guinea pig" & all!
If you can send a private message with your email, maybe it'd let me reply, or I could just email you from yahoo....  Whatever! :)

Bobby Pin pictures, as requested :)

I didn't have anything to post today, but Michelle requested a picture of the plain pins I used in the bobby pins from yesterday's post, so here they are. Sorry for the quality.... I took about 30 pictures trying to get it to show up & this is the best I came up with. Photographer I am not :)

These came fom Hobby Lobby, but I'm sure you can get them other places. They're a little bigger than a regular one, so I don't know how they'd work in fine or thin hair. That's why I'm going to try out a regular pin today. Just waiting for my glue to dry! They come with different size pads - this one  was the middle size.

I'm Baaaacccckkkk....

So. After a week without tatting at all, I'm back. I started the last round of MPD 3 times in the last 3 days, & I *finally* figured out a better way to make my bobby pins. The one in the link is made by finishing the flower, then sewing it to the pin with 8lb strength "fishing line". Then sewing the center bead in the same way. It's time consuming, irritating, & the knots won't stay once it's finished. Not to mention it isn't very secure. The beads are too big as well.
After much thought & research on the subject, I came up with another idea. If you have any interest in using this method or doing the exact same thing I've done, go ahead. The pins I've been using are from Hobby Lobby. They're the ones with the pad on them specifically for decorating. I took a piece of sand paper (grit doesn't matter) & roughened up both the pad & a small place on the bead. You may not have to do this, depending on the type of glue you use - I used Industrial Strength E-6000 & that was what my directions said.  Notice the holes in the bead are to the sides. Doesn't matter which sides.

I glued the bead to the pin (I know, it's a tatting sin! but just keep reading)... That took 24 hours to dry. Not good for my impatient nature! While I waited, I made the flower. It's not my design - I got it from Easy Tatting by Lynn Morton I think. I haven't had to look it up, as I've memorized the pattern. I just added the beads. If you use this flower, when you close the center ring, don't pull it so tight it won't stretch a little.. Just enough to get it closed right.

Leave the tails pretty long, & sew one in. Run the other through the bead, & wiggle the flower down onto the glued on bead. It's going to be kind of tight, so you may have to sort of force it. Don't worry, the flower *will* go back into shape. When it's on there, wind the thread around the top part of the bobby pin several times, & back through one of the picots, then through the bead & back down through the picot on the other side. Then all that's left is to sew in the left over end. And there you have it, it's glued AND sewn on.

This is my favorite one. Sister claimed it. I like it because of the smaller beads....If you want to use fishing line or waxed cord or something else, I suppose you could. Wish I'd thought to take a pic of the back of the pin before my camera battery died for the day..... Threads are Lizbeth brown (medium or dark, can't remember), beads are randomly bought over the years :)

Pink & brown.... Can you tell I have a shuttle wound with brown thread?? This one will hit Etsy today most likely. My next experiment will be with "normal" bobby pins. I have one drying right now with a clear bead.

So - what do you think??