A Small Doily

    I have been test tatting a small mat for someone. Amy, one of the people on Craftree, designed a piece for a clock face. She put the instructions out for anyone that wanted them. I had just gotten the sugar maple thread and I like her clock face, so I thought it would make a nice small doily. I think it did. I test tatted the pattern and there were just a couple of errors. I also made a PDF of it and it is linked on the site.
    She calls this one  Elemental Time. She is going to mount it on an LP record (if anyone remembers those) and attach a clock movement to it. It should be pretty nice.

    I did not try to get the arms perfectly aligned as I am not making the clock. I like it like it is.

South Carolina State Fair

    I finally got to go to the South Carolina State Fair this past Saturday. Last year I entered my monster doily, the one used for the background here. When I was supposed to go, I could not because on that Saturday, Hurricane Matthew paid us a visit. I was not able to spend but a few hours there, but had quite a good time.
    I helped with the Palmetto Tatters Guild booth. I was dressed appropriately too! I had on my red bow tie from the class at Tat Days. Then I found a garter with tatting in some of the things we had on display and insisted Donna put it on. I think it looked nicer than if it had just been laying on a table.

Sugar Maple

    I suppose I am a sucker for colors. When I saw Marilee's post about her sugar maple HDT I just had to buy some. I got 3 of size 20 and 3 of size 80. This thread is just beautiful. It arrived in skeins in just a few days. I have never used HDT before so I had to figure out how to handle it. Tatting from the skein would be a disaster, I am sure, because I know me. It will tangle. It will knot. It will invent ways to keep me from using it. (Do you know computers sit up at night figuring out ways to mess up your work tomorrow?)
     I had a small revelation. What were all those EZ-Bobs in the drawer for? I got some of them out and rewound the thread onto them. Now I can use the thread without fear, and I know too that there are no knots in the middle.

 

     Sorry for the lousy picture. The mat (well used) reflects light too much. But isn't the thread gorgeous? Now to figure out the perfect design for it. I do have some ideas...

The Other Pair

    I finished the other pair of wave earrings this morning. These have a Swarovski bi-cone crystal in the middle instead of the three silver lined crystal beads. In the right light they really sparkle. In the photo they were not in the right light. If you know Swarovski, though, you know what I mean.

    No, I did not pick the colors for these. I asked the two ladies what they would like and this is what they told me. The only thing I choose is what to use in the center. I figure they know what colors work for them, so, like Marshall Field said, "Give the lady what she wants".

More Wave Earrings

    I got my hair cut last Saturday. The lady that does it is a good friend. I had made several of these earrings, but had not made any for her, so I asked her if she would like a pair. Oh, yes! And the lady in the next booth too! They both want black with silvery beads. I have to figure out what to make for the second ones now. They will be the same, but I like to vary the center if I can. Let me see if I have anything in the Swarovski stuff.

    I can make these in about 2 hours. They are Wave earrings, by Corina Meyfeldt. I bought the pattern when she was selling it, but now she is giving it away. You can find it HERE. Scroll down a bit more than half way to Pattern Wave. These are simple enough for beginners and only use one shuttle, no ball.

A Southern Gentleman Gets Dressed

    One of the projects at Tat Days was a bow tie. Anita Barry designed and taught it. It is Dr. Who's red bow tie. Anita used a stitch in this that I had never heard of, much less tried. It is the half double double stitch. It does make the bow tie more substantial. The stitch is not hard to do at all, but you MUST drop the shuttle and let the thread untwist now and then or the stitch will not want to flip easily. Thanks for the lesson, Anita!
    I do not mind at all to try on things I make. I cannot do earrings because mine are not pierced. But this is made as a necklace. Personally, I think it looks quite dashing.

And for some reason, Colonel Sanders comes to mind.