Marilee's Tree

Last year I purchased Marilee's Layered Ring Christmas Tree Pattern but just now got around to tatting it. The first time I tat something, especially with a little different technique than I normally do, it's not very good, but I'm okay with that because then I know what to improve in myself.

I finished the first side and then laid it down to take a break and fix something to eat, allow myself to get sidetracked on the computer and pay some attention to the kitties and TV. Can you see what happened a hour or so later when I came back to do the other side? My tension relaxed. The rings on the other side spread out further than on the first side. I was afraid that would happen. I even blocked it, but to me, the difference is noticeable. Can I make a second earring to match? Probably not. Is it just the inner critic in me making too much of it? Maybe I should just start over and keep this one as a sample in my sheet protecter to remind me to try to tat the whole thing in one go and not go off abandoning a project mid-way. Actually I think I will try her white version. Or use some sparkly thread. The more practice, the more balanced it will look. It doesn't matter how long you've been tatting, practice also makes it look better.

I have so many people I want to gift with small tatting this year and I haven't even begun. I'm still trying to find ways to gift special tatting friends from kindnesses shown two years ago! You're all so nice and I can't keep up!

I used a small ruler to show the dimensions of this earring. Even though Marilee shows a ruler on her pattern, for some reason (aka selective vision) I missed it until I was almost done. It's much smaller than I thought but perfect for an earring! Or even a pendant. Or a gift tag or a card insert. It's tatted in Aida size 20 thread. I bought this ball of thread in Australia along with several others. I've used a lot of it but not a complete ball yet. Six years....thread lasts forever! I've moved on to size 30 and 40 more often as my preference but since I have so much of the size 20 and in colors I like, I try to tat with it as much as I can. I may have to start crocheting with it as crochet uses it up faster.