Tatted Cherry Blossom Jewelry

Have you seen this amazing cherry blossom jewelry tatted by @mahiru? It is stunning, stunning, stuff!

Tatting Tea Tuesday

Thread: Handy Hands' Flora 20
White-to-Dark Purple variegated

It’s time for another Tatting Tea Tuesday!

Tatting hubris got the better of me this week. I imagined sitting down and working stitches quickly and effortlessly the first time through, regardless of the new techniques involved. (Go ahead. Laugh. I make these mistakes so you don’t have to.)

The false starts began with me not paying attention to which shuttle I was using. Then I jumped into the Self Closing Mock Ring (SCMR), forming the loop with knotting thread, not core thread. Sorry Shuttle Brothers! Your excellent instructions clearly state that it must be done with the core thread.

Following that I used the core thread shuttle to tat the center ring. Another big no-no. It only took me about an hour to painstakingly open up that center ring and pick out the stitches. I got lucky, the thread didn’t break and I was able to recover.

Tiny Round Teapot pattern is not difficult. I just kept making basic, careless mistakes. That said, I don’t have a finished teapot to scan in for you this week. But I have successfully mastered the SCMR.
It is time to step back and practice folded split rings before working the one in the teapot. So I’ve stopped for now at the folded split ring and switched to a set of practice shuttles.

It may not look like much, but the small snippet of lace above shows quite a bit of progress made this week.

Wishing you all blissful me time to create something beautiful.
See you next Tuesday for more communi-tea!

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On a completely different thread, I saw an adorable tatted heart pattern for sale on Etsy called Paw Prints on my Heart.

I’m a dog lover so this heart is a perfect addition to my collection of tatted heart patterns.

Tatting Tea Tuesday

It's time for another Tatting Tea Tuesday!

The Chantilly Border from last week is still in progress, but I couldn't wait to start a teapot from Tea is for Tatting by Martha Ess. Her collection of tatted teapots is a natural choice for lovers of tea† and tatting.

Quite frankly, it was difficult to decide on a pattern because every single one is adorable. The Celtic and Maltese teapots are stand outs, but I could easily tat my way through this book cover to cover. In the end I decided to start small with Tiny Round Teapot.

The tiny round teapot pattern calls for two shuttles and one color thread. Martha Ess doesn't mention winding the shuttles continuously, but I did. Here is my spout:

Shuttle Love My favorite rosewood shuttle (photo above) has a tiny embedded crochet hook. Years ago the wood cracked. I was devastated. Later that same year the tatting angels were watching over me. At the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival I found a vendor who sold small, hand-turned items. He only had three shuttles on his table. EUREKA! It was the same craftsman. Thank you, tatting angels!

(Does anyone else have "I'm a Little Teapot" stuck in their head? No?! Guess it's just me.)

Even though it is a small piece, Tiny Round Teapot presents
three new techniques for me: the
folded ring, the folded split ring and the self closing mock ring.

The folded ring worked out well on the first try. Now on to the
self closing mock ring (SCMR).

More photos are coming! And
I will post a finished teapot
as tatting time permits.

Wishing you all blissful me time to create something beautiful.
See you next Tuesday for more communi-tea!

† For coffee-lovin' lacers, try this recipe for cold-brewed iced coffee.

Pay It Forward Giveaway

I won the Pay It Forward giveaway on Knot Enough's tatting blog. Yay me!

Thank you JB! It was especially nice of you, considering you had to track me down to award the prize.

Pay It Forward is such an empowering concept and I'm delighted to be doing my share. Now it is my turn to offer a giveaway!

Here are the rules: If you want to play along, be sure to comment on this post. You must have a blog in order to enter. If you win, you agree to "Pay It Forward" (i.e. keep it going) on your blog by displaying the PIF graphic and offer a giveaway. The handmade gift you make and send to the winner is entirely up to you. You may either reveal the gift at the beginning of the giveaway or not; it's your choice.

Want more chances to win? If you post about the giveaway on your blog, or mention it on Twitter or Facebook, you get an extra entry. That adds up to three more chances to win! Just be sure to come back and comment again on this post with the link to your blog, Twitter or Facebook update.

The prize?

Your choice of either the blue or the purple cotton hanky (please indicate your color preference in the comment) AND a 9-inch round linen doily. All lace is in the classic hen-n-chicks pattern.

Tatting Tea Tuesday

It's Tatting Tea Tuesday!

I am so excited to start this communi-tea! I hope you all have fun.
Here are the rules:

• Set aside some time on Tuesdays to tat.
  
• Put the kettle on for tea.
  
• Share your progress on your blog or your favorite tatting group list, with "Tatting Tea Tuesday" in the headline or email subject line.

(Adding the Communi-tea part is optional...I just like the pun.)

And don't forget to leave me a comment with a link to your post or message so I can come see.

This week I began tatting an edging called Chantilly Border.
Source: May/June 2009 issue of Piecework magazine, p. 41

The original pattern was written in longhand notation, which I find hard to follow. So I read through the instructions and re-wrote them in shorthand formula. I cannot post the pattern though, until I have been granted permission by the magazine.

What I can tell you is this: the pattern is gleaned from Weldon's Practical Needlework, Volume 4. And facsimile printings of Volume 4 are available to order from Interweave Press by visiting Interweave Store. Or purchase a copy of Piecework magazine.

Chantilly Border is a lovely edging pattern that tats up quickly and is easy to memorize. I am using a vintage Coats and Clarks varigated tatting cotton in size 70 so it tats up dainty and delicate. Click on the image to see a larger view.

Did you notice my two twisted joins in the large rings at picot #6? I didn't notice them until I saw the image full size. How would you work an awkward join without twisting it? Tips? Suggestions?

UPDATE: Georgia Seitz has a great page of notes on joining above as well as below the normal line of progression: Thoughts on Joining - The Shuttle Join

Unfortunately The Sprout woke up early from his nap so I only managed 2 1/2 repeats before having to stop. Not that I'm complaining. Today's effort is the first tatting I have done since 2005. The shuttle felt so good in my hand. The tea delicious. Taking a few relaxing moments for myself? Priceless!

Wishing you all blissful me time to create something beautiful.
See you next Tuesday for more communi-tea!

Tatting and Belly Dancin' Teapot Tuesday

Today I discovered a lovely scrappin'/belly dancin'/tea pot post from Colorado stampin' mom Mothermark. It hits upon three things I love so I just had to share.

Mothermark says since we can't all get together for tea the next best thing is a Teapot Tuesday Challenge. Her blog, This is my Story, has a terrific slide show of amazing hand-made cards inspired from fun teapots. Go see all the lovely creations.

And lest you think I've forgotten, this concept lends itself well to a Tatting Communi-Tea. So I'm brazenly hijacking the idea for my own tatting purposes! Are you all on board my thought train?
Here's how it will work:

Set aside some time on Tuesdays to tat and put the kettle on for tea. Share your progress on your blog or your favorite tatting group list, with "Tatting Tea Tuesday" in the subject line.
(Adding the "Communi-" part is optional...I just like the pun.)

And don't forget to leave me a comment so I can come see. It will be fun!

Tatting & Lace

What an evocative photo: http://ping.fm/0kM1U It almost pulls you out of time.

Front Porch Tatting

Another wonderful tatter, Sister Anthelma Feuerstein, 99, of Wisconsin, has passed on. The obit in her local paper is a wonderful and sweet dedication to her life and her tatting. Thought I'd share since there are several notes about tatting.

I particularly love her memory of gathering on the front porch to tat. So simple. What a lovely way to unwind (hee, hee a pun!) our shuttles or needles while catching up with friends on mild days.

Regretably, I don't have a front porch. So I will be taking my tatting on the road to visit friends whose porches just BEG for gatherings.

Thank you, Sister, for reminding us about the simple pleasure of front porch tatting. Let's keep it going!

Tatting in the News (Nova Scotia, Canada)

It amazes me how fervently reporters cling to the notion that "tatting is a dying art." Before the Internet such a statement might have been more believable, but these days tatters around the globe have found each other and no longer feel isolated. Thousands of tatters are furthering their art all over the world. Dying art? Not so.

Once I got past the dying art nonsense, I found this article to be rather nicely written. It includes perhaps the most graceful and lovely description of tatting that I have ever read. Here is a brief excerpt:

By all accounts tatting is a dying art, but according to Gail Larder, an interpreter at the Ross Farm Museum in New Ross, “we’re trying our best here to keep it alive.”

There was a time, in the 19th century for example, when tatting, which has been described as “threads lovingly shaped around air to create beautiful lace,” was not only popular but very fashionable, especially among the higher classes.

Click on this link to read the full article.

If you find yourself in or around the area of New Minas, Nova Scotia, Canada, please do drop by the Ross Farm and let them know you saw the tatting article online. I'm sure they would be delighted to meet fellow tatters or other tat-friendly folks!