March 2008 Orchids

I don't have any tatting ready to post, but I wanted you to see how my orchids brighten the Winter/Spring days. One of my orchids had blooms from November to March. Then the yellow Phalenopsis opened up as the last of the November blooms were gone. The first dark pink opened yesterday and there is another bloom stalk climbing it's way up the stake as we speak. This orchid has not bloomed in five years! I'm so excited. I hope you enjoy the picture.

Prayers for Candace

I can't remember how much I mentioned about my daughter being robbed at gunpoint in September, but I want to thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers for her and us during that time. They have found the man and he has been identified by four women. We are so happy and thankful to God. Please continue to pray for and think of her during the next few weeks or months when I am sure she will have to go to court.

Pizzazz Snowflake #2 in lavender and white

I used my first round practice piece and put a new second round on it as an experiment. I like it! Now I have more ideas. I can't sleep at night. Have all of you designers been haunted like this all these years? My sympathies! LOL I'm really enjoying it immensely.

I went ahead and included the diagram before the trial runs out. I'm about to work on the pattern right now for as long as my poor head will let me.

Oh, this is DMC Cebelia thread in size 20.

Enjoy!

Diagram for Pizzazz Snowflake

I don't have the pattern "written" out yet, but my free trial on the drawing software runs out tomorrow. I have saved it several times but don't want to take the chance I might lose it. Some of you might like the challenge of doing it without the pattern. Not me! I'll get it written out as soon as I can. I've been to the eye doctor and can't see very well tonight!

Happy Tatting!

Pizzazz Snowflake #1

Woo Hoo! (borrowing from Lady Shuttle Maker). Designing is fun, fun, fun! I had a third round planned for this little snowflake. (It is 2 1/8" in diameter.) However, I like it too much the way it is. I did both rounds continuously so there are only two ends to hide.

Don't look too closely. I put an extra picot on three of the rings in round one, but it will be correct on the diagram and in the pattern. I have the diagram almost finished but haven't written the pattern out yet.

Marilee aka Yarnplayer's hand dyed thread in Pizzazz size 50 really makes this pattern stand out for me. It will be perfect on this year's Rainbow Christmas Tree.

new snowflake

I am almost finished tatting another snowflake of my own for my rainbow tree. I might have a picture before the day is over, but it will take me a while for the pattern and diagram. Provided anyone wants it, of course! This one is tatted in Marilee's Pizazz size 50.

I am having such fun designing these snowflakes and hearts. I hope those of you who want to tat them will enjoy them.

Pay It Forward

I found this on Aileen's blog, and I think it's a wonderful idea! As a condition for participation, I need to post this pledge:

My Pay it Forward Pledge

“I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.”

I hope some of you will join in the fun!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate Easter and happy day to those of you who don't.

For any of you who might be planning to tat my last snowflake - Jon had a couple of ideas that you might want to use. On the 3rd round, instead of starting with a join to the chain, start with the ring that is 5-5 before where I put the S on the diagram. I don't know why I didn't think of it since it is so much better to start with a ring. She also wondered why I didn't join the center ring in the 5 ring cluster to the adjoining rings. I like it that way as it gives it some movement and freedom like a flower petal. If you would like it joined, please feel free to do so, of course. It really would make more sense for a snowflake as it would probably hang better.

That's all!

Round Robin Heart #3

This pattern is from Be-stitched Copyright 2007 by Nancy Tracy. It was originally found at Be-stitched. This is a very nice pattern that only took a couple of hours to tat. And, I did it watching television! I don't usually do so well on auto pilot. Since this is for the round robin and the hearts are supposed to be around 3", I added the white row around the outside of the original pattern. I hope Nancy won't mind. It makes it a little bigger and I think it looks like an old Valentine - the ones with the white doily behind them. The thread is size 20 Flora.

Thanks for the pattern Nancy. I enjoyed tatting it.

Pattern for Winter Blend/Easter Egg Snowflake

Here it is. I hope it works.

WINTER BLEND and EASTER EGG SNOWFLAKES
Copyright 2008 Laura Blanton

Abbreviations
R ring
Ch chain
- picot
vsp very small picot
SCMR self closing mock ring
Clr close ring
Rw reverse work
Dnrw do not reverse work
Slt shoe lace trick
Lp locking picot
+ join

I used front side/back side tatting in this pattern. I have started tatting almost everything that way. It just looks so much better to me and is no trouble. Using Jane’s method, I have used italics and bold to mark sections where I suggest reversing the order of the ds to achieve this look. This is only needed on round two as the other rounds are all worked on the same side.

The Easter Egg snowflake is size 20 in five colors. The variegated is Lady Shuttle Maker’s Easter Egg hand dyed thread. The others are Flora.

The Winter Blend Snowflake is size 80 in four colors. I meant to use five but didn’t notice until it was too late that I was working both the rings and chains in round two in one color. The variegated is Yarnplayer’s Winter Blend hand dyed thread and the other is DMC tatting cotton.

FIRST ROUND
Start with locking picot where the "S" is on the diagram in the center
SCMR ch 7 ss R 4 vsp 3 vsp 4 cr ss ch 3 ss R 4 vsp 3 vsp 4 cr ss ch 7 close SCMR ch 2
Repeat 5 times. Join to beginning locking picot. Cut, tie and finish off ends.

SECOND ROUND
R 5+ to 1st picot on 1st ring coming off of SCMR, 5 clr rw
Ch 1 three picots rw
R 5 + to 2nd picot on 1st ring coming off of SCMR, 5 clr rw
Ch 3 – 3 rw
Repeat all of the way around and join to 1st ring. Cut, tie and finish off ends.

THIRD ROUND
Join thread to 1st of 3 picots on round below. This should put you above the ring to the left of “spoke” below. Ch 1, 5 picots lj to 3rd picot below.
Ch 10 slt
R 10 – 5 – 5 clr dnrw
R 5 + to 2nd picot on 1st ring 5 – 5 – 5 clr dnrw
R 10 – 10 clr dnrw
R 5 – 5 – 5 – 5 clr dnrw
R 5 + 5 – 10 clr slt
Ch 10 being very careful to snug up the 1st chain to the slt lj to 1st picot of next 3 picot chain.
Ch 1, 5 picots lj to 3rd picot below.
Ch 5, slt
R 5 – 5 clr dnrw slt
Ch 5, lj to 1st picot of next 3 picot chain
Repeat all of the way around and join to starting chain.
Cut, tie and finish off ends.

Copyright 2008 Laura Blanton

Please feel free to print this pattern for your own use. If you post pictures of your work, and I hope you do, please give me credit for my design and maybe put a link to my page. Enjoy and let me know if you have any problems with the pattern or diagram.

Diagram for Winter Blend/Easter Egg Snowflake

The pattern will be above. Please help me! I hope that between the pattern and this FIRST DIAGRAM EVER, you will be able to tat this snowflake. I have not filled in all of the information on the diagram as I would be here until next Christmas. Please let me know if you have any questions, problems or corrections.

Smart Draw 2

Well, I had indeed missed something. Jeff helped me and I have managed to save and export. I hope to be able to share with you soon. What a relief! My very sincere public apologies to the Smart Draw people.

Smart Draw

Well, I am steamed! I spent four hours this morning/afternoon diagramming my Winter Blend Snowflake on a free trial download of Smart Draw. Just when I was thinking how good I/it was and patting myself on the back, BAM. I can't print, save as any kind of file or export it in any way. All of that work and my beautiful diagram wasted! I was so excited to share it with all of you and now I can't, unless there is something that I have missed. I will keep trying. I might have bought it too. Well, not really. I checked the price and it is much too expensive, especially for a novice designer.

I will keep checking eBay for copies of Serif Draw Plus 2X like Jane and Sherry use.

Sorry there's no diagram. Thanks for letting me vent! I also wanted to make sure none of you make the same mistake. It is upsetting to spend so much time on something and not know you won't be able to use it.

Skein Unwinder

Okay. Here is my secret. It might not be very practical to those of you who don't have children or grandchildren, but it works for me!

We don't know what the name of this toy is. We call it "the doctor's office toy" because they have them in the pediatrician's offices here. Isaac "loans" it to me for unwinding my skeins. I don't know what made me think of it initially, but Bill is very glad that he doesn't have to hold the thread for me! I usually take it from the skein and wrap it around my fingers like my grandmother did. After I get a bit on my fingers, I slip it off and then start wrapping and turning to make a ball. It works for me.

I told our Lady Shuttle Maker the foot thing would never work for me. I'd not be able to reach it! I might have to take up the Hot Yoga thing and see if I can get limbered up. LOL

I hope this will give some of you a new idea and the others a laugh.

New Hand Dyed Thread from Lady Shuttle Maker

I have two new HDT's from Sherry" that came yesterday. The fuchsia is size 20 and the Vickie's Lilacs is size 80. I can't wait to see what they want to be!

I can never stress enough how wonderful it is to tat with hand dyed thread. The only time I use anything else is when I need solids to set off the HDT. So much fun!

Now, I need to talk DH into buying software that will help me diagram my new designs. I'm mighty ambitious huh?

EE and WB snowflakes

Here are the two snowflakes together for a comparison.

Easter Egg Snowflake

Presenting snowflake #2 from my first snowflake design - "Easter Egg Snowflake". I tatted this with Sherry's hand dyed thread Easter Egg in size 20. The other colors are DMC and Flora. The size difference is amazing. The Winter Blend Snowflake fits the inside of the Easter Egg before the points start. I put a picture of the Winter one here so you can see them both close together. I guess I should have scanned them together. DUH!

Now, I can't believe none of you caught my design flaw. Yes I can. The size 80 is so small it isn't as obvious. As I was pressing the new one, I saw to my dismay that the outer ring needs to be rotated. The long points need to be in the center of the wheel spokes below. That's the best way I can describe them. That means I will have to put the long points over the three picots instead of the one picot. I will change the pattern notes as I go. I'm not going to take this one apart. It is still pretty like it is. I'll just change the next one.

Now that I have tatted the second one, I will work on writing up the pattern and get it posted for those of you who have asked for it.

Winter Blend Snowflake for Rainbow Tree 2008

Here is my first original snowflake design tatted in size 80 hand dyed thread from Yarnplayer and DMC Cebelia. The pretty variegated thread is the HDT.

We are on vacation so I have neither my iron or my scanner, so please keep that in mind. When I get home I will do better on the picture. I still have to transpose my notes into a pattern. You might recognize the outer rounds as one from last Christmas. I had tatted them around someone else's design for the middle. Now, it is all mine.

I am very pleased to have been bitten by the design bug and to be tatting my own designs. Thanks to all of you for your encouragement, inspiration and instruction.

Snowflake design

I hope to have time to tat the last round on the snowflake today. We have lots of things to do, but I really want to see how it is going to look. Keep watching!

Other people's tatting!

No tatting pictures to share today - yet. I am excited however to tell you that Jeff, Bridge City Tatting, has tatted my Victorian Heart and it is so pretty. I hope you will follow the link here on my sidebar and go see it. Diane called me today and she is also tatting it. This is doubly exciting as I am so glad she is finally able to tat again. It has been a long dry spell for her with the cast. I hope the tatting will help with her therapy. She has done a wonderful job of persevering through all of this.

Thank you Jeff and Diane!

Winter Blend Snowflake (1st two rows)

Not finished tatting, but here's a preview. My first snowflake design from start to finish, when I finish that is! Believe it or not, it is size 80 HDT from Marilee. I know it doesn't look like it in the picture, but it is only 1 1/2" in diameter so far. The white is regular DMC 80. I had meant for this second row to be two colors, but somehow forgot until I was over half way finished. I am very pleased with my design and can't wait to finish tatting it and show it off. It is a bit ruffled, but I think the next row will solve that problem.

This will be my first original snowflake for my Rainbow Christmas Tree!

Last picture of Isaac with his cast!

The cast came off today! Yea! He has been really good about it, but it was getting old - for all of us. Diane understands, huh?

I will post a picture of him without it tomorrow. Stupid grandma gave him a pacifier to help with the stress of having the cast removed and didn't think about it being in his mouth when I made pictures. I will make more. He is too big a boy to have a pacifier in his mouth. (My fault) Maybe I'm the one who needed the pacifier!

New Hand Dyed Thread from Yarnplayer

I received my new thread yesterday and wanted to show all of you how lovely it is. Tatting with this is going to be a real joy. If any of you haven't tried the HDT, you are really missing a treat.

Easter Bunny

Look who hopped in for the early Easter season. This is one of my earlier woodcarvings that I unearthed last week. I never know where or what I am going to find. This little bunny is 2 1/2" long and about 1 1/4" high. I did a pair of them - one for each of the girls. This one belongs to the youngest. I hope her sister still has hers!

I just wanted to share him with you because it makes me happy to look at him. I hope he will bring a smile to more faces. Back to tatting my NEW RAINBOW SNOWFLAKE DESIGN.

Victorian Heart Pattern (heart #2)

VICTORIAN HEART

Start with chain at bottom inside point. I used a paper clip and made a locked picot to start. Do not pull the chains into a curve at the bottom. Just gently snug up and then try to curve the top of the heart.

Abbreviations
Ds double stitch
Ch Chain
R Ring
CLR close ring
RW reverse work
DNRW do not reverse work
Vsp very small picot
+ join
- picot

Ch (vsp 5) x 5, vsp 7 vsp 3 RW
R (3-) x3, 3 clr rw
Ch 3+ to last vsp on previous ch, 7 (vsp 5) x 5 + to beginning locked picot DNRW
Ch vsp (5 + to picot on previous row) x 4, 6 + to picot on previous row, 6 + to top continue chain
(6 +) x 2, (5 +) x 4 (last join will be at bottom)
Ch vsp (6 + in space between chains on previous row) x 4, (7 +) x 2, continue chain
(7 +) x 2, (6 +) x 4
Ch vsp (6 +) x 3, (9 +) x 3, continue chain (9 +) x 3, (6 +) x 3

This outer row has graduated picots that give it the appearance of little crowns. Start with a vsp and increase length to the middle picot and then decrease forward.
Ch vsp (3 - - - 3 +) x 3 (3 picots)
Ch 3 - - - - - 3 + (5 picots)
Ch 3 - - - - - - -3 + (7 picots)
Ch (3 - - - 3 +) x 2 (3 picots)
Ch 3 - - - - - - -3 + (7 picots)
Ch 3 - - - - - 3 + (5 picots)
Ch (3 - - - 3 +) x 3 (3 picots) RW
R (4-) x3, 4 clr Cut and tie. Hide ends.
Front side, back side tatting. Using Jane Eborall’s method to note when to reverse stitches, the ring instructions are done in bold and italics. (Jane used red). Since there are only two rings, it is easier to do them in reverse instead of the chains. To reverse stitches, start with the second half of the ds and then the first half.

Laura Blanton Copyright 2008

Please feel free to print for personal use. All I ask is that you give me credit for the design if you post pictures, which I hope you will! Also, please let me know if you find any problems with the pattern. Remember - I am a baby designer!

Victorian Heart (heart design #2)

I have the pattern for this heart ready, (I think.) If anyone wants it, please let me know.

Heart Design #2 in variegated hand dyed thread

For my taste, this is a perfect example of variegated thread is not at it's best in every pattern. While I do not dislike it, I think it is much prettier done in the solid thread. No matter how lovely the HDT, and this one by Sherry, Lady Shuttle Maker, is lovely, it just doesn't always work. This one is Grapefruit and I have tatted lots of pretty things with it. It's not the thread - it's the pattern. Where I start the pattern with a locked picot at the beginning of a chain, when you get back around and join, the two colors make it stand out too much. I scanned both hearts together so you can see the difference.

Most of you experienced tatters know this well. For any newbies, here is a good example. While I will always love tatting with variegated thread, especially HDT, sometimes it just isn't at it prettiest in certain patterns.

Heart Design #2 by ME!

How many of you remember the commercial "Look Ma, no cavities!"? I'm saying, "Look Ma, no pattern!" I am so pleased with myself. Can you tell? I was trying to rest this afternoon and this idea just would not stop bothering me. So, I got up and tatted it. I had the general idea and just tatted and made notes. I had to back up a few times, but it wasn't bad. I know it isn't a complicated pattern and thus didn't require all of the planning and steps that are usually necessarily, but I like it. It's good to take baby steps. This little heart is just that - 1 1/2" wide and about 1 3/4" tall. I tatted it with Marilee's hand dyed pink from Rhubarb Crisp in size 20. That is why there is a slight shading. Another home run for Marilee and hand dyed thread.

This heart is not part of the round robin. It is too small!

I don't know the right words for the general disclaimer, but I promise this came completely out of my tired little mind. Any similarity to hearts previously tatted by others is entirely unintentional. If you have done one like it, let me know. I just really got a kick out of putting that copyright statement on there!

Is there such a thing as "death by tatting?" I hope not!

Tatted Heart #2 for the Round Robin

This pattern is by Sharon B. Taliaferro. I printed it from the Tatting Pattern Calendar February 20, 2007. I tatted it with DMC #8 Perle Cotton in off white with a tortoise shell finish button. The pattern called for #12 perle cotton and a 5/8" button. Since I was using #8 to make it bigger, I used a button that's a little over 1". She said she wanted neutrals so I hope this is a good choice.

This was a lot of fun to tat if anyone hasn't tried it and wants to. It tats up fast and is very simple and straight forward. Once you get started, it could be one of those "auto pilot" projects.

I hope the recipient will be pleased!

Rhubarb Crisp Cross Finished

I have finally finished tatting this cross. Thanks to those of you who voted. After several test tats on ideas with DH advising against them, I worked out and tatted this Celtic border. It was a lot of work getting all the way around and decreasing ds in the bends to make it flat. I think I made the right choice and I am very proud of it.

Now, back to tatting hearts. I'm going to try and design some more. Whether or not they make it into the round robin, I don't know. I got my first envelope yesterday and I have to decide what kind and color of heart to tat for it.

As usual, thanks to Marilee for this lovely hand dyed thread called Rhubarb Crisp.

Isaac's 2nd birthday and 1st big "boo boo"

I can't believe my grandbaby is two years old! I had the flu and missed his birthday party, but it looks like he had a good time. He loves his Elmo that Granddaddy and I gave him. There is also a picture of him with his first big "boo boo". He has a fractured tibia but will only be in the cast for four weeks, we hope.

Happy Birthday to Isaac!