25 Motif Challenge - #16

Believe it or not, we had SNOW here in Pennsylvania this morning (just a few flurries), so it's appropriate that I've finished this tatted snowflake. This is a bit of a moral victory for me because it is the pattern that I struggled with and abandoned earlier in the year. I can certainly tell that my skills are progressing.

The pattern is from Tatting Patterns by the staff of Workbasket magazine, published in 1990. I believe the designs are collected from earlier issues of the magazine, so you could probably find it there also. I used size 20 thread.

25 Motif Challenge - #15

News flash -- the first two rounds of Mom's Pink Doily (http://www.be-stitched.com/momspinkdoily.asp), when done with size 30 thread, fit perfectly into an acrylic coaster. I get my coasters from the local craft store (Michaels), but they are also available at www.thestitchery.com, and some other online sites, I'm sure.

Something Different

Today I finished up this scarf that I began knitting in February after a trip with my daughter and a few colleagues to a local knit/crochet weekend festival. The yarn is 100% bamboo and is MUCH softer than it looks.

Tea Towel (25 Motif Challenge - #14)

This is a stress-buster for me because it's everything familiar: a vintage design done in embroidery paints, hen and chicks edging (size 12 pearl cotton), and purple (my favorite color).

Update to the Update

I have made some choices for the dresser scarf - a floral painted design and a pink variegated edging. When the thread arrives from Handy Hands, I can get started. BTW, does anyone know of any other variegated size 30 threads besides Omega? It's the only one I've been able to find, and ideally I'd like to work with something a bit more crisp. I'm not complaining - would just like to know all of my options.

The small square doily has been scrapped after at least 5 starts. I've decided that I'm just not ready to tackle that design yet. I need some more practice. So . . . tonight it was back to the comfortable hen and chicks edging. I painted a simple design onto a tea towel and will sew the h&c onto it when it is finished (about 12 more inches).

Update

No, I haven't disappeared - I've just been working on the hemstitch edge of the dresser scarf. I managed to finish that up tonight, and my fingers were itching for the shuttle, so I started a small square doily from a pattern/sample in my dad's collection. This one will be special if I can actually do it because it is a design done by my aunt. I will have to contact her and see if she created the pattern - it is just written on a piece of paper with a tatted sample stitched to the page.

The dresser scarf is now ready for a painted design and tatted edging. I've decided on a pattern for the tatting, but I won't know the color until the painting is done.

It's good to have more than one project going, right? :)

Doily Finished! (25 Motif Challenge #13)

Here it is - Duet Doily from The Tatter's Treasure Chest by Mary Carolyn Waldrep. I made a couple adjustments, but I'm really happy with the end result. It is done with size 30 thread and measures about 9 inches across.

I've also made progress on the plans for my dresser scarf. I remembered that I had a piece of white linen that a co-worker brought from Ireland several years ago. I checked, and it is the perfect size, so I trimmed and pinned it and have begun working the hemstitch edge. Then I will figure out an edging and a painted design.

25 Motif Challenge - #12

This bookmark is a short section of "crooked mile" edging from Mary Konior's book called Tatting with Visual Patterns. It's done with size 20 Manuela. As I near the end of my doily, I'm planning another "serious" project - a dresser scarf with edging on all sides to enter in this summer's Farm Show, and I wanted to try out a couple edging patterns while thinking about it.

25 Motif Challenge - #11

Long week, lots of work, little tatting time - I hate when that happens! So I needed a quick fix today, and this little butterfly from Workbasket Magazine was just right.