2010 - Trying again!

Well, here it is another year! (Where does the time go?!?!) I have been away from the Internet and just stumbled across my old blogs and thought I'd update everything.

I have actually completed the 25 Motif Challenge several times, I just tend to forget to post the photos of the finished items! Shame on me!

I am setting a goal to do better this year.

Look for some motif photos to show up in the next few weeks!

In the meantime, Happy Tatting!

More of the Challenge

I've been busy working on Tatting for Christmas. These are some of the items I've made to share this Holiday Season.

**Please note that not all of the patterns used in these photos are my own designs. I have purchased books and found free patterns online to work up. If you know where the patterns have been published, and I do not mention it, please let me know and I'll update the information. I always want to give credit where credit is due! Thanks.**



Motif #11

This is from a book - "Tatted Snowflakes" by Vida Sunderman. It is called 'Victorian Snowflake'. I believe in the book it is pictured with tiny roses in the middle. I didn't have roses, so I left it uncovered.
This was a fun pattern to work up. It is 2 rounds, but relatively quick.

Motif #12

This is from another book, "DMC Festive Tatting" and is titled "Motif #6".

This pattern is 1 round and a bit time-consuming. It's not a slow tat, though. It worked up quickly, I just found it hard to find a stopping place so I had to finish it in one sitting! I love that I didn't have to cut & tie ends or join rounds!

Motif #13

This snowflake pattern was found w online... and is titled "Elmo's Snowflake".
www.freewebpages.com/tattings0003
It is quick and simple - working in just 1 round. I love making it - and am making it for my mother-in-law. I tatted several of these this weekend while traveling throughout the state of GA. Each snowflake worked up in about 20 minutes.



Motif #14

This snowflake pattern worked up quickly, even though it was 2 rounds. I tatted it and then used gold metallic thread to tie it to the bangle/bangel. It turned out awesome! (Many thanks to Sue Hanson. She was kind enough to help me acquire the bracelet I needed!! - Super Sweet Sue!!)

I love the way this turned out. I am planning on making more like this for family members.




Motif #15

This pattern was another 2 round pattern. However, it worked up fast. I actually found a similiar pattern and by not paying attention I made errors and this is the result! I do like the way it turned out though. The original pattern was in the book "Tatted Snowflakes" by Patricia Ann Rizzo. On her pattern, the Chain only had 2 picots - I accidentally added a 3rd and did not notice until I finished it and looked at the photo and couldn't figure out why it looked different!

Still on the Challenge!

I haven't forgotten - I've just been so busy I haven't had time to take photos and post them to the blog! My daughter is playing softball (school & travel) so we are on the go alot lately with her - and my son is bowling in the Youth bowling league - so we're going with him, too. The great thing about tatting is.... It's portable! I can tat while I watch bowling, I can tat on the way to softball, or during delays, or sitting in the hotel at night. But enough of that....Now on to what you really wanted to see!

Motif # 5 - Triangle

I can not remember where I got this pattern - I've had it printed out for a long time from the Internet. (If you know where it came from, please let me know.) It's really simple and fun. I think it called for beads at the points and some other places, but I'm not a tatter who uses beads, so I left them off. I think it still turned out nice - even without beads. I'm still trying to think of ways to use this pattern. Perhaps I'll make it in Red and Green or White and use it as a Christmas Tree decoration. Maybe I will make lots of them and join them together to form a tablerunner.



Motif #6 - Star
I found this amazing blog with a pillowcase that I just fell in love with! http://tattingchic.blogspot.com/ - I believe you can find it under Tatted Pillow to Cushion the Blow
I have been looking for something 'fun' to tat to make into a shawl, bedspread, or even tablecloth. When I saw the pillowcase she made - I flipped! I begged for the pattern, but she couldn't find it, so I had to borrow her photos and try and tat by site - something I am not good at, by any means!! But I think it turned out ok! And it's such a beautiful pattern when joined together - I hope I can do it justice.

I am going to be working on that for a while and will post photos on another blog as work progresses.




Motif #7 - Medallion

I've had this pattern for a long time and I have never tatted it. I found it the other day and thought I'd take the time to work it up. It was so simple and quick that I made several and joined them before I even realized it!

I think this will look good as an arm cover for a chair, or headrest cover, maybe even a full tablecloth. The only thing I know is this is not finished! LOL I will come back to it soon.

Motif #8 - Edging


This pattern is from one of my tatting books. It didn't have a name, just a number. I have found similiar edging online called "Basket Weave Edging". It was great fun to tat. I had a lady ask me to make this for her dining room curtains. That's going to be fun! I love making edging - I like the way it looks laying curled in my lap, and 'dripping' from my shuttle. I also feel like I'm getting something done! I can see results.














Motif 9 - Dillmont Figure 22

This pattern comes from the http://www.antiquepatternlibrary.org/ site. It is in the DillmontTat book - Figure 22. It was made with a new thread color - I was darting through the craft section in WalMart and this thread caught my eye. It's DMC Size 10 - Color 5109. It reminds me of babies. I thought it would be neat to make this little medallion in this color - imgaine these joined together to cover a baby pillow, or sewn onto a white baby blanket.
The only think I am not happy with is the outside round. I am thinking of redesigning it a bit. I'll make adjustments and post the photos later.












Motif #10 - Bud Vase Doily

This is a simple, quick pattern that I worked up in about 20 minutes. It caught my eye and I decided to give it a try. You can find the pattern
http://www.freepatterns.com/list.html?cat_id=328 It's free - and they have several more patterns that I am going to work up, too!

Since my shuttle was loaded with the new-to-me-thread, I decided to make it with that instead of White or another color. I just adore the way it turned out. I am going to be making more of these, too.

I have more Motifs to photograph, so bear with me. I'll get them up as soon as I can. Meanwhile, I'm still tatting away!

It looks like another good day to tat!

25 Motif Challenge - More

I've been busy the last week with tatting. I had to put aside the Challenge to work on some edging (as mentioned before). But I'm back to tatting on the Challenge.

Here's a heart for Motif #2. I believe this is "Heart's Desire" and I found the pattern here:

http://www.georgiaseitz.com/

I had never attempted a heart before, but thought that it would be neat to try. I searched the Internet over, and found this one. I made one Friday night and found out that I messed up mid-way through the heart. So instead of a heart I had a diseased looking figure! LOL I decided to make it again, and to the pattern justice. So! I did, and here's the finished project. Even though it's not 'perfect' I absolutely adore it! Beautiful design - even if the tatting is not ;-)

MOTIF # 3 & 4

While I was tatting I thought I'd work on some Christmas decorations - Never too early to start those! LOL So I found these 2 angels lurking in my pattern notebook. (I have a 3-ring binder with patterns I have printed from books I own, emails and the Internet - slightly organized so I can find patterns based on Season, type...edging, doily, bookmark, etc.) These lovely ladies come from http://www.geocities.com/birgit_ph/ The Bitty Angel and the Simple Angel! They are sweet and simple. I adored making them. I can see a tree decked out with all Angels this Christmas!

25 Motif Challenge

I decided to take the challenge. My challenge is not in tatting 25 motifs. It's in getting the photos and information up on my blog! :-D It's not that I'm not 'computer savvy'. I just rarely have time/camera/tatting/Internet all in the same location!

When I decided to begin the Challenge, I had already been commissioned to make lace for baby blankets. So from time to time I will have to put my Challenge on hold while I whip up 5 yards of edging for a blanket. Simple edging that is suitable for a boy or girl, that's the request/order.

Here's the finished product. I made the lace for this blanket in exchange for the blanket to give to a friend who just had her first grandbaby. I know the blanket will be well loved and cherished.

I began making this edging after I decided to take up the Challenge - but I will not count it as a motif as I will be making many more yards of this lace throughout the year!

MOTIF #1

My first Motif for the 25 Motif Challenge has been completed! I wanted to make a six-sided daisy-like pattern, but I couldn't decide what colors I wanted to use - SO, I opted for a Mossy Green, Mint Green, and Frost Green for the chains/leaves, and Pink, Purple, Maize, Peach, Violet, and Cream for the rings/petals.