spread

Still a work in progress... a bedspread for the dollhouse:

Currently, my WIP(*) list is growing (not even mentioning many UFO(**)), I wish I could complete my xmas gifts and there's something else good to put off for New Year's resolutions.
- scissors fobs to complete (almost done)
- plastic key fobs with tatting outside and netting inside for small xmas gifts (almost done)
- necklace with bugle beads and matching earrings
- pink squares for the project Tat a Brussels’ monument in pink by Cathy de Greef (Canarithy)
- bedspread for the dollhouse
- miniature flowers (only experiments till now, nothing good enough)

And you? Do you already have tatting plans for the New Year? If you have run out ideas, there is the nice initiative "Palmetto Tatters Guild 2018 Tatting Scholarship Fundraiser Quilt". It is a group project and I'm going to mail something that will be sewn on a block. It will be fun, please read about it here: http://www.georgiaseitz.com/2018/quilt/adoptablockltr.html and spread the word!

Ciao,
Ninetta
(*) WIP = sheer fun underway.
(**) UFO = I (deliberately) forgot where this object is, shuttles are attached only for future fishing out.

Related post

dollhouse miniature doily

miniature bed 

miniature sofa

miniature sofa

Thread is DMC size 80 ecrù.

Those pillows are my second attempt, the first ones were too big for the sofa and I had to start again, measuring the fabric and browsing the internet in search of any help. I found an inspiring site with many tutorials for little furniture, I'd like you have a look, for example at this: http://1inchminisbykris.blogspot.com/2017/11/1-inch-scale-embroidered-table-topper.html

The first pillow version is on the right in that picture.

The "big" ones would be lovely scissors fobs, they will be given away. I only need a cord for the fob, there is a knotted cord here in fig. 835 of the Encyclopedia of needlework by Th.de Dillmont: http://encyclopediaofneedlework.com/chapter_15.html

The pattern in the left is an adaptation of Mrs Odum daisy. Textual directions are in the same style as they are for the original pattern that I found here: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art61288.asp

With two shuttles begin with a round centre ring.
1. R 1 - (1 -) x 6, 1 close ring, mock picot climb into next round
2. CH 4 + (join to next picot) vsp CH 4. Repeat 7 times. ((((I used lock joins))))
Lock join thread to first picot and make vsp.
3. CH 5 + (join to that vsp on the previous row) and repeat around. 
4. CH 6 + (join to that vsp on the previous row) and repeat around.
5. CH 7 + (join to that vsp on the previous row) and repeat around. ((((I put in the last chain the magic loop thread for hiding the end tail))))

6. *make a vsp. CH 7, position chain on top of motif and join it to the first picot on the round centre ring, going across the picot. ((((I only tat a second half stitch after the join))))
CH 7, position chain on top of motif and bring back to the starting point.
((((I used an ANKARS over join in this point, joining the vsp)))) 
Continue to the same direction.
7. CH 4 - 4 as part of the outer round and lock join to the next picot on the outer round. 
8. Repeat from * around for a total of 8 petals positioned on top the flower motif.
(((( I finished with the method by Frivolè for Hiding Ends in the Last Chain and hid the second tail with the magic loop left in previous round ))))

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In the next pic, I used HWT (a cotton without a label and a sewing silk thread) to have a size 20 thread for tatting again the pink square by Cathy de Greef ( Tat a Brussels’ monument in pink ). I've tatted five till now. For the first two squares, I started with a ring, then I tried to go down or up with a chain. I was looking for a simple way to teach beginners how to tat it, in fact I hope to involve my friends - the bobbin lacers of our local lace association. In her video, shared in the site, Cathy started with a chain and now I think I've understood the reason. I think that starting with a chain is clever, as you don't have to worry about how to join the last chain in a narrow curve, that's easier for beginners. But I found that starting from the second chain (labelled 3 in red in her picture with the pattern) it is even easier, that is you join in the normal way the second last chain and then you have the last chain where to finish and hide tails... I hope I was clear. Just my two cents among the many possibilities we can choose for tatting that little square.

Ciao,
Ninetta

Related post

dollhouse miniature doily

miniature bed

miniature bed

The thread I used for tatting the edging for the bedsheet and pillows is Anchor Artiste Mercer Crochet 100. Bedcover's fabric is linen.

Well, my mum thinks the bed sheet needed some white embroidery! I'd like tatting something for the cylindrical pillow, I don't know the correct English term for that kind of pillow, neither if it has an Italian name, I just call it "cuscino a cilindro".

(Update: a friend in Facebook kindly commented that the term is " bolster cushion")

The pillows are so tiny, I'm also trying to scale down Mrs. Odum pattern, I love it!

Have you noticed the book in the background?
"323: Tatting" by Pam Palmer, current link in Amazon: http://amzn.eu/20vcuKg 
An interesting cheap booklet - about 30 pages - about the history of tatting, first published in 1996. I'm really disheartened when thinking that all those historical infos have been available for such long time and still we can find misleading information in Italian sites. One funny thing I've found was that the lace itself had been called Carmen Sjlva (yes, sigh!, with the j), I'm almost like to believe that it was a mistake in translation for the 'nom de plum' of the queen of Rumania.

 ❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

I found a very inspiring initiative on Facebook, the project Tat a Brussels’ monument in pink by Cathy de Greef (Canarithy). A lot of people all around Tatternet are already joining. I still don't have a size 20 pink thread. One possibility may be to boil the little square with beetroot....!!!

Ciao,
Ninetta

Related post

dollhouse miniature doily

tatting... what?

There's a purse with my UFOs somewhere in the home that seems to appear from time to time, then you spell the famous phrase "I put it here so I can easily find it" and the bag disappears, magically.

The last time, it gave back 4 squares already tatted and two balls of thread, one of these revealed itself the wrong colour's number, but very very similar (that's the risk with UFOs, you forget to remember yourself your ideas, if ever you had one). I should remember to write me something like a "delivery note", that can be really useful.

Luckily, I wrote a post (http://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2014/12/so-far-so-good.html) with stitches' count and the rough pattern is jotted on my notebook, too. It is "quad_23" in the album "granny's squares" in Flickr (the link to the album is in the page "Tutorials and sets in Flickr" from the menu bar).

Did you spot the missed join? It's Harold Finch's fault (watching "Person of interest", a TV series).

These little motifs are the tatted daisy by Mrs. Odum but I changed the stitches' count, they will go inside transparent key-holders. Thread is Lizbeth size 80.

What tatting next? If, by any chance, I find again the UFOs' bag, there's an edging and the xmas' doily started in December. Then I found a shawl tatted with the magic square pattern, used for a bride, it's spectacular (see it here: http://www.georgiaseitz.com/younkin/younkin.html). I should buy the thread first or maybe I can use that silk that I bought two years ago... Then there's the rings' pillow that I wish to tat for my second son (at page 8, fig.23 of  Priscilla Tatting book #1). Then ... who knows?

Do I need tatting patterns? I've just had a look on google! And you?

I love exploring tools in internet and (well - OK - I'm a bit late) I've just discovered Google Trends, a site that everybody can use to explore how much and where in the world a topic/subject is searched on Google. I've entered "tatting lace", of course, and found that the general interest is decreasing in time (from 2004) and the most frequent query is for tatting patterns. What is your feeling? I think that in general that's positive because there's many who wants to tat something new or wants to learn to.  Another thing I noted is that tatting is listed as a possible "subject" while crocheting or knitting are "hobby" for Google Trends. Someone should tell them.

So I started my query with "tatting lace patterns". I had 438.000 results in 0.28 seconds! A diligent tatting computer indeed! The first in the list of results it is the tatting page at Allcraft: http://allcrafts.net/tatting.htm .  I love that page, I've already tatted something from there, for example the Christmas Berry Wreath (http://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2013/12/surprising-softness.html).

Anyway, no matter what the to-do list contains, tatting is or should be always done with enthusiasm and joy, that's the better way to face any tatting plan for 2016! At least that's my excuse to have failed to tat 10 bookmarks in 2015! I have only one real challenge in my life for the end of this year: to reach the Level 16 in the "Online game to end hunger" (follow the link in the upper right sidebar)!!! My best is only the 8th!

Ciao,
Ninetta

UPDATE: link for the shawl by Jean Younkin: https://web.archive.org/web/20010305213435/http://www.georgiaseitz.com/younkin/younkin.html

july is finished

... and so the bookmark, even you all there outside have been keeping me distracted with great tips and inspirations from previous post! As a result, this time the tail is very short!!! I think I'd start a bracelet, but with thicker thread. That was dmc, size 80. I added a better picture in flickr, click on image to follow the link:

Another pic: do you recognize the similar pattern from Mrs Odum's daisy?

This is the back:

...and the tail, where I played with a sort of vertically curled rings, that is first I tatted a daisy (all rings 6-6-6-6) with the red-purple thread and those little rings 6ds with the white, in the same manner that I did them in the tail but around the thread over the hand; then I tatted rings 6 vsp 12 +(join to vsp) 6, "hugging" two contiguous purple rings:

... the back of the daisy:

Love those colors together, they are similar to colors of this flower that I bought, but sorry I can't remember its name:

I'd also like showing a panorama, in the back you can see the Gran Sasso mountain, the highest in the center of Italy. It's taken from a place used to be populated till 1960s, then emptied for emigration and a lot of house ruined because people never came back.

There's a lovely silence, only birds and wind, most time of the year. Then some of the houses get to life again in August, when people, usually sons or grandsons of old residents, come on holiday.

Ciao,
Ninetta