I was doing last minute tatting last night for this gift bag which carried my sister's birthday present (Happy Birthday Linda!). I had a hard time getting the scan to show the edging properly and finally hit on the idea of tucking the bottom of the bag into itself so the ivory was against the edging. The pattern was from Coats, book 1405, Edgings, A Collector's Book. I think this same edging is in many of the vintage instruction books but I happened to pick this one out of my library. It is tatted in size 12 Oren Bayan, if I remember correctly.


Now this beauty is a tulip from Chiacchierino, #10. I believe I bought this copy from one of the vendors at Hector, NY last year. It was a little difficult to follow the diagram. I wasn't sure about the tips of the petals. Was it a 6 or a 9 and did that mean on each side of the picot from the ring or not? Same thing at the bottom of the tulip. And I couldn't figure out how to put the bridging chain between the petals in without doing it as a separate tatting and it certainly didn't take 24 ds as the diagram says. I only tatted 15 and could tell that might even be too many. I'm finishing up the second flower which is then tatted together with this one in a joined stem with leaves. The thread is size 20 Manuela - a color that I believe is discontinued. I don't have a lot left on the ball. Tatting this gave me ideas for my own design.....someday.


This heart is tatted from a BIG thread. I used some beads that impressed me because they lined up perfectly when I strung them. The cheaper beads tend to be less uniform. This vial was purchased in Ireland I think. $3.95 on the bottom....might have been a vendor at a lace or tat day too.

I have entirely too much to do. Already this week is packed. I realized today that I'm at a safety conference on the 28th and 1st....and I had scheduled some other appointments...so had to reschedule them. I cannot believe how fast time flies!