Chinese Dragon in Purple Punch

Thank you so much Anne Bruvold for sharing this wonderful pattern! Look here for the pattern. I thoroughly enjoyed tatting it start to finish. Wish the scan was better. I have a hard time with things that are not flat. Yes, that is a real pearl in it's mouth! The thread is "Purple Punch" in size 50 by Yarnplayer. Red and yellow might have been better colors for a Chinese dragon, but I really wanted a purple one! I know I don't usually tat in size 50, but I have my first ever Ott lamp and I can see the stitches! I love the smaller threads as they give a much more lacey look to the tatting. Now that I can see, I have to tat snowflakes in this thread. I thought I would have some thread left on my shuttles with which to start a snowflake. Not so! It took a total of 14.5 yards on shuttle one and 12 yards on shuttle two. I had started with 10 yards on each. (You might need more or less, but this gives you an idea.) Thanks again, Anne!

Help with Dragon Presentation

I need help! I want to display the dragons as closely to the scene in the book as possible. No matter how I display them, I am going to have to sew them onto a piece of fabric before they can be framed. In the book, they are fighting over what they call "The Burning Plains." Thus I imagine it would be earthy tones with tan, brown and red where the fire breakes through the earths crust. I just don't see this working. My brother suggested a black velvet sky with crystals for stars, a mother of pearl moon and some rocks at the bottom of the shadow box to look like crags.

All suggestions will be appreciated. I want the art of the tatted pieces to be the main focus in the presentation. It should look classy and not overdone.

Like I said, I need help!

Presenting "Thorn The Dragon"

Here is Thorn from book two by Christopher Paolini. The name of the book is "Eldest." The pattern is by Karey Solomon -more or less. I had a difficult time figuring out several parts of it. If it taught me anything, it was that you have to know what you are doing and not expect to be "spoon fed" the pattern.

The beads are lovely, vintage size 11 seed beads from a little shop in Gulf Shores, Alabama. I bought them over a year ago and just now got brave enough to use them. I wish they were more visible here, but they probably need to be photographed in the sun and I just can't go out there! The thread is size 20 Lizbeth.

 

I know you have already seen Saphira, but I wanted to present them as I might frame them - in battle.

 

Saphira The Dragon

 

 

I couldn't decide which I liked better, so I posted both pictures. This is one of Karey Solomon's dragons from "Here Be Dragons." I named her Saphira after the dragon in the book "Eragon" by Christopher Paolini. That is the last book I read as my eyes were getting so bad. The second book, "Eldest", I have listed to on cd's. I have yet to listen to the third book. I really like them a lot. I think we all need a bit of fantasy to brighten up or days, especially when we are not feeling well.

I must say this dragon was quite a challenge. I had to start over once, but I finally figured out that I was supposed to be making my beaded joins with the ball thread. Duh! I still had to do a lot of retro tatting, but I am very pleased to completed it and happy with the way it looks - mostly. One big tip for what it is worth, don't tat too tightly and leave a little slack in the beaded picots. You will be able to make it lay much flatter that way. Also, I wish the top claw was lower on the body. I will work on that next time, if there is a next time. We'll see. One of the other dragons is red and the other is gold but I don't know if my eyes or my arthritis will allow me to tat them.

Oh, the thread is size 20 Flora and the beads are size 10. They are not very nice beads so the sizes varied too much. The eye bead is a nice one from an old pair of earrings and the tooth beads are pearls.

Karey Solomon's Dragonet

 

Here is my very feeble attempt to tat Karey Solomon's Dragonet. I love Karey's dragons, but they don't seem to love me. I've had this book for some time and finally decided I must brave at least one of the dragons. I seem to have made the belly to small and the claws are too close in and not defined sufficiently for me. If any of you have any suggestions or insight to these patterns, please let me know. I think my brain cells found out where Jane's were vacationing and have joined them there! If they were present before I started this project, they have certainly deserted me now.

Dragonet is tatted in size 20 Flora with size 11 purple beads.

Dragon #2 "Spring"

Ann Bruwold's dragon again, this time tatted in green Flora size 20 with size 11 pink, glass beads. This maybe a little "girlie" for a dragon, but I want her for my room. I think she will have her own little frame.

I tried to think of a particularly clever name for her as she was inspired by a favorite outfit from my senior year of high school. I had an a-line skirt and sleeveless blouse made from green and pink material that was a kind of plaid I guess. The background was green with tiny pink stripes in both directions, to the best of my memory. I loved that outfit. It also had a canvas belt that was cream colored. My mother and grandmother made most of my clothes, but this one was "store bought" and very special. I don't know where Mother found the money to buy it, but I loved it and must have worn it out. I don't remember what happened to it. If only we realized how special our memories would be, we might hang onto some of the things at the root of these memories......

Green Leaf Dragon

Despite Dragon Lore which says that Green Leaf Dragons are seldom spotted in the summertime, I have captured this one and I'm not letting it go!

I tatted this dragon using Yarnplayer's Fern hand dyed thread in size 20. He was a bit troublesome as he knew he wasn't supposed to be out this time of year. That's my story and I'm sticking to it! He really was not trouble and I enjoyed tatting him, except I kept getting backwards in the wings for some reason. In any case, it is sorted out. I don't think mine looks as good as the others I've seen. Guess I'll have to try again.

The dragon pattern is by anne Bruvold and she was kind enough to share it with us
here.

Thank you Anne!