New Book

Gillian Buchanan from Bellaonline.com has written an e-book Mounting Tatting which is a valuable resource for tatters and lacemakers. It's so cheap.....$5 US.....and 28 pages. The illustrations are done in color photographs and she uses large weave fabric and contrasting color thread so you can actually see it!

I don't particularly like online books and seldom buy them but this one is short so it won't take a whole forest to print it out. I have trouble reading long articles online, let alone a book. I did buy this, though I haven't printed it out yet, but I skimmed through it. I read the first part until I got tired of reading, but Gillian is quite clear and writes in that British conversational style that I find pleasant and fun to read. You also have to register with Bellaonline.com to purhase the book, but that was quick and easy.



It was so nice to have my chair and everything handy to tat with last night. I still don’t have everything in place – that will take another month or two to get it the way I want it, but at least it’s familiar and comfortable now.

One of my projects is to hang some framed tatting in my living room. For now, I decided to make some small motifs to put in a single frame. These were all from Gloria’s Tatting by Gloria Crowther. It’s the first I’ve tatted from this publication. It looked easy enough. LOL! Never go by first impressions!

The snowflake was one of 4 on the back cover. I would assume the one at the top was #1 and the one under was #2 and so on. I wanted to tat the second one so I started tatting the instructions that said “Golden Ring #2”. If I’d paid more attention when I made the center, I would have realized it was the wrong one. Instructions called for 8 repeats. The one I wanted only had 6, but that little fact escaped me. I was on round two when I realized it was not going the way it should. I could have finished it, but I really didn’t care for that one. I’m glad I didn’t, because I only had enough thread for what is shown here.

So I clipped off what I started and left the center and started all over ………..the actual instructions for this one were under “Golden Ring #1”. There are no pictures or diagrams inside to indicate which is which.

So then I decide to make the heart motif on page 4. The picture says “Hearts and Flowers” and is a heart and an edging that coordinates with it. The instructions say “Small hearts and flowers” and the description says “Girl’s gloves picture on front cover. Yellow & white detail edging shown on page 4.” You can barely see the heart on the front, certainly not enough to know if it’s the same one. This time I read through the instructions and I was reasonably sure it was the right one. YES! Even so, I had to adapt the bottom chain………something wasn’t right in the instructions but I got the gist of it from the picture.

The butterfly was a shuttle emptying. I probably have enough thread for a few more butterflys or blossoms. The thread, btw, is Caron’s Wildflowers, #026 Mardis Gras. Hmmmmm…..label says 36 yards, but I’m certain there were not 36 yards on the floss holder. I wonder if I’ve used some of this thread already? I think I did send a sample to someone once.



I hope to get the monkey done later today, but I want to try to get some of my stuff that I've been shoving from room to room over the last month in order first.