Countdown!

I wrapped up a lot for my lesson plans this weekend, but I still have 1 part to scan and document. This is really kinda fun, the getting ready part. I finished the butterfly tonight that was the original inspiration for this project. It came from Needlecraft, December 1915,the "Necklace with Butterfly Slide by Sarah Ethel Compton." I didn't like the cord for the necklace so I was looking for something else. The lockstitch chain and the spiral stitch were too thin. And then I remembered the "false plait" I'd seen in Ring of Tatters 2000. I had always wanted to try it but .......like so many things I want to tat, the effort eluded me. Once I worked up a sample....I knew that was it.

I made the necklace for necklace exchange so of course, it's long gone now, but it's been my intention to make another, this time with a heart motif, but for the class, I'm also using the original butterfly. You know, the more you tat something, the easier it is. That pattern was difficult for me to follow the first time (for a butterfly exchange) and the second time, for the necklace, but this time it flowed easy as water. I still need to streamline the written instructions, but they are correct. A lot of the old patterns have mistakes or a lot of cut & ties....this one didn't. It's tatted completely in 1 pass. So my sample for this is currently on the blocking pad, also drying with stiffener on it.

I hope I get all my paperwork done in the next day or too so I can play and come up with more samples!




I've been playing with shuttle decorating again. It's getting addictive. I still need to finish details on the green shuttle and I'm working on a dark blue one too.

Well, it's late and I'll feel it tomorrow if I don't get to bed.