An interesting eBay find

I haven't done much tatting this past week,so no progress on the JS mega doily or the WIOSNA 2015 doily. But!  There's always a but, I did find something very cool and tatting related on eBay. Here, let me show you. 

A neat Bucilla shuttle just slightly sprung on one tip, a teeny little latch hook(great for adding beads to picots, an unknown thing, and a set of hooks on a ring or handle!  That's what grabbed my attention, the hooks.

 They seem to be very old. I have some crochet hooks from the early 1900s that are very similar. I'm not sure if they'll be put to use, but they are a nice addition to my small collection of vintage tools.

Hopefully, this weekend I'll have some progress to show in my projects.  I know I don't post or respond very often, but I am actively following all of you!  You all just inspire me so much, especially when I'm having a crappy day. Enjoy the rest of your Thursday all!   

So it begins...

Busy, busy, busy. This weekend is the first time in more than a week I've been able to work the shuttles. I got caught up on Renulek's WIOSNA 2015, rounds three, four, and five. I threw in a third color to liven it up. It really pops now! 

 

Next up, I took the plunge and started on the Jan Stawasz Mega Doily.  Originally, I was going with Antique Blue Medium, but went with Country Turquoise Medium instead. Gorgeous and a much better choice. I may use another shade for contrast. 

If the first round is any indication, this is going to be a long project. After three false starts, I finally completed it with no incorrect joins, missing rings, or knots in the core thread. Round Two took two attempts also. Good thing I bought a lot of thread from Handy Hands last week. 

Well, that's it for now. Until next time, enjoy your week and keep warm!

Snowed in

We had 13.5" snow dumped on my neck of the woods yesterday afternoon through this morning. Snow day for me! Last night(actually 3 a.m.), I couldn't sleep so I dressed warmly and attempted to walk to the corner so I could how the road conditions were. I stepped off the porch and promptly sunk to my knees in snow. That was enough of that!  So I shall work on tatting something, read some, and add some rows to my latest crochet blanket.  

This is Rounds One and Two of Renulek's latest Tat-Along. I'm using Altin Basak threads in coppery tones to go with the piece's antique-ish look. 

And this is my latest blanket, the Vintage Fan Ripple. It's a free crochet pattern I found on Ravelry.  I love the bold colors I chose.  Enjoy your day. 

First finish of '15

Hopefully the first of many. 'Doily XIV' from Tatted Treasures by Jan Stawasz.  Nine inches across using size 20, Lizbeth for the center and petals, Flora for tips. The large rings on the last round gave me fits, but it doesn't look too bad. Now for a few days rest then on to the next project.  

 

Ahoy mateys!

Twenty-two months since I last posted. That's sad....and lazy of me. But, here I am to say I'm still alive!  The last eighteen months or so have been rough health wise. Tendinitis in elbows severely limited how much tatting I've been able to do(none).  Then I injured my lower back and right hip. I couldn't sit for more than ten minutes at a time.  I had to lie on my back with a small pillow under my right knee to alleviate the pain.  But standing for hours on end didn't bother me a bit. Just sitting. Go figure.

 Not being able to much drove me nuts. In desperation, I even tried to crochet while lying on my back.   That was a no-go.  So I whittled down my To-Be-Read stack of books and stalked you all on your blogs!  Happy to say I can tat now. I've done a few simple snowflakes to get back into the swing of it. Right now, I'm most comfortable with size 20 thread, but I'll be back to my fave size 80 soon!  

From what I've seen on InTatters/Craftree, the latest craze is a HUGE Jan Stawasz doily. I'm gonna do that. Oh, yes I am. I've already tracked down a copy of Moje Robotki, now to choose a thread color. I want it to be huge so I'm going with size 20. To warm up, I'm currently working on Doily XIV from Jan's 'Tatted Treasures'. I've gotten really good at opening rings so I don't have to snip off my tons of mistakes, too!  His designs are so beautiful. I was very sad to read of his passing.

I'm using a couple Lizbeth threads plus a Flora thread for the final round. It's my intention to use as much stash as possible before buying more. Of course, I've said that a eleventy-billion times, too.   So enough for now. I'm gonna finish this up, rest my arms, then pick up the shuttles again later his week.

Oh, one other thing.  My faithful little pick up truck finally died, so it was new vehicle time for the first time in thirteen years. After weeks and weeks of test driving I settled on....wait for it.........
a Nissan Cube!  Ahahahahahahaha!  The weirdest car ever, but it's totally me and I love it. The employee discount and rebates were added bonuses.

                                                         Aerodynamics are overrated.

Have a good week!

Google Reader...going away!! :(

Hey all! Google is ruining itself some more.  They're killing off Google Reader and who knows what's next.   If you would like to follow my infrequent posts, I'm moving to Bloglovin.

CLICKY HERE:

Thanks and happy stitching!

A snowy Saturday

Hello there!  Its blizzarding out again and for once, I don't even mind.  This past work week was a long slog so I am appreciating the peace and calm that comes with my needlework.  The snow coming down adds to that calm because it's as if the whole world has decided to take a break, too.  My latest finish is BBD Loose Feathers design, Bluebird's Message.  Originally, I planned to show this on my blog on St. Valentine's Day, but I'm still not sure if I like my finish for it.  Instead of a standard centered and framed piece, I left the top open for a piece of crocheted lace.  Instead, I tatted a length of edging and tacked it down before slipping it into the frame.

 Hmmm....three days later and I'm still not liking it too much.  The color is okay because it's a close match to some of the alphabet, but the pattern is just not working.  I'll pull out some pattern books and shuttles later and come up with something else, I suppose.  This is also the first time I worked with crackle medium.  Now that was fun!  Definitely something I am going to do again.

Sorry for the dreary picture, the gray day does not make for good picture taking.


Speaking of tatting, it occurred to me that it's been a year since a dear tatting friend beloved by all of Tatland passed away.  Gina Brummett, the one and only Tatting Goddess, was and still is a huge influence on my needlework.  It's because of her I learned to dabble in Romanian Point Lace and knitting.  I still regularly visit her blog and click through her blog roll.  Fascinating and lovely woman.  I shall always regret not trying harder to meet her when I had the chance. 

Been stitchin'!

Dropping in to say hello and see what everyone is up to!  It's a dreary, snowy Sunday here in SE Michigan. The perfect kind of day to stitch.  Or watch the Superbowl, if that's your thing.  49ers!

So far today, I've done all the laundry that's been piling up, made a pot roast with biscuits from scratch,  finished a little bitty sampler, went to the gym(to work off aforementioned biscuits), and framed a finish that's been waiting since August.  Now I will do nothing but sit for the rest of the night!  I'm sure to lose an hour or two to Pinterest.  Now for some pictures...

The finished finish:

 Magic Garden from Shakespeare's Peddler using suggested threads on 40 ct linen.  I'm still working on my mounting and framing techniques.  The frame was a clearance item from Michaels.  I think it may be a bit too small.

The little sampler and another I added a few trinkets to:

Heart In Hand's Sunflower Sampler.  So cute!!  And for St. Patrick's Day, it's R&R Reproductions  Scattering of Shamrocks.  I picked up some shamrock charms to add to it. Now they  just need a good pressing and frames.  I'm getting a bit addicted to R&R's Crown and Thistle charts.  In the past week I've picked up a couple and have a handful on my want list.

My next big thing is going to be this:

Blue Ribbon Designs Mystery Sampler, Blue Jeans & Daisies!  I impatiently waited all week for the mailman and now it's here.  I plan to start this week.  Love that gorgeous blue fabric!

Well, that's all for now.  I'll be back soon to show some progress on other stuff. Have a good week!

EDITED TO ADD: I just realized I need to change my wallpaper.  Belated Merry Xmas!  

I've been tatting...

...and have a pic to prove it!

Although November is breathing down our necks, I've been feeling like sunflowers.  Didn't have a pattern for a sunflower so I revisited an old friend, the Gerbera Daisy doily.  I pulled out some autumn-ish looking yellows and and orange, with a bit of Chocolate Sauce HDT for the centers, and voila!, sunflowers.  As I was just about to join the first daisy sunflower, I realized the entire outer row of green was wrong, wrong, wrong.  Hours and a lot of thread wasted.  Grrrr....hopefully I have enough green to redo it.  Any mistakes this time are staying!  We'll just call it an adaptation.  Right? 

I got off my lazy butt this weekend and framed a couple Hallowe'en themed cross stitch pieces, too.  'Mystic Sampler' and 'Near Hallowe'en', both from The Primitive Needle.  I found some cheapo frames on the clearance shelf at Meijer, a bit o' paint, and done!  By next year, I should have a nice Halloween wall!  For this year with some Irish crochet style leaves scattered about:

 
 I'll probably not get it done until at day or two before Halloween 2013, but currently in the Qsnap is the Prairie Schooler's 'Thine Is The Trick and the Treat'.  I'm using DMC black on Picture This Plus 32ct. Eek!.  Loving it so far.  I've got one page done, five to go!

Well, you all have a nice Sunday evening and Happy Halloween!!

'Tis near Halloween....

Time is flying!  Almost the end of October already.  All the little ghosties and beasties will be out begging for candy in little more than a week.  My favorite time of the year. HaLLOweEN!!  To commemorate this awesome day I stitched up this...

'Near Halloween' by the Primitive Needle.  Just have to frame it!  I am planning on having one entire wall of Halloween themed cross stitch for next year like THIS ONE. I love, love, LOVE this!!1! Can I do it?  If I don't get distracted, I will!

Speaking of distractions, A friend and I took a road trip to Mary Maxim and I came home with this...

A lovely rainbow of Mellowspun Ultra DK which is currently being turned into a blanket.  Pictures to follow once I block the squares a bit.  It's a sampler and the squares are not quite the same size, so blocking must be done!

Well, that's all for now!  Hope your days are filled with lots of tatting, crocheting, knitting, and stitching!

Almost Autumn

Hi friends!  Our scorching hot summer is now a thing of the past and now it's time for bonfires, punkin pickin', and cider mills!  It's taken me almost my entire life to appreciate this season for its beauty, so I don't begrudge winter's coming anymore.  After doing almost nothing all summer, I now have a bad case of startitis!  Two crochet afghan, a tatted doily, and some cross stitch pieces in the works.  I even managed to finish a couple things.  How 'bout that?

 Ignore the last few unfinished stitches on this one!  It is done, just needs framing which will get done today.  It's a freebie by the Primitive Needle, 'By The Light Of The Moon'.  I used GAST and WDW threads on 28 ct. Khaki linen. 

And here is 'Buttons Black' from Plum Street Samplers.  I did this one on 28 ct. Mushroom evenweave, over one with one strand of floss.  The picture is a bit overexposed due to the sun popping out just as I took the pic.  It's a teeny 3.5" x 4.25".  It's also my first time mounting and framing a FO.  I think I did a pretty good job!  It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be at all.  Usually, I just pass them off to someone else to finish for me.  No more!

As for tatting, I see 'Doodadmania' is sweeping over the tatting community!  With that in mind, some doodads I recently found at the craft store.  Pattern suggestions, anyone?

  I'll be back soon.  Off to enjoy the rest of this sunny Sunday afternoon.  There is an art fair in the park and Oktoberfest is going strong today.  Happy Crafting!

'Ello there!

Hi everyone!  Stopping in to say hi on this steamy hot July day. It's currently a balmy 100 degrees in my new neck of the woods.  I recently moved to a new place.  My new apartment is very large and bright, my neighbors are friendly, and it felt like home the minute I saw it.  I think part of the reason I was having so many issues with depression was that I HATED my old place.  Honestly, I can't think of one good thing to say about that place at the moment so I won't say anything at all. 

Now that I'm here, that old crafting spark is burning bright.  For now, I just have one picture to show.  This is Deckchen 478/24 from Burda magazine from 1979, issue E 478.  I whipped this one up using the worst ball(breakage and knots!) of DMC black size 80 ever made and Tatskool's 'Rainbow Bright'.   It's made by tatting the large wave of rings section and chain rounds first, then the center motif.  To join them, a round of chains is tatted on the wave of rings joining the center as you go.  Too bad I didn't catch the HUGE mistake on the rings.  I was supposed to make the two rings closest to the bottom of the waves as 6-6-6-6-6, but did 6-6-6-6 instead.  Never noticed until I started joining.  $#^&*%$!!!!!1!!  Since there was no way I was going to let all that work go to waste, I tried to wing it.  Don't believe I did a very good job.  Once I am over my disgust, I may try to cut out the joining round and redo it with a tweak to the stitch count.  The current count distorts the ring shapes somewhat.  Anyhow, here it is!  Talk to you all again soon!

Edited to add:  it measures 9-3/4 inches across, approximately 25 cm for the rest of the world that uses the metric system!  :)

And if there are any cross stitchers reading this, the doily is displayed on Lakeside Linens 32 count Woodsmoke.  It's for a nice big stitchy project I have planned for later this summer.

Just a quickie post...

Just got home from work and lookie what was waiting for me in the mailbox today!!  The Burda book I've been looking for F-O-R-E-V-E-R.  I've been dying to make the doily on the cover.  This is one of the times I love eBay.  Next is another German tatting book, ya know, the one with Frivole's peacock and butterflies.  Last, but not least is the first of LadyShuttleMaker's Quad hook pens and a small skein of her HDT, 'Diablo' in size 80.

The perfect ending to a kinda crappy day!  :)  

Goodies in the mail and a FO

The weather here has been so nice lately I've spent as much time as possible enjoying it so that means no tatting to show.  This is Michigan, it's still March and that means we're sure to get slammed by Old Man Winter at least once more.  I can handle it though, because I already have tan lines!  Last week I received a package in the mail from Tatskool.  Some of her cheery, sunny, lovely YELLOW 'Just Daffodils' HDT size 80  and beachy blue 'Coral Reef' HDT size 40.

      'Just Daffodils' shown on a vintage crochet doily found at a resale shop.

The Coral Reef is almost gone already.  I would have finished that project by  now, but something else grabbed my attention so maybe next post for that one.

The attention grabbing project is a UFO I thought was lost forever.  Last year, I lost a bag containing a couple WIPs.  I thought it  must have fallen out of my truck as I was getting in or out and didn't notice.  Well, I found it.  So back to working on them!  The first one done out of the bag is Jon Yusoff's 'Rosette Doily'.

I liked it, but there was something not quite right about it. Too plain.  It needed something more.  So I thought about it and revisited it today.  This is what it looks like now:

I added six more motifs at the center of each angle making it twelve pointed instead of six-sided. Quite a bit more visually appealing, don't you think?  I used Olympus 50 thread in lavender variegated and lime green.  On the very last motif, I ran out of green so I used some Lizbeth Spring Green.  Not an exact match, but close enough!  It measures just under 17(43.2cm) inches across, one of the biggest doilies I've done.

One more thing, Tatskool is such a sweet person and a dear friend.  Included in her package to me was this:

Isn't it gorgeous?  Tatskool does some beautiful tatting.  Her stitch tension is perfect! It's not too often someone gifts me with their tatting.   This is very special to me and I'll treasure it always.  

Sunny Sunday

Oh, what a beautiful Sunday!  For most of the winter I was in a depression.  No particular reason, it's something I've struggled with all my life, but today was a complete recharge.  The weather was gorgeous and I got to ride my bike for hours on end.  My butt is going to be so sore tomorrow.  Totally worth it!

This morning before I went out, I tatted another heart out of 'From The Heart'.  This one is 'Chained Heart', using Olympus thread from Japan.  I really love their threads, especially the variegateds.  Before I blogged this I had to catch up on what everyone else is doing today and saw that Fox was of a similar mind and tatted a chained heart herself. Glad to see she solved her conundrum!

The hanky this heart is on was one I wanted to add an edging to, but it's hopelessly wrinkled.  No matter what I do the wrinkles WILL. NOT. GO. AWAY. so a background it's become.  Have a great time with the rest of your Sunday!