More Motif’s finally!

I was trying to post at least once a week. How many times have I said I would do that? Life just gets in the way. I flat out decided I needed to make time to post today, and I even have photos to show. I still don’t have my latest tatting photographed, I’ll have to take care of that soon. But this is pretty picture heavy anyway.

Motif # 14 Remembrance Ring by Marilee Rocklee. This is being modeled by my almost niece. Since I don’t have kids, some of my friends' kids have let me become a surrogate aunt to them. The ring looks much better on her hands than on mine. It is done in size 20 Lizbeth Falling leaves and the pattern can be found here. The picture doesn’t do the ring any justice it was taken from my cell phone as I didn’t have the camera with me. Our model is now off to school, and we all miss her and are looking forward to seeing her again at Christmas.
Motif # 15 Bookmark (right) by Nancy Tracy This was done in size 20 Lizbeth Mediterranean, and the pattern can be found here.
Motif # 16 Foldover Bookmark (left) by Jon Yosuf done in size 20 Lizbeth Carousel, and the pattern can be found here.
Motif # 17 Ruffled Snow flake by Vida Sunderland. It was done in size 20 Lizbeth Seascape. The first is from the side so you can actually see the ruffles.

Here are some of my motifs waiting to get blocked and turned into Christmas ornaments.
And here is another batch of tatted motifs waiting their turn on the blocking board.
Also, since I made a post earlier about my UFOs & WISPs, I’ve decided to show that I can finish off some projects. This was finished in about 1990. It is from a magazine whose name I no longer remember, but the pattern is circled wagons. It is hand pieced, hand appliqued, and hand quilted.
I did get a touch more done on the powder room bow I mentioned and had pictures of in an earlier post. I haven’t worked much on it since, but here is part of the next section to be stitched.
I did however dig out an even older project. I wasn’t slated to finish this up till next year in my list of crafts. I started this angel by Rebecca Waldrop on 9-11-2001. The other cross stitch I had going at the time is a dragon attacking a castle. I just couldn’t bring myself to work on it and started Tapestry Angel instead. She is now with about 3 other angels by Rebecca Waldrop waiting to be gently washed and then turned into pillows. I almost always have at least one of the Waldrop angels in progress, but I do finish my projects VERY slowly. I’ll have to get the current 2 out and get pictures of where I’m at and also photo’s of the patterns so you can see where I‘m going with them.And here is a shot of my tatting/crafting space. That collection of creamy fabric on top of the couch's corner is a slipcover that I need to put back on the couch.
Here is a box of some of my threads,
and here is my cat Banichi checking out the threads. Actually he is checking out the plastic bags that they came in. He and I have a long running argument over whether or not cats need plastic in their diet. I say no, he says yes. Maybe if some of you weigh in on the subject and let us know what you think we will be able to settle this. I won’t hold my breath though. I don’t think either of us will change our minds.

Good Bye Que, and some x-stitching

Sorry I missed out on posting last week. It has been hectic for people around me. An old room-mate got a septic infection in her arm. She is now home from the hospital and recovering nicely. There were car problems, and there were emergency runs to the grocery store for those without a car. Then most unfortunately there was a sudden hospitalization and then death, complete with visitation and funeral. A beautiful gracious lady, and mother/mother-in-law to some of my longest time friends died. She was a truly wonderful lady who made everyone she met feel welcome. Her last words to her son were "God is love" as she was wheeled into surgery. I did get to the hospital in time to say goodbye, but she was unconscious. I have to believe that she heard all our I love you's and we'll miss you's. She never met a stranger and had that rare and wonderful gift of making everyone feel special. I love you Que, and I'll miss you.

Now, enough of my reasons for not posting and on to stitching:
Not much has been happening in the way of
tatting lately. I have been crafting though. I only have pictures of cross stitch. To the right are some Christmas ornaments that I finally put in their little frames and finished off. I believe they had been waiting around for finishing for 2 years. Sorry they are so washed out. I think the camera flash must be reflecting off of the little plastic protectors. I have 2 more ornaments that are waiting to get finished off, I think they will be too big for these ornaments so I will have to think of something else, and lost in my land of UFOs and WISPs are 9 ladies dancing and a partridge in a pear tree.

Next up is the fingertip towel that I listed in my goals as wanting to finish. I cannot find the colors of thread that I was using to finish all the back stitching. I will be using this myself, it isn't a gift or to sell, so I declared it done and crossed it off my list. So here are 2 items that can be crossed off that long list of goals for this year.

While I was looking for items that were on my 2010 goal list I came across a 'door bow'. It is a long piece of aida cloth with edges all finished. You just cross stitch 4 designs on different parts of it, then make that long swatch into a bow. The cross stitches are all done on the first motif/decoration. You are supposed to save all the back stitching for last, after all 4 designs are cross stitched. I may not wait that long as I can easily get bogged down and not finish a project that has just back stitching to do. Witness the fingertip towel above!



Here is where I started up again. It is the second
motif/design on the bow. I have (since this pic was taken) finished all the cross stitching on to this section and started on the 3rd design area. I do need to get more photos to show the progress.

Then in addition to my huge list of projects, I almost have another MarBek Angel kitted out to start, and I started a x-stitch that is a sampler style. I must admit that since I do regular embroidery in addition to cross stitch, I find it a bit hard to call the cross stitch pieces actual samplers. Some of them do have a variety of stitches though, so those do count.

Now as it is tatting tea Tuesday, I am off. I will tat tonight. I have had tea here at work and will not have anymore today as the caffeine would keep me awake. But there has been tea, there will be tatting, and I will try to get more pictures to show soon. And all my friends and relatives have been put on notice that they have to stay happy and healthy! And remember Que's words "God is love"

Pictures finally!

Sorry for such blurry pictures, but blurry or not
I've been promising pictures of what has been
tatted and so here they are.

This first picture is the circle in a square motif
designed by Rozella F. Linden the pattern is in her book "Easy Tatting". I tatted it in size 10 ecru cebelia. It is motif #7 in the 25 motif challenge.

Here is a re-do of Jon Yusof's foldover bookmark.
I used Lizbeth Vinyard Harvest again for this bookmark. I tend to tat while watching television and so in addition to plain old needing practice to get things even, I need less TV time and more attention as I tat to keep things even. This is motif # 8.

I didn't have any patterns with me at the time so I just started re-tatting this book mark cross from Rebecca Jones' book "Complete book of tatting" This is done in cebelia size 80. I don't know the name of the colorway. This makes Motif #9. Oh, and the book, It was given to my by my Aunt on my 7th birthday. It was embossed with her name and I don't know for what occasion she received it. The book is just a few years older than I am. I thought the little cross bookmark was too small to use as a bookmark, then I remembered it would be perfect for this prayer book!

And last is motif #10. The
Entertainment Doily by Celtess whose website I cannot find to link you to the pattern. It is done in size 20 Lizbeth Jellybean. Not only did I tat most of this in front of the TV, I was watching shows with subtitles so even less attention than normal was paid to the tatting as I tried to read fast enough to keep up with the shows. The very inner ring was done without distractions and you can certainly tell the difference between that ring and the 3 outer ones. Oh well, I doubt I will quit crafting in front of the television anytime soon. And since I don't plan to sell these they don't have to be perfect. It is hobby time.

Now to go on a bit more from the previous post on goals. I said I was going to list ten things to finish off this year, and then proceeded to list 16. Well, I was going to just commit to 10, but as I looked I upped it to 17. Right now I am working on the Yo-yo coverlet and will continue to Tat. I hope to get at least one motif tatted per week. As for all the items on the list, they may change as mood/whimsy strikes me, but I do intend to finish off either these 16 items, or some like items rummaged from my hidden supply of UFOs and WISPs.

Now I have the weekend off, I will be away from the computer and I wish any browsers a wonderful weekend!

Motif 4

I finally got something tatted that I thought was worthy to give to my mother. It was late for Mother's Day, but I didn't have anything that I felt was good enough for her. At least 2 other people have made this bookmark for their 25 motif challenge and after the first one I saw tatted up I knew why. It is beautiful, well theirs are beautiful. It was designed by Jon Yusoff and her pattern page is here. This is the foldover bookmark. I actually had kind of a hard time tatting
this. I had to redo the bottom part twice. The rings are all close to the same size, but I need to work on pulling up the chains so they are all even, and the picots, well I really need to make up some picot gauges to get them close to even.

I finished tucking in ends on the Sunday before Memorial day and gave it too her that day. It was photographed with the book she was reading.

I then spent the rest of the day with her, watching old war movies on Turner Classic Movies, and tatting on another pattern by Jon Yusoff. I did get all the tatting done, but now it needs to have its ends tucked in and it needs to be blocked.

Yesterday all my tatting attempts ended up in the scrap bin, but there are just days like that. I don't know if I'm the only one who has them, but even if I am I refuse to be upset and depressed about it! Hopefully soon I'll have another motif ready to show!

Cats, presents and motif #3

Some more birthday presents! a picture that I need to decide where to hang, and a wonderful book with all sorts of cute little critters to crochet! It is going to be hard to decide which creation to work on first.
My cat Banichi with a book.

Banichi checking out a piece of tatting. The blur to the right is Motoko another cat arriving to see what Banichi finds so interesting.

And finally, motif #3 a cross bookmark. I used size 10 cebelia thread. I got the pattern from The Complete book of tatting by Rebecca Jones. She says that all patterns in her book are her own, or are traditional patterns. I'm really not sure which this is. It does still need to be ironed and starched.