Beaded Tea Candle Holder

Another WIP complete.  Pattern is from Sabina Carden-Madden.  Easy ring/chain with a split ring every once in a while.  Will be added to other projects for a craft fair at our senior center in November.  Thread is Lizbeth size 20.

National Parks and Legendary Rivers (Columbia/Snake)

 This year's anniversary trip was American Cruise Lines National Parks and Legendary River Cruise.  We started in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  National Parks were:  The Grand Tetons, Yellowstone and Glacier.  After a week on the road, it was onto the cruise ship for a leisurely cruise down the Snake and Columbia Rivers following Lewis and Clark.  I was amazed at how wide the rivers were.  Sometimes up to a mile wide.  

The motor coach had us on the move everyday.  The hotels/lodges were very nice and the food exceptional.  The cruise was on a small boat (180 people I believe).  Had a culinary demo from the Pastry Chef on New Orleans Pralines!

The motor coach had water bottle holders on the back of the seats.  They made a nice holder for my pattern and tatting accessories.  The cruise had a couple of cruise days, so while hubby took a nap, I pulled out my tatting.

I brought plenty of left over scrap threads for making butterflies and a shuttle wound with beads/thread for angels.  Both Adventure Guides and bus driver received angels.  They all did a great job with keeping us safe and entertained.  Butterflies were given to anyone who stopped by to ask what I was doing.

Mystery Tat-along

Georgia Seitz mystery doily has come back alive!  Tat-a-Renda has started a Facebook page titled Georgia’s Mystery Doily Tat-along.  Not to late to join if your interested.

Georgia had seen this doily in an antique store and was intrigued.  She published the doily online and invited tatters to solve the mystery of creating a pattern.  Vicki Reynolds and Patricia Dowden came up with a pattern.  They are similar but each has a slightly different count.  

I had made this doily years ago.  Seemed to me I really had to tat tight to make the chains fit between the clusters of rings.  This time, everything seems to be playing nice.  

Round 1 is complete.  Using Cebelia size 20 thread.  I don’t need another project; however, I am at a stopping point with my temperature tat-along.  I run out of a color and waiting for it to come back in stock.  So since I can not tat any further on it, the mystery doily will fill in the void.

This is my second start.  While doing Round 1, I noticed I had an extra picot in two separate areas.  I decided to start over and reverse the colors.  I think the green will pop the negative space more than the blue.

Test Tatting Part Two

Richard Embrey was my second tatter to test tat.  He is known for his Helix tatting.  

The candy cane earring was nicely written.  Hard to see in photo.  Small but tatted quickly.   Size 20 Lizbeth.

The Helix brooch was interesting.  Started with the chains, then Helix.  Thrown off chains with rings which joined later is a nice technique for dimension.  Size 20 HDT by me and Lizbeth for this creation.

Now for the Helix Sea Anemone. This was quite the challenge to get started.  Had never done floating chains before.  Took some time and messages to wrap my brain around this technique.  Once my brain decided to cooperate, it went well.    As you can see, lots of floating chains.  I do tat tight so tentacles curled.  Size 20 Lizbeth for this one also.

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Tat Days 2024 - Part One

       It was nice to see familiar faces that have not been for a few years.  Tat Days was held at Ridgecrest Conference Center in North Carolina.  Rooms were convenient to classes, classes were very close to vending and the food was good.  Only drawback was signage to find everything.  Took a good day to really get the layout figured out between room/classes/dining.          

       Thursday evening was Arlene Medder’s Solar Flare - top right. Made with HDT I had in my stash and beads.  The middle is tatted over a jump ring or pen ring, then continuous chains around and climbing to next rounds.

       First class on Friday was Nina Libin's Grape Earrings taught by Bonnie Swank - upper left. This is a Beanile Lace pattern using metallic embroidery thread, beads and single shuttle rings.  These tatted up quickly.  Actually worn that day!

      Next was Randy Houtz Double Stitches on Picot Rings - middle.  These were samples of a few of the techniques.  They were made using scraps of size 10 thread I had.  The technique uses flip/unflip alternating threads (last one is a split ring).  Another fun class.  

      The card was a Bev Corder fun item using negative space.  It was made with a cardstock cutout (or tatting piece) and acrylic ink mixture.  I can see more of these in my future.  

     All of the above projects were completed.  Stayed tuned for day 2.

Helix Jellyfish

I was cleaning up my tatting area when I came across this fella.  This was a test tat of a Helix Jellyfish for Richard Embrey.  I believe it was for last year’s Palmetto Tat Days.  Size 10 Knit Cro-sheen thread in four different colors. 

Temp Tat-Along and Butterflies

 

Catching up on the temperature tat-along.  January at bottom.  Now working on June.  Got a bit behind due to a couple family members being hospitalized, watching grandkids, doctor appointments and a lack of wanting to do anything.  Now that things have again simmered down, I am feeling more energized to work on things again.  May has been warm being 80-85 degrees F.  June looks like it is following the same pattern.

In the meantime, I have been using scrap threads to make butterflies.  These will be donated to The Palmetto Tatters Guild at Tat Days in August.  

I have also done some color research.  I hope to be getting my dyes out and play with new color ways for next years Tat Days.  This will be a winter project as I have projects I need to finish first.

Angels

 

When waiting for doctor and test results for a family member,  you bring your tat bag.  Yesterday was butterflies.  Today is Angels to hand to nurses.  Two already handed out. Tomorrow maybe more Angels to get ready for grandson’s tonsil surgery next month.

Pattern is called Marie Smith’s Angel.  This was from Palmetto Tatters Tat Days many years ago.  Thread is Lizbeth White and Blue Ice.  Seed beads separate the rings in the middle.

Tat Days 2023 - Projects

Finally getting around to finish these two projects from last year (only needed findings).  The dark beaded earrings is the Beanile technique.  They are a self closing mock ring.  Pattern by Nina Libin taught by Bonnie Swank.  The orange is called September Jewerly Set by Richard Embrey.  Very easy set to tat.

TTAL Jan-Feb

 

Temperature Tat A-Long is done for January-February.  February has been warmer than I can remember.  Think I will give a nice pressing before I begin March!

Tat Days 2023 Couple of Projects

      Here are a couple of finished items from 2023 Tat Days.  The earrings still need findings.  They are Beanile tatting.  I love how these turned out.  Picture does not do it justice.  The bird is a bookmark.  This piece used several tatting techniques which made it interesting to tat.  

     I have several works in progress.  Hopefully will have pictures and make a post this weekend.  There are two doilies and the FB Temperature Tat-Along (that just started for 2024).  

Jan Stawasz Doily

Hot off the shuttles.  This is from Jan’s book Tatted Treasures, Doily XIV.  Lizbeth size 20, Burnt Sienna.  Love the color.  A good pressing and it will be finished.  It has been great to be tatting on a regular basis again.  Life is finally starting to settle down so I may start concentrating on me again! 

Going to start working on unfinished projects I have been setting aside.  I have some kits and/or started projects from 2012ish.  I though I had better start working on them as they are not going to finish themselves.  

Doilies

Finished my first two doilies from Laura Bziukiewicz’s book Bonded with Tatting.  The pink is Anastasia, Lizbeth size 20.  Red/black is Maya using Knit Crosheen size 10.  These were nice doilies to make.

Doily and Shuttles

The Online Tatting Class had a special decoupage shuttle class on August 17.  Had some plain shuttles so I joined the fun.  Fabric, paper and stickers were used along with a little glitter modge podge.   The tigger is for my hubby, the blue and red I may bring to next years Tat Days to sell and the other three are for me.

The doily is done in size 30, thread hand dyed by me.  Pattern is called Tatted Pineapple Doily adapted by Kendra Goodnow.  Handy Hands sells the pattern.  I make a doily for someone every year for about 7-8 years now.  This will be mailed or given at next years Tat Days.

Monster Doily

 

Monster Doily is complete.  Did not do last row as I personally could not agree on final row color.  Several years in the making.  Glad this is now done.  

I can now concentrate on finishing the Tatters Across Time proficiency program.  About half way through Phase III.  This is another long term project I will be able to cross off the complete project list.

Lagniappe Doily

After four starts because I did not read the pattern correctly (kept joining instead of putting a small joining picot), Round 5 is finally finished.  This is my home away from home project.  Therefore, I am not in a hurry to finish.  Onto Round 6!

Alenalea Rako is hosting an Advent Calendar Tat-along  2020 through Facebook.  It started yesterday; however, if you haven't joined, it is not to late.  A pattern will be given each day.  Part of the fun is it will use up left over thread left on shuttles or little pieces that you may have left over here and there.

Jane Eborall will do hosting a Tat Along starting in January.  Have missed starting a new year off with tatting.  It is wonderful she is doing this again and very thankful for her time and effort that it takes to host.  

“Dissent”

This is Marilee Rockley’s “Dissent” necklace.  My daughter asked me to tat it for her.  She then framed it.  Necklace is a tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, US Supreme Court Judge, who passed away earlier this year.

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Lagniappe

 

Needed a new project for my home away from home.  Thought I would finally start this doily.  Pic does not do colors justice.  Using a pale peach, peach and a varigated.  Squeezing the daylights out of it and it is coming along great.  A little pressing last night.  Thread is OMEGA size 30 which I purchased several years ago thinking this combination would be great for a doily.  Pattern is by Mike Lyon.  My plan is to only go through round 13.  

The monster doily only has 1 round to go before it is finished to my satisfaction.  This one is my at home project.  Plan is to hopefully finish it before the end of the year.  We shall see!

Quarantine Doilies

This is the results of mytat-along tatting during our 6-month quarantine.  

Pink Threads that Bind pattern is size 30 knit crosheen and purple/turquoise Harmony is size 20 HDT Carribe from Karey Solomon and Lizbeth turquoise.  Both patterns are from Tat-A-Renda.   Harmony was a little tight towards the end an I realized I can not count on one of the rows.  Decided to improvise as I did not want to retrotat or cut that row out.

The brown is a Square Doily pattern by Toni Storer.  The tat-along was sponsered by Jenni Clark.  Thread is size 20 Cebelia.  This is certainly a different and was pretty easy to tat.  I found it needed quite a bit of pressing as it seemed to cup on me.  Could be the way I tat and tension.  

Square doily has a reserved spot in the house.  Harmony has been claimed by Granddaughter (although she originally claimed the pink).  I will reask when I see her next.

Now onto finishing the monster doily.  There are 3 3/4 rows left.  I have decided I am not going to tat the last row as I can not decide on color to tat it.  

New Tat-along

Tat-a-Renda (find her on Facebook) is hosting a new tat-along. Harmony is the name of the doily. Here is the first 2 rows. Thread is size 20, HDT by Karey Solomon. Granddaughter has already called dibs for this doily!