While it annoys me when people refer to some other kind of lace as tatting, it really honks me off when people blatantly claim something is tatting when it is not - AND - I can't even find a place to contact them and let them know. All links seem to lead to more misrepresentation OR an ad to buy a CD of vintage tatting patterns ( that you can get free at the Antique Pattern Library). They couldn't even spell FREE right. (yes, this is a continuation of my soapbox rant about people scamming and taking advantage of others)

Last night I tatted another motif from Vida Sunderman's book, Tatting for Tomorrow, from page 44. This one is a triangular motif and I improvised on the tail again to turn it into a bookmark. I used split rings of increasing size and a lockstitch chain between the sets of split rings. I don't particularly care for the clover at the end and if I were to do it over, I would simply make a single ring or an onion ring, probably with picots. The clover is okay, but it seems a bit out of place as far as the character of the rest of the tail. But who knows? Maybe if I'd done the single ring, I wouldn't have absolutely loved it either.

I went to the Greenfield Tatting Guild today - the first time since last October, I think. As I mentioned in my Mother's Day post, their Tat Day is June 27th-28th.

Kaye went to an embroidery conference last month and brought back lots of funky threads to play with, as you can see sampled here. These are all bigger threads, largely for cross-stitch and embroidery, but when you're playing, that doesn't matter.

We used the same pattern to try each of these threads out but there were a few that we only tatted chains with so I used thread I commonly use for the rings and reduced the number of stitches for the chains since that thread was so much bigger. One at the bottom is a furry type of thread, a yarn almost like angora. Felt divine but I'm not sure what you could tat with it. I did try a ring with it and it got bound up even though I tatted loosely.

The second sample in the first column is a "velvet" thread that also felt somewhat like suede. It made a very nice neat chain but using it in a ring didn't work. It snapped the outer layer off, leaving the nylon core. It would make some beautiful embroidery though. I liked one of the really sparkly threads to look at the colors, but not to tat with. I probably wouldn't tat with any of them but it was a fun break!

Kaye has another book in draft form almost ready for the printer so watch for it.

I ended up buying some new thread - I don't think I have these colors, at least not in size 30. They are Omega threads, plus the deep purple is Handy Hands size 50 and the variegated is Olympus size 40.

There was this garage sale I passed on the way to tatting guild and I just had to stop on my way home. I wasn't there long but it didn't take me long to spot this box of goodies for $5.00. It has tons of acrylic paint and spools of ribbon besides the other odds and ends. That just sort of made my day complete...almost.

THIS is what made my day complete! I won't tell you what happened, but it's like all the others - action, humor, romance...

Isn't that a beautiful rose? My youngest son and his fiance gave me flowers for Mother's Day. It was a bouquet of assorted flowers and they are still going strong more than a week later! I took several photos at the weekend and this is one of them.

In spite of being behind in just about everything I'm doing at the moment (but catching up fast!) I tatted the ornament from Vida Sunderman's book, Tatting for Tomorrow, on page 41. I just happened to have these two colors sitting on the table next to me (both Altin Basak, size 50) and decided to try using both to see the effect on the motif. I really like it. I decided to make it into a bookmark but had trouble deciding how I wanted to make the tail. I made about three false starts before I settled on this one - a set stitch of 5-5 (5 1st halves, 5 2nd halves) in series of 6 sets, I think, before changing colors. It felt like a weak ending though so I switched to split rings, increasing the size of each ring as I went down and switching the sides of the colors in the split rings. I was really pleased with how it turned out.

I returned a purchase to Walmart this evening and got to talking to the young man processing my refund. I noticed on the board that they cashed checks, sold money orders (only 46¢) and transferred funds up to $500 internationally. That last one surprised me so I asked him if they did much business with that and he said yes. Then he went on to say that a lot of money went to Africa. Scams. I looked at him and grinned - yeah? He got this mischevious look and said, oh, did I say that? LOL! I was just floored. We laughed and talked about how obvious they were. Or at least it seemed that way to me. He said they are mostly women. They go online (the personals, I'm sure) and think they get a boyfriend and that they are getting married.

Now...I know this is off topic, but it's something that really pushes my buttons. I've done my share of online personals. It's not hard to be careful. It's not hard to screen the duds and the scams. So what is the deal here? I hate seeing people who are lonely hearts, usually desperate and suffering low self-esteem, being targeted and taken advantage of. So if you or anyone you know frequents the online singles, take note of this. IT'S A SCAM! Most of it comes out of S. Africa. They target men and women alike. They claim to be trapped there, without money or friends. Or they are trying to finish school and need money. I don't care what the story is, DO NOT SEND MONEY. Or anything that can be sold for money. DON'T.

There are lots of perfectly wonderful people who use the online personals. I've met some good people. But I'm pretty good at sorting them out too. Use common sense. Don't give out personal information that identifies where you live. Take the time to get to know them. Get to know their friends. I belong to a lot of yahoo groups. I've met a lot of people I got to know through those groups, but in every case, other people had also met them and talked about them and we all talked for months, often years, before meeting. They were not people I met last week. I knew them pretty well by the time I met them face to face.

Okay...off my soapbox.

Hiding Ends

Hiding ends is such a bug-a-boo for most people. For some reason I decided early on to hide my ends as I went. I think it was seeing some doilies in process in the round robins. Some had threads hanging out all over and it could be....seeing all those dangling threads turned me off to making doilies...but I really don't have much reason to make them anyway.

Most of my early tatting was from what few publications I could find locally - my collection of workbaskets mainly. Very few instructions mentioned split rings and split chains and even when they did, I didn't get around to learning them until I'd been tatting 3 or 4 years and was ..ahem..getting strung out on threads to hide.

The first time I met Jane Eborall in person was at Palmettos the first time I went. She mentioned hiding an end when starting a ring but I didn't see her do it. It was some time later that I saw the instructions on her website that I gave it a try. It's nice for a rings-only project although if I'm tatting a wheel, I usually want to tie the first and last threads together to look the same as the rest of the motif.

Anyway..Jane has started a new TIAS and one of the techniques is using a 2nd color thread for the split rings which start after a regular ring. I decided to practice a bit before I tackle the project and thought you all might benefit too.

At one point, I said I pinched the thread between my thumb and my pinky but it's actually my thumb and my index finger. I'm also experimenting with my camera. A 3 minute video easily consumes over 300 MG and uploading to YouTube, even with a fast connection, takes 1-5 minutes for each MG so it literally takes hours to upload just a few minutes worth of video. I discovered my camera has a "compact mode" so I tried that which substantially reduced the number of MG, but the quality is not quite as good. I tried zooming in, but it's kind of fuzzy, as you'll see. For some reason, they also looked yellowish. I played around with the camera a bit more this evening while these were uploading and used my OTT light. It's not anything I'll put here, but I'm hoping when I get to check it that it will look much better. In that case, I might end up doing these over, but for now....this is what I have to offer.

I have 3 videos. The first one is just about hiding the tail as you tat the first ring. The other 2 are 2 different ways of hiding the tail of the 2nd thread that is added for the 2nd half of the split ring. In one, it is hidden in the first half of the split ring and in the other one, it is hidden in the second half of the split ring.

May Mystery Motif Revealed!

What a nice collection, eh? Everyone got it right. I turned them all in the same direction but there is no up/down that it is supposed to be. I am so impressed at how much better we tat compared to the original motif but perhaps the tatter was making a deadline and didn't block it?

This is again from the January 1921 Needlcraft magazine on page 26 by Alice A. Brackett. The collar is made with 9 medallions joined to a double row of rings that were 3-3-3-3 and alternated back and forth.



Finally! I got Bob's amulet bag done. (later) He called and really liked it - kept asking how many beads were in there. LOL! 560 in case you are wondering.

"How to Tat" Online Resources

Someone emailed me about learning to tat but my reply keeps bouncing back so I thought this would be a good place to post it, for her and anyone else! Some of the links I had put together and then Georgia had a nice compilation too.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Linda, this is the information I send to people who want to learn to tat. I highly recommend the Japanese site (4th link down) for visual clarity and Georgia Seitz's online class (the last 2 links).
Good luck! And Thank You for the compliment!
:-) Gina
Nata #67

________________________________________

Sharon Briggs was the first to take advantage of this form of instruction on the web and she also covers many of the more advanced methods http://www.gagechek.com/slb/demo/demo.html

Lorah Gross Techniques in pictures and video. A video with each step but they do take awhile to load even with a fast connection. http://www.tatting.net/techniques.html

Knot Transfer Videos (also known as the flip) http://personalpages.tds.net/~tatting/video/video.html

Japanese text but good video - click on ring, chain & Split Ring http://teaange.hp.infoseek.co.jp/tatting/tattingf.htm

From Joy, another way of manipulating the threads BUT please note she is teaching the moves in reverse order to what is normally used today.
The half stitches will show the double stitch split from the front and the picots too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_JGTCju4G8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrmGqkInEXs&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3swnjGMC9Y&mode=related&search=

Betty Fosters Needle Tatting
http://www.hhtatting.com/learn.html

Carrie Carlson's includes instructions for Left Hand & some videos. The diagrams here are what I found when I looked for tatting on the internet in 1997. Wish there had been videos then too! http://personalpages.tds.net/~tatting/index.html

Cherie Wheeler ~ how to shuttle tat
http://www.vintagetatting.net16.net
eHow And how to prepare to tat
http://www.ehow.com/how_16380_prepare-tat.html

Jen's Tat-ra Sutra - Learn how to tat
http://www.geocities.com/tatrasutra/how2tat1.html

Lisa Trumble's Basic Tatting
http://www.thisntat.com/lessons1.html

Marilee double stitch instruction
http://www.geocities.com/yarnplayer/double_stitch.html

PamDe's Needle Tatting
http://www.geocities.com/pamela+devries/index.html

LaRae's Picotnet basic instructions
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/5082/TatOnline/tatting_instruction.htm

Roger's Needle Tatting Two instructions for almost all techniques http://groups.msn.com/NeedleTattingTwo

SJoys - Rings around the world - instructions for kids
http://www.georgiaseitz.com/classes2001/fall2001/joy4.html

Tammy Rogers - Needle Tatting techniques listed on the right http://www.frontiernet.net/~TammyRodgers/index.shtml

And for about 8 years Georgia has been doing her ON LINE class. Covering many if not all techniques. You can link the past years lessons from here and register to join the class.
http://www.georgiaseitz.com/

She also now has three people who teach the 4 week beginners class on her behalf.
http://www.angelfire.com/planet/newtatters/lesson1.html

Plus there are several YouTube videos - just put "tatting" in the search box, and I am sure there are even more that have appeared since this list was compiled.

May Anniversary Drawing Winner!

The May winner is.......

Sunela Thomas!!!!!!

Congratulations Sunela!

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

I still don't have anything to show. I started teaching some coworkers tatting today. We don't really have a lot of time after eating so I didn't get much done, but I showed them a variety of shuttles and threads and picot gauges and other tools, plus some beginner books and samples of my tatting and tatting I've gotten from others. Then I had them try making a stitch with a tapestry needle and thread. LOL! We were at the end of the lunch hour and I was just giving them a sample. We spent the next half hour....trying. We'll see who comes back on Thursday.

Thursday I will have a video and real shuttles and thread for them to use. I think we will make some progress that day. Unfortunately, I can't find my tatting needles...I've put them in a safe place!

Stitchery Surfing

There is a Pink Fiber Contest over at Stitch Pink! "This is our place where we can stitch pink! My hopes of this little site is to bring awareness of the importance of breast screening, and early detection of breast cancer. If you have a breast cancer stitch project you would like to show case, please let me know, and I will give you rights to join this group." While she is talking about cross-stitch, I think you can tat in pink and consider that stitching for a cause too. Check them out!

Videos of origami folding! I initially went there to see how to fold a panda corner bookmark and found tons of videos for all kinds of origami.

I would love to see directory of tatted bookmark patterns like this one of crocheted bookmarks! And you know you can convert crochet to tatting if you are really dedicated. LOL! Here's one for knitted bookmarks. Really...we need one for tatted bookmarks!

There is a Fiber Arts Fair in Franklin, Indiana at the Johnson County Fairgrounds in June. I'd love to go and check out the vendors.

The 8th Annual Tat Day in Greenfield, Indiana is June 27-28th at the Zig-Zag Corner Quilt & Basket Shop. The theme is Garden Friends and featured instructor is Karey Solomon!

Friday night is a pitch-in dinner followed by a tatted Flower Trug Basket. On Saturday, we'll be tatting a Night Garden filled with glowing white flowers, weeds and bushes that becomes the landscape for a luna moth, fireflies, a ladybug and other night critters who explore the garden after dark. Other activities include a Decorate a Flower Pot Contest (embellish a flower pot with tatting or fill one with tatting) and Show & Tell, plus time to tat and shop aside from the program. There will be door prizes and other goodies as well as lunch and snacks. Friday is $25 and Saturday is $48. There is a small kit fee for the Friday night session.

Sounds like a good time, huh? Contact Kaye Judt for more information.

Wish I had some tatting to show but everything I've tatted is for someone and can't be shown yet. Soon!

The Romanian Point Lace program with my lace group went well. Only 6 of us there, but with only 2 hours, it was better not to have too many people. It's got me wanting to work more with this form of lace but I just don't have the time right now.

I've gotten 4 scans of the mystery motif and all are correct and really really pretty. They look much better than the original photo - we are such wonderful tatters! I'll show the original on Thursday, the 15th.

Creativity Contests!

The American Sewing Guild is sponsoring an an ASG Creativity Contest. One of the award categories is "most creative use of fabric and/or trim". You must be a member of ASG to participate, but it sounds like a fun gig to me!

Want to know how to compensate for beer-belly ease when knitting for the male in your life? Check out Knitting Daily! They recently had a gallery with male models from the office that I enjoyed a whole lot more than the women. LOL! Anyway, it brought up questions about how to adapt patterns for men. They just covered the subject of adapting for different sized women recently so if you knit, there's lots fo good info here.

My woodworking coworker made up the wooden part of the Puerto Rican Travel Pillow for me and delivered it day before yesterday. I get to finish the wood and add the padding. I have no idea when I'm going to get to that, but hopefully in June sometime.

In return, I'm tatting him an amulet bag from Dianna Stevens' It's in the Bag. I've made so many of these! It's a quick tat once you've strung the beads (560 of them) I got confused late at night while stringing beads and thought I was 100 beads shy so I added 100...only to find out I didn't need them. I had miscounted. Twice. Seasonal allergies have my eyes burning and itching lately. Counting beads is usually not an issue but it sure was that night. And then last night, about 11:15 p.m., I realized I had joined the first ring of the 2nd half of the bag in the wrong place, so I have to cut out about 5 rings and start over in that spot. I decided to call it a night.

It's probably not the ideal bobbinlace pillow but I want one I can call my own and this is it. He was so quick with it...I think I'll ask him to make me a regular sized roller pillow base now. Besides, it makes it special when you know the maker. I have several lovely bobbins from friends. I think I will make a roll up bobbin case with specific slots for the bobbins from my friends...embroidered with their names. umm...maybe next year. I just came across my list of goals for this year. I have a quilt I absolutely have to finish this year. But before I can get to it, I have to finish my sorting and cleaning and to do the sorting and cleaning, I have to somehow carve out some time and be in the mood at the same time.

I should be wrapping up Pam's monthly drawing gift this weekend. Yep, I've been so busy I have barely gotten hers done before the next drawing, coming up on the 13th, next Tuesday!

OH ~ And congratulations to Maureen in Brisbane on becoming the grandmother of twins Max & Emily! I suspect we won't be hearing a lot from Maureen for awhile.

May Mystery Motif

I'm a little late on this one - I try to have it ready the 1st of the month. So as you are anxiously awaiting Jane's next installment on her TIAS, you can give this a go. I'll post a photo on the 15th. I've already tried this one out and see no major issues.


#60 was used for the model
Commence at center of medallion

1. A ring of 6 double knots, picot, (2 double knots, picot) 12 times, 6 double knots, close;
2. a 2nd ring, made in same way and close to 1st, joining by 1st picot to last picot of preceding ring; make 3d and 4th rings in same way, joining each to preceding, and joining last also to 1st. Fasten off securely.
3. A ring of 2 double knots, picot, 2 double knots, join to 3d free picot of ring of last row, 2 double knots, picot, 2 double knots, close;
4. *a chain of 6 double knots, picot, (3 double knots, picot) 3 times, 6 double knots;
5. a ring, as before, joining by 1st picot to last picot of preceding ring, and by middle picot to 2d following picot of large, ring, missing 1 picot of the latter;
6. repeat from * twice;
7. a chain,
8. a ring, joining by middle picot to 5th free picot of 2d large ring;
9. a chain;
10. a ring, joined by 1st picot to last picot of preceding ring, and by middle picot to 2d picot of large ring following;
11. a chain;
12. a ring joining by middle picot to 3d free picot of 3d large ring;
13. (a chain; a ring, joining to preceding as before, and to following 2d picot of same large ring) 3 times,
14. a chain of 6 double knots, picot, (3 double knots, picot) 7 times, 6 double knots;
15. a ring, joining by middle picot to 6th free picot of 4th large ring;
16. a chain, like last made, and join at base of 1st ring; fasten off.

Beadwork magazine has a new contest to enter!
About the competition: To celebrate our love affair with books and beads, Beadwork announces our sixth international juried competition and exhibition: The Beaded Book!
The Beaded Book is bound to bring out your creative genius. Alter a book, re-create a favorite character, bead a page of text, or make whatever your imagination can conjure up relating to beads and books. Show us your passion for books and beads in one creative effort. We can’t wait to see how you combine glitterati with literati! The winning entries will be published in a gallery in Beadwork magazine and the actual works will be exhibited at Bead Expo Santa Fe in March 2009 and Bead Fest Philadelphia in August 2009.

Preliminary guidelines:
The object must be no larger than 12” X 12”.
The object can be created with any bead technique.
The object should be comprised of at least 50% beads.
Your work should have been created within the past two years.
Preliminary entries (entry form and image only) are due December 18, 2008.

Cool challenge for you tatters who love to use beads!

Here is the original of the pattern I'm using to make a small mat. It's from the Fall/Winter 1950-51 issue of McCall's Needlework and Crafts. As you can see, they've placed dishwear in strategic places so I can't really see how the pattern flows.

The directions said to make the center and surround it with rows 1-3. Well, the center already had a "row 1". The Row 1 after that applied to several motifs together, not just one. I did get it figured out but not before I'd tatted halfway around and then I had to cut a piece out for a corner and retat. I got in such a hurry the next day that I forgot about Row 3 - there is supposed to be another round!

Here's the motif for next Saturday's Romanian Point Lace class. I chose the simplist motif and needleweaving I could find. Even so, I doubt very much if anyone will complete it in the amount of time we have.

I think I might use this to premier a blog for my lace group. I'm really tempted to make motifs and attach them together myself, but it will be a good group project too, so I think I won't do that for now.

TotusMel on Etsy has been posting some excellent information and opinions about selling tatting (or anything). I don't wear tatted jewelry. Earrings rarely - only because they were made for me. I like the brooches, but it's just never been a habit of mine to wear jewelry like that consistently. I do not like tatted necklaces. Period. I do like to look at them. If you could take the same design and attach it to a sweater or another piece of clothing or household furnishings, I would love it. But that has nothing to do what I'm wanting to say here. Pamela (Totusmel) has made some excellent points in her blog and I encourage you to read it if you want to make money selling your tatting.

I particularly liked what she said about a customer base. It was funny because I was just thinking before I read her entry - seeing that new hand dyed threads were available - that I can't afford the HDT habit. As a treat now and then, yes, but on a regular basis - I just can't. But that doesn't mean the makers shouldn't make it, price it and enjoy a profit from it. There is a customer base that CAN afford it. And I know too, that if it were important to me, I would learn to do it successfully myself - or find a way to afford it.

I get an online newsletter, Knitting Daily, which promotes their magazine, of course. I don't really knit a lot these days but it's fun to keep up with. One of the periodic features I like is the gallery, where they show the same sweater on several of the office staff so you get an idea what it looks like on different figure types. I find it interesting that a sweater rarely looks as flattering on ANY of them as it does on the model. I'm often completely turned off of a pattern by seeing how it looks on everyone. The women aren't ugly...they are normal women like you and me. These sweaters should look good on them, for the most part, in my opinion. Now you know why you often aren't happy with something you've made. I suppose adjustments could be made here and there for a better fit, but it's not just the fit - it's the style. And maybe it's just me and my idea of what looks good.

I've been busy lately working up the class on Romanian Point Lace for my lace guild on the 10th. I've also been going to the pool and doing water workouts which really eats into my evening time. People think I've been really busy but most of the busyness is traveling to exercise, exercising, showering, and then traveling home again. Two hours just for that. And then there is the usual after work errands, dinner, and .....I have maybe an hour and a half at most left before falling into bed. The disturbing thing is, I haven't lost weight! I was losing until I had such problems with my feet that I had to quit going to the gym. So in the time period that I didn't exercise, went to the doctor, traveled to Hector and back, I gained back all I lost. This is my 3rd week with water exercise. I can feel the difference, but haven't seen it on my body or on the scales yet. I'm trusting it will come though. My feet are better, I don't even take the medication every day now, so I think I can probably start back at the gym - gently as far as the footsies go. I'll continue with the water exercise too. I don't go every day, but the days I don't go are still full of catching up from the days I do go!

I did tat one of the motifs from Martha Ess's lastest block tatting book that I purchased at Hector, the daffodil. I did a poor job of it, getting one of the base petals backwards, and I was using whatever thread was on the table. I'm also tatting a motif from an old McCall's Needlework and Crafts. The instructions weren't as clear as I hoped and I will have to go back and retat one section. At least I'm getting a little tatting in!

And the next mystery motif ...will be soon! I should use this one from McCall's! Even with the photo, I had a hard time figuring out the text instructions because a glass dish was on top of the part I needed to see!

Hector 2008 Slide Show

I couldn't name all the people. Have fun finding yourself.

And here's my class:

The Mystical, Magical Biscornu

The word "biscornu" is a French word and is officially, an adjective and not a noun. According to the Dictionary of the French Academy the adjective "biscornu" originates in XVI century, composed by the prefix bis- which gives idea of plural, and "cornu" = "with horns" (literally it would be, "several horns") and means: having an irregular shape, bizarre, unnecessarily complicated. It has become the popular term for this 8-sided pincushion.


Materials:
(2) 4" squares of fabric - will make a 3” pincushion
fiberfill or wool for stuffing
1 small decorative button for flower center, shank buttons look nice but you could use a button with holes or a large bead.
1 small flat base button for bottom
Sewing Needle large enough for tatting thread
shuttles
Size 20/30 tatting thread color of choice to coordinate with fabric (Size 10 can also be used)
12”-13” simple tatted edging of choice*

To prepare the fabric for class:

Classically, backstitching is done by hand ½” in from the edge with strong thread. You CAN machine stitch, but make sure the thread is strong enough for the stitches to be “woven” into a seam later with a 3rd thread.

For the edging, tat 12-13”” of edging. You can use your favorite design or you can simply tat this one which works up quickly:
R 4-4-4-4, clr, rw.
Ch 4-4, rw
Repeat sequence joining the first p of ring to last p of previous ring. DO NOT END OFF! Keep shuttle and ball attached or leave enough thread to complete another sequence or two if you need them. You will not really know until the pincushion has been sewn together if you have enough edging. The seam should equal 12” but may vary from person to person. Stop at 12” until the pincushion is complete.
(Please note - original biscornu was 4" so the edging equaled 16" and I just realized I did not change that in the subsequent version of the instructions!)

In class:

Finger press the outer ½” of the square to the inside of the square. Take the point of one square and match it to the center point of one side of the second square. Use a needle and thread to weave the two rows of backstitching together. The point of one square should always touch the mid-point of the 2nd square. Stuff before completing the last half of the final side of stitching.

At this point, you should be able to see the zig-zag 8-sided shape of the biscornu. Now you can embellish it as you wish.

Center blossom: Leave a 10-12” tail before beginning the first ring
R: 6 – 6 – 6 – 6, clr
R 6 + to last p of prev r, 6 – 6 – 6, clr (repeat 4 times)
Last R: 6 + to last p of prev r, 6 – 6 + to first p of first ring, 6, clr

Do not cut thread

Outer blossom: Start close to where last blossom ended.
R: 10 – 4* – 1 – 1 – 1 – 1 – *4 – 10,clr The picots between 4* and *4 should graduate in size from small, medium, large, medium, small. You can also tat them all the same size if preferred.
R: 10 + to last p of prev r, 4* – 1 – 1 – 1 – 1 – *4 – 10,clr (repeat 4 times)
R: 10 + to last p of prev r, 4* – 1 – 1 – 1 – 1 – *4 + to 1st p of 1st ring, 10,clr




Cut from shuttle leaving 12- 15 inches which you will thread through a sewing needle.


Take a few stitches to secure both layers of blossoms snugly. Center blossom on top of biscornu and run threads down through bottom. At bottom, catch the small flat button and bring the needle back up through the pincushion.
When you come up, catch the button or bead you have chosen for the blossom center and go back down through the center and through the bottom button. Come up again, catching the button, and then down again. Secure thread, hide and cut. Thread tail left at beginning and hide in seam, cut.

Attach tatted edging to the seam. You can pin it to the seam and tell if you are going to need to tat another ring/chain sequence. Sometimes going over the corners takes up more than a straight edge. Allow a little extra at those points.

You may add tassels at the top 4 corners if you choose or beads or buttons or leave plain.

So there’s your biscornu which looks complicated but really isn’t!

(I'm combining two entries plus the current one as one to avoid 4 posts for one day! These were also in my drafts)

I've been busy for quite awhile and relied on Google alerts for updated blogs but of course, it doesn't catch everything so I went through my links today to catch up - and in the process, I deleted any links that hadn't shown activity since July of 2007. I kept one or two simply for the content that is there because it's a great resource. I believe I might be missing a blog or two also. I try to catch them through the alerts but I don't always have time to add the link to my blog.

I'm also going to put links at the side for video tutorials of tatting techniques. There are several out there...no need to reinvent the wheel; although some are better than others, it's still good to see the differences in technique and how shuttles/needles/thread are handled.

I've also been so busy that I haven't had time to put the Hector photos in a slide show. (guilty gulp!)


A member on my Tatting Goddess Updates Group posted a question about the lock stitch chain which she had used in the past but forgot how and wasn't having much luck with googling. Riet answered her and I added to it. I thought it might be helpful for readers who aren't familiar with the lockstitch chain to put it here too. Riet had answered saying to make the first half of the ds normally and to make the 2nd half like you make the send half of a split ring - which means you wrap the thread unflipped. I continued with this:

You *can* make a lock stitch by not flipping either half of the double stitch as long as you are consistent all the way through. In other words, you can flip the 1st half and NOT flip the 2nd half OR you can NOT flip the 1st half and then flip the 2nd half. By not flipping the stitch, you have locked it in place. If you are using two colors, each color will show in the chain whereas if you tat a normal chain with all the stitches flipped, only the ball thread color will show. The lock stitch chain also tends to be longer than a normal chain with the same number of stitches because they are locked into place and don't slide to snug up. That's why you have to consistent with your tension too because you can't snug it up later.

from Judith Connors' Illustrated Dictionary of Tatting:

lock stitch - a double stitch of which the first half is not transferred. (1) It may be used to begin a pattern which starts with a chain, preventing the first few stitches telescoping into themselves. (2) It effectively locks and separates the tensions in two consecutive chains. This allows the second chain to turn up to 90º from the direction of the first.

lock stitch chain - A length of chain made by using a number of consecutive lock stitches, i.e. alternating unturned and turned half stitches. Because the tensioning effect of the carrying thread is negated, such a chain remains straight.

In my sample above, the lockstitch chain appears slightly curved. Part of that was my tight tension but it is not blocked. If I were to wet it and pin it on the board, it would lay perfectly straight when dry.

I mentioned this tatting in an earlier entry. They were designed by the late Betty Alderson of Snowgoose and published in The Needleworker, April/May 2000 issue. The Needleworker is no longer published but a few back issues are still available from Interweave Press. They are not of this particular issue and it is largely cross-stitch oriented but there are a few other needlework projects in each issue. I got mine secondhand somewhere along the line.

They are sachet bags and I still have to put some kind of potpourri in some net bags to slip inside of these and put a "thank you" tag on the other one. I like the little handle which allows you to hang it over a dresser knob. It probably would not fit over a door knob unless you made a longer handle or it was a small knob.

I intended to make two completely different colors but when I got done with the first motif, for some reason, I thought I had put the ball of thread back in the craft room and went to get it, winding the shuttles and starting off...only to notice it was a shade different from the one I had just finished. At that point, I realized I still had the first ball of thread on my table and it was not only a slightly different color, it was a different size thread! So both are similar colors and I really don't think I have time tonight to make another set. I guess I could just make one since I'm only giving each secretary one to begin with. That means I'll have a spare for some lucky monthly winner! I'm currently working on Irish Pam's drawing gift and that's another thing I haven't posted about.

Challenge for Altered Art

Several months ago I was reading in a quilting blog where they took a piece of art and interpreted it with quilting. I thought to myself, " What a fun idea!" Only instead of quilting, we could interpret the art in tatting. I wish I had the link..and I may have, buried somewhere. The idea is to alter the original idea in whatever way you need to in the media of your choice. So I was on the lookout when I went to second-hand stores....what would lend itself to tatting?

This is the picture I ended up with but it's almost too easy. Lots and lots of flowers! But I still want to try it. I'd rather start with something that seems easy and then move on to something more challenging than to try something I'll give up in before it's done.

Anyone who wants to give it a go with their own choice of artwork is welcome to join in. I'd love to hear about your experience!

There's nothing saying you can ONLY use tatting. I would think a variety or collage of needlecrafts might be very appealing.

(this is one of 3 posts I had in drafts and forgot about since I was so busy and didn't take the time to look!)

Someone asked me to clarify what "reverse work" means in tatting patterns. I was going to tat and scan and then remembered my digital camera is good for short videos so I tried that instead. I don't know how to edit what I shoot yet so bear with me on this.

Even though I haven't posted for about a week, I've been tatting...a little. I'm working on something for our secretaries at work. Almost done but I think it might have to wait until next week. It's a pattern by the late Betty Alderson from Snowgoose - a pattern she had published in a magazine. I've also been going to the pool at the gym and got to rake leaves the other night (resulting in one blister in spite of gloves) so life has been busy.

April Mystery Motif Revisited

Right before I left for Hector, NY, I posted the text in a tatted pattern from the January, 1921 issue of Needlecraft. It didn't take long to figure out the text was wrong so I posted the photo very quickly before I left. The pointed edging, as you might remember, was actually a combination of the square and round motifs from the pattern. The round one was correct, but not the square one. No one told me if they got it figured out from the photo so worked it up myself. The following instructions are written in modern notation....sort of. I've tried to write it in a a way that a beginner can read and understand, explaining a bit as I go. The shortest notation would actually be like this: Ring A (2-)2X, 4 -- 4 (-2)2X but I thought that would add even more confusion for a newbie. I also used "ring A" and "chain A" where the same sequence was repeated. When it involved a variation, such as a join in a different place, then I gave it a different letter. I hope that isn't too confusing. If you have any questions, feel free to email me!

April Mystery Motif – Square

Clr = close ring
Rw = reverse work
P = picot
Ch = chain
+ = join
CTM = continuous thread method (wind 1st shuttle, do not cut thread, pull 4-5 yards off ball and then cut, winding 2nd shuttle from cut end)
Inward Facing Picot – see any of the following websites: http://groups.msn.com/TheSocialShuttle/inwardfacingpicots.msnw
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art18859.asp
http://www.georgiaseitz.com/2002/hansonbfly.html


~ ~ ~ ~
1 shuttle with approximately 18” thread

Central Ring – 1 ds (hiding end in stitches as you go), (p, 2 ds) 7 times, p, 1 ds, clr, cut & hide final end. Set aside.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2 shuttles CTM

Ring A: (2 ds, p) 2 times, 4 ds, long picot (1/4”), 4 ds, (p, 2 ds) 2 times, clr, rw
Chain A: (3 ds, p) 5 times, 3 ds, rw
Ring B: 2 ds, p, 2 ds, + (join) to 4th p of prev ring, 4 ds, + to long p of previous ring, 4 ds, p, 2ds, p, 2 ds, clr
Chain A, rw
Ring B, rw
Chain B: (3 ds, p) 5 times, 3 ds, + to long picot that three prev rings were joined together in, rw
Chain D: You continue with a chain here but with the opposite shuttle so you “switch working shuttle” or if you happen to use a ball and thread instead of 2 shuttles, you can do the shoelace trick to get the ball thread in the proper position. This next chain should arch in the same direction as the previous chain.
5 ds, p, 5 ds, + to p of central ring that was set aside, 5 ds, p, 5 ds, rw

Again, you need to switch the working shuttle or do the shoelace trick. Hang a paper clip on the working shuttle thread to make an inward facing picot. This picot replaces the long picot used for joins in Ring A in the remaining sequences around the square. This needs to be a long picot so to keep it from snugging up, make the first ds a lockstitch by not flipping. Then
Chain C: 2 ds (with lockstitch just made this will be the same as 3 ds in Chain A), p, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, + to center p of last Chain B, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, rw
Ring C: (2 ds, p) twice, 4 ds, + to long inward facing picot (remove paperclip), 4 ds, ( p, 2 ds) twice, rw
Chain A, rw
Ring B, rw
Chain A, rw
Ring B, rw
Chain B, rw
Chain E: (SS or SLT) 5 ds, + to last p of Chain D, 5 ds, + to central ring, skipping one picot from last j to central ring, 5 ds, p, 5 ds, rw
Repeat from Chain C twice, but with last Chain E, + last p of chain to 1st p of first chain D, rw
Switch working shuttles or SLT and make Chain B, + in middle picot of opposite Chain A and then join at end in base of 1st ring.



This is a heart bookmark I made for someone as a gesture of goodwill. Someone won the bid on a book I sold on ebay. The customer wanted it sent media mail and did not request insurance. I packed it well, using bubble wrap and a good size envelope. This was back in January. The customer just recently contacted me saying the dustjacket crinkled and the spine was dented and felt a small refund was in order. I didn't, of course, since I have no control over what goes on in transit and no insurance was purchased...and it's been a few months. If contacted immediately, I probably would have offered to buy it back but not at this point. Still, I feel badly that it was not in as good of shape as when it left me so I sent a small check that will cover the insurance on another purchase of equal value and included this bookmark. It's the Puppy Love heart by Susan Fuller and I've added the set stitch or ric rac stitch chain for the tail. For those who don't know, this stitch is made by tatting a series of the first half of the ds and then tatting an equal number of the second half of the ds and repeating this sequence over and over for the desired length. You keep snugging it up to keep the spirals even. It makes a very pretty and sturdy cord.

Next post should be photos and stories of Hector.

Blog Anniversary Winner for April!

Congratulations to Pamela Myers from Cork, Ireland!

Pam won the April drawing for the continuing Blog Anniversary Drawing. To enter, just send me an email at ginab6@yahoo.com with "monthly drawing" in the subject line. You only need to enter once and I will acknowledge that I've received your post.

I tatted 2 more bookmarks from Dianna Stevens' book. I think I'll go ahead and send these out. This week is Administrative Professional's Day and I need to put something together for the 2 reception area support staff. I wonder if they are tired of tatted stuff?

Anyway, the "Roger Rabbit" bookmark is tatted with 2 strands of DMC rayon floss. I had it already wound on floss holders from several years ago when I tatted Pam Palmer's elephant for my daughter. I added the ring at the bottom with measured picots. The other bookmark is another thread that was wound on a floss holder but I believe it is some King Tut thread that someone sent me. I added a tassel at the end of that one. I love these bookmarks and wish I made more of them to keep on hand.

I have not had time to look at and edit all of the Hector photos. Hopefully some time this week I will get to it. For now, I'm going to take a look at the April mystery motif and see if I can't find the problem with the written pattern.

Hector Goodies!

THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!!

There were so many "gifts" that it is hard to know where to begin, so I just started uploading photos and I'll describe them as they show up. Sue was going to bring me a pillow but the size of it coupled with new luggage restrictions eliminated that possibility - so she brought me some embroidered napkins and bobbins instead! She also passed on some bobbinlace instructions that I didn't photograph, but I'll hopefully get to try them at some point.

Shirley P. also known as "Angel at Large", a dear soul I've seen so many times at these events, gave me wrapped package that I was very surprised to receive. Shirley is so generous and often drops off little goodies here and there through her day. The photo in this bag is from Hector Falls, the place I stayed the first time I came to this event. The other gals have often stayed there again in succeeding events but I've found places a little more within my budget - still, it's my FIRST Hector memory and special for that reason. The candy was deposited in a community jar at work. I gained a few pounds between not exercising and Hector meals so I decided to pass those on.

It's a tradition to receive a goodie bag when you go to a tatting event. I loved the plain black silk (?) drawstring bag - very Victorian to me. There is a small hemostat and snacks to keep our energy up, a couple of spools of thread, a 10 year Hector anniversary pin, a LOVE pin,some beads, a sweet knitted mitten, a baggie with thread and beads, AND next year's challenge - a BIG BALL of thread that we are challenged to use up by Hector next year.

Any time I've taught at these events, I've been surprised to get a teacher's gift too. I don't expect them..but they sure are the frosting on the cake! This tin has a gorgeous magnifying glass, a woven bag which I put the included Clover shuttle in, some charms that included the initial "G", and what I believe is a bar of handmade soap. A little container of handmade cream is missing from this photo. I had taken it out of the bag and set it in my car between Saturday and Sunday. It was VERY warm on Sunday...and when I got back to the car, it was liquid! It did solidify again but was about half the original size and a brownish color instead of creamy white so I had a feeling it had also cooked a bit. I debated but finally tossed it.

Connie Angeline contacted me before Hector to ask permission to use a photo from my blog to make some postage stamps to put in a wonderful container of items for the silent auction. I think I might have a photo of the box that I'll put in a slide show. She gave me a sheet of the stamps as a thank-you. I think I'd heard somewhere that you can design your own postage stamps but have never seen it done. Wow...now I feel like I'm part of American history!



I got the cord crocheted for my bag before I left and was quite pleased with it. This is the front.

And this is the back. I stitched the cord from the inside of the pouch and used buttons as embellishment and a way to secure the cord all the way through the pouch.

I printed this vintage pattern out when the link was posted by Shay from Little Grey Bungalow and just now got around to making it. It has a few mistakes but is really very easy. It is one center ring and the rest is chain work. I saw that Wally used 2 colors on her version and I found that very appealing but I was just using some thread I had on a floss holder. I also stopped and started so many times, before I left for Hector and then actually finishing on my way home so the tension is as wobbly as I was at the end. LOL!



Now when you get, you should also give. That's how we keep the positive flow of goodwill energy going. I'm on a few crochet lists too and heard of a teenager who is having a rough time right now. We were invited to provide some sunshine for her. I suspect she will get a lot of crocheted goodies so I've decided to go with tatting instead. This is a swan bookmark from Dianna Stevens' animal bookmark book. I also have the cockeral in progress and will make a few more to send all at once. You can never have too many bookmarks!

Wish You'd Been There!

Hecter 2008

Back from Hector! Do I have any projects to show? No-o-o-o-o but I have "starts". LOL! I'll get to that later.

Right before I left, I had an email from Jolande, the March winner of the Blog Anniversary drawing. Jolande lives in the Netherlands. I tried to hurry what I made for her since it was going to go so far, but she got it in less than a week! I didn't photograph everything - only the tatted stuff. The tea towel is so Spring-looking and we're all ready for Spring, right? Especially since Winter seems to have lingered far longer than usual. The butterfly edging is one of Mary Konior's patterns that I especially love.

The other item is a tatted brooch. I learned from Sue Hanson how to tat around old jewelry pieces. This used to be a clip earring. The challenge was the triangular shape but I played around with it and came up with something that more or less followed the shape. It really was fun to do!

Next Sunday I'll draw the April winner!

Okay, back to Hector! The drive there was long and dreary with rain, fog or overcast skies all the way. I stayed at a Super8 Hotel in Bath, NY, about 35 miles from the location of the event. I have to say it's my favorite one so far. It was only $50/night. It was clean and in a good location, with lots of other businesses around that I would have loved to visit if I'd had an extra day or so. On the way there, I noticed my parking lights would not go off. I turned my headlights on and off repeatedly, like the parking lights were somehow stuck. I checked the owner's manual. I couldn't find a specific reference to parking lights, only "lights". I asked the attendant at the nearby gas station if he knew of a reason why they weren't going off and the only thing he could think of was a short. I called my son who works at the SIA factory but had to leave a message. I told the clerk at the hotel about the lights because I figured someone would report them being on. Her boyfriend was also there and said I'd probably have a dead battery (also a concern of mine) in the morning...and then suggested I take the fuse out. He very kindly went out with me and found the fuse and showed me how to remove it. So then I called my son back and left another message telling him I'd taken the fuse out and that would take care of it until I returned home. Well.....for the next three days it was a morning and evening ritual to remove and replace the fuse every time I left it or drove it for long periods of time. Yesterday, on my way back, I happened to notice a band of red on what appeared to be a button on the steering column. When I craned my neck up over the steering wheel, I could see the button had a icon that looked like a light. Hmmmm....surely that wouldn't be the parkiing lights right there in the middle of the steering column? So I pushed the button and the red band went away. Then next time I stopped the car and got out, sure enough, the parking lights were off. I was feeling pretty dumb at this point but when I checked the owner's manual again, there is no mention of "parking lights" in the text and the close-up photo of all the controls on the dashboard did not show THAT button. Furthermore, two men didn't have a clue....so why should I feel dumb? It's a DUMB place to put the button for the parking lights!!! Every car I've ever owned had the parking lights included with the regular lights. So if you happen to have a Subaru...keep that in mind.

I bought 3 books and 3 balls of thread. I know that doesn't sound like much but I already have an extensive collection of both. I'm amazed I found that much to buy!

On Saturday, I taught the biscornu pincushion for the first two classes and then took Rita Cochrane's class which was a little pin that looks like a basket and then flowers pop up in the basket. Very Clever! I have to do the start of the basket over. Don't expect to see it anytime soon but it is COOL!

On Sunday, I had Martha Ess's class which featured tatting made to resemble crewel embroidery. I only got the center latticework done on that. Might be awhile before you see that one too. After that, I started Karey's baby dragon. All three of these projects are very time-consuming. Don't hold your breath waiting on me. LOL!

Sue Hanson brought Mary Konior's lace which was an absolute delight to get to see. I didn't take photos but I know Sherry Townsend did. They are the same pieces in Mary's books so I didn't feel a need to take photos but now I wish I had.

There were some familiar faces from the Palmetto Guild, as well as the Fringe Element Tatters guild. Someone mentioned there were about the same number of attendees as the year before but I thought the place was packed. You can tell by the video that the place was full and LOUD. Georgia was unable to come this time but Ruth Perry filled in for her.

I have tons of photos to edit and put into a slide show. I have lots of stuff to scan. I just don't have time to do it all right now so consider this a sneak preview. See how many people you can recognize in the video!

April Mystery Motifs

Well..it appears the April mystery motif has turned into an April Fool's after all. I just tried to tat it...WITH the photo...and it's not the same...something is left out and something is out of order, but the instructions are exactly as they are in the publication. It's too late tonight but I'll try to scan the photo tomorrow and post it...and I'll leave that as your challenge instead...to figure out what it's really supposed to be!

Decided to go ahead and post it because I won't have time tomorrow night!

The orange flower matches the orange in the fabric better than the purple. I have lots of purple thread but none that really matched.
I'm also crocheting the cord in the Romanian Point Lace braid style. It's hard to figure out how long to make it. The pouch is small enough to be worn around my neck but I'd like to be able to loop it through a belt loop too.

My package arrived from the Spring Random Re-gift Swap over at Just Be Connected, a network of creative crafting bloggers. Dyan, my partner in this exchange, has a store FlowerChilde Garden, which features aromatic healing mists and crystal essences. Yes, I got one and it's a lovely scent! Dyan is also an Angel Therapy Practitioner and writer of children's books, living in Jamaica. I love everything in the package!

I love the idea so much of a re-gifting exchange that I'm thinking of arranging one on my Tatting Goddess yahoo group. The idea is to regift something you already own. You cannot purchase anything. Even if it is something you make, it has to be from what you already have. The only cost involved is in shipping. In this case, it was between here and Jamaica...which is more than domestic mailings, but since it's all a "re-gift", it's not too painful. LOL!

So...today is INTERNATIONAL TATTING DAY!!!!! That means you have to take time out to tat and eat chocolate and blissfully enjoy the day. It's also April 1st. Nope, no April Fool's Day tricks here...but I do have a tease. Here is the mystery motif for April. See if you can follow the text instructions correctly. No photo will be revealed until April 15th, a nice diversion from tax day, if I do say so.
April Mystery Medallions

Square:
1. A ring of 1 double knot, (picot, 2 double knots) 7 times, picot, 1 double knot, close, tie & cut thread.
2. A ring of (2 double knots, picot) twice, 4 double knots, a long picot (about one fourth inch), 4 double knots, (picot, 2 double knots) twice, close.
3. A chain of 3 double knots, (picot, 3 double knots) 5 times;
4. (A ring, joining by 2d picot to 4th picot of preceding ring, and by 3d picot to the long picot of 1st ring;
5. A chain, as before) twice, joining last chain to same long picot of 1st ring; * a chain of 5 double knots, join to a picot of center ring, 5 double knots, picot, 5 double knots, a joining by 3d and 4th picots to 2d and 3d picots of last chain of last corner, long picot, then a chain as before;
6. A ring joining to last long picot
7. (A chain, a ring joining by 2d picot to preceding ring, and by middle picot to same long picot) twice, joining last chain to same long picot.
8. Repeat from *, missing 1 picot of center ring between the joinings and ending with the long chain (joined to center ring), joining this to long picot of 1st ring made, then a chain of 5 picots, 3 double knots between, joined at base of 1st ring.

This completes the square medallion. Join 6 of these in a row by picots of 2 consecutive chains (2d and 3d chains) of one corner, leaving 4 free picots on the inside of the space between medallions.

For the Round medallion:
1. A ring of 5 double knots, (picot, 5 double knots) 3 times, close;
2. A 2d, 3d, and 4th ring the same, joining each to preceding by side picots, and last also to 1st and drawing together closely at the base, forming a four-leaf clover. Fasten off securely.
3. Fasten thread in the picot which joins 2 rings, make a chain of 6 double knots, picot, (5 double knots, picot) twice, 4 double knots, join to middle picot of ring.
4. Chain of 4 double knots, picot, (5 double knots, picot) twice, 6 double knots, join to picot connecting next 2 rings;
5. Repeat, joining the last chain where 1st started and fasten off.