Honiton Lace and Tatted Edging

A dear lacemaking friend was selling most of her lacemaking equipment and supplies. I looked over the list she had and luckily what I wanted was what was left of the lot. I wanted the Honiton book and bobbins! I really want to get back into this lace after being taught by Sherry the CelticDreamWeaver. I have one book of honiton that isn’t too beginner and 10 pair of bobbins. But I couldn’t pass this deal up. I got “Introduction to Honiton Lace” by Elsie Luxton and 41 bobbins. That should keep me supplied and busy for a while!!! But I have to make my pillow first Below is my great deal purchase.

Top left is an old pricker that is brass with a screw on top. The top row of bobbins are made of different woods(not sure what kind….dark ones are walnut?) and a couple of cute painted ones. Then below are more plain bobbins just waiting to be painted!

I had a productive tatting weekend for the long Memorial holiday. I finished up a side view of a calla lily with a long leaf.

Then I finally got the hairbrained idea for the edging that goes down each side and all around the bottom of the wedding dress! I made it in such a way so that it can be tatted continuously. The motif in between the scallops represent an orchid. The pearl tatted trail winds around, up and down and joining as I go to form the shape. Then at the top of each orchid base will be a flower spray made up of the many flowers and leaves I have been making. Those will be assembled when I get the tulle and the dress that is to be done by at the latest September. It better be!!! Need time to applique all of this. My sister is making the dress and she is starting this coming June(next week). Can’t wait! But I have a LOT of tatting still left to do UGH. My fingers are going to be raw come October. Below is the scalloped edging.

Garden Pics and Prom Dresses

Here is a slideshow of some more pictures that I developed of our visit to the Missouri Botonical Gardens about a month ago.

A couple of weeks ago was prom here at Greenville HS. Kim and I always have a few dresses to alter and we usually have one dress commissioned to make from scratch. This year was a nice challenge. The girl happened to be my acrogymnastics partner’s daughter. She wanted her dress to be similar to what Keira Knightley wore in a particular movie. Can’t think of the movie! Below is the pics of Keira Knightley in the inspirational 1920’s style dress. If you happen to know the movie, please tell me! Would love to watch it.

AND……..this is the result that Kim and I came up with that the girl is wearing at the prom. This girl is like a disgusting size 0 and tiny! But she was an excellent model to work with. Not an odd size or shape about her.

It would have been too expensive to make this out of silk which we think was used. So we found a very fine satin fabric that flowed nicely yet didn’t give too much bulk like a crepe satin would. We did find a very grass green color to match what was in the picture. Sorry, the pics I took of our creation just doesn’t portray the vibrant green or the overall look. We did make some modifications to the design. Because this isn’t Hollywood and this is a teenager, we raised up the neckline and the back waist a bit. Plus we stabilized the side seams with boning so that it wouldn’t gap out, so there wouldn’t be any embarrassing accidents in the chest area. It did turn out quite well we think. And her and her mom were very happy with it.

Tatman’s Online Shop at Etsy!!!

I just listed my “Tatting Patterns For One Shuttle, Book One” in my very first Etsy.com shop!!

I do have a link on my sidebar of this blog so you can order my book directly from me, but I thought it would be good to get more exposure. So I did it!
Now to think of other things I can sell

Bobbin Lace Mom’s Day Card

I said I don’t do scrapbooking….but I do make things out of the items when I need to. I needed to make my mom a Mother’s Day card and she likes getting pieces of my lace. So I quickly put together this card.

I had the little square done some time ago. It is from Bridget Cook’s “The Torchon Lace Workbook” pattern #6-hearts and fans done in tatting cotton size 80. What you may not be able to notice is how I constructed the card. First the purple cardstock. Then a contrasting lavender cardstock with square cut out on point just enough for the bobbin lace square to fit inside. This lavendar piece was cut with ruffled scissors on the edges. I threaded the lace square on the top and bottom points with little pieces of thread which are taped to the back of the lavendar card. The lavendar card was then raised with foam core board and double sticked to the purple cardstock. Then I tied four silk purple ribbons and stuck them in the corners. I don’t make cards that often as I should. But in a pinch I do!

Tatting and Garden Pics

More garden pictures!

I finished the bracelet that matches the necklace. I just looped the pearl tatted chain around and joined as I went to the other side. I did a looping join technique to join the beads instead of threading them on the shuttle thread before hand. Don’t like beads on the shuttle thread, so I add them as I need them. To do this you make a loop withe the shuttle thread that is going to be joined and pass that loop through the bead, pull the loop through the picot to be joined, pass that loop back through the beadmake, pass the shuttle through the loop to make the PLJ(picot lock join) and tighten. Hope that makes sense. I am sure I have a diagram of it somewhere in my stash of graphics. Just can’t find it now. Now I wish I had more of those beads to do that same treatment to the necklace to give it more substance

tatted tag

I am one of those typical men who is married to a scrapbooker and we get drug into these scrapbooking stores against our own will. I personally think it is the market’s way of draining more money out of you just to put one picture on a page and fill it with expensive accessories. Yes, I have done one scrapbook page years ago just to do it. But it isn’t my thing and isn’t my pocket book’s thing either.
So last weekend Kim drug me in once again into Archivers to get something she is working on. I swear everytime we go shopping we have to stop in to just get one or two little things. Kinda like Walmart. You go in there for one thing and spend hours and come out with tons! I am part of the Walmart haters club too!!!!
So I try to make the best of things and some of the tools and gadgets can be really cool. I do find things that can be useful other than scrapbooking uses, but usually is quite high priced. Until we walked in and I spotted this little picture dog tag.

COOL! You can slip things inside just like a lace bookmark sleeve! And the backside is metal for engraving information. I will have to have my online info engraved on that sometime. So my eyes were opened, it didn’t cost much(US$3.95 – more than I like, but wanted to try it so bad) and I can use it for an interest I have……….LACE! I have seen many other things that you can use these scrapbook paraphenalia that is MUCH more practical than sticking on a page with one or two photos. These little items you can carry with you or is a good selling item at shows. Not going to sell mine

So I proceeded to make a little tatted piece just to fit in this photo tag. I used the Coron Coton size 160 white thread I have been using on my niece’s wedding lace and designed this little bugger

It measures a mere 5.3cm(2 inches) long. Double stitch count is 2 with lots of picots. I may use this design for the wedding lace only in a larger version.

I traced the template and backed with a navy blue cardstock so that the lace shows up and slid it in place.

This will go on my keychain and will go with me and a showpiece that I can show others what tatting is. I should get another and make a honiton piece to show what bobbin lace is, since that is my other lace passion.

So now I say to all the men out there that drag their feet or stay out in the car while your wife is in spending your money(or hers) at these dreaded scrapbook stores, that there IS some good tools and gadgets to be used. I even saw some that would be good in my tool box. Some nice detail tools. Of course I have to fight with Kim to use them LOL!!!

NOTE: The views express in this post is solely the view of the author. This post is not meant to demean any scrapbookers and their hobbies. We all have our vices. Scrapbooking just isn’t my thing.

Tatted Pearl Necklace for ME!

I finally tatted something for ME that I can wear. I took a little break from making the wedding lace and early Saturday morning while drinking coffee and watching the birds, I worked on this easy pearl tatted necklace with a bone bead. Simple pattern. I used DMC pearl cotton size 8 in medium brown and dark brown. Pearl tatted chain that is 2 ds on each side of the core thread. Add the bone bead in the center part as you go. I made a braided loop with the starting tail ends and attached another bone bead at the end for a clasp. This is a great masculine(I think) gift for any young man you may have trouble thinking of what to make. I thought about turning the chain at the end and going back with another row of pearl tatted chain and connecting each of the picots as I go. But that will be another time. Currently I am making a matching bracelet

GARDEN PICTURES!!!!

Below are some pics I took of flowers and landscape of our garden. The lawn hasn’t been mowed yet, so ignore that! I just mowed it yesterday. It was hard finding a break in the big rainy season we have had when the ground is not soggy and it isn’t raining so I can get out there to mow. Almost needed a bushog!!

A morning dove has taken the opportune space in an empty pot that was hanging on our back lattice wall to nest her baby. Isn’t it cute?