Just a little lace

First I would like to share some bookmarks I have made for the Arachne email ring exchange.  

I love taking part in these exchanges and will take some pics of my received bookmarks for next post.

This is Louise Colgan's hummingbird.  

I intended to take part in her workshop last year, but didn't make it.

I still want to work the workshop piece, but this Milanese tape will do for starters.

I think I will sew it on to a black shirt when I get some time :) 

My next doll is making progress...the week before last I finished the skirt...

And last week I added the bodice...

 Tomorrow I will add the arms and she will be ready for the first firing.

 Meanwhile, my friend has finished the doll she made with the lace I designed and helped her make.

Enough for now...off to read up on Porcelain doll making for ideas for the next doll....

tatting for a cause

On the 15th of August my world fell apart when my partner was diagnosed with eosophagus cancer.

I have made very little lace, although I have a collar to show when I get around to downloading the camera and the doll length is slowly growing.

In the meantime, while waiting for treatments at the hospital, I tried tatting.  At first I tried to continue a doily I was working on when this all started, but although the pattern was simple enough, the task was just too much.

I dug out this stumpy pattern...I will have to find the link for you as it is not my design. It is quick and simple and I can manage almost a full bookmark at each treatment session.  I have found that each time a patient, carer or staff member smiles in grateful thanks, I feel just that little bit better and can return the smile.  I have already given away a full ball of verigated yellow stumpies.

Tomorrow is the last chemo treatment, but in a little over 3 weeks, Colin has to undergo a major surgery.  I have asked if I can continue to make the bookmarks and the reception ladies will distribute the bookmarks for me.  They think it is a great idea! 

75 Motifs in less than 3 years!!

Number 22 is a little round-tuit.

Number 23 is a nice mix of open and filled spaces.

Number 24 is not quite what I was after, but could be tweeked.

Number 25 is a tatted take on a crochet granny square...maybe need the colours to see it, but that was the inspiration.

so there you have it...25 motifs of my own designs..the 3rd in less than 3 years! When I started this one, I thought I was crazy!!

I will post all 25 motifs over the weekend and find the most popular 15 of the collection to write up and publish.

BTW, I completed the last corner of my Bucks hankie today...only 7 more "hills" to go!!

Cheers for now, lace day tomorrow so watch this space come Sunday :)

More of my 25 motifs

Number 17...a little celtic twist.

Number 18...
Number 19 (just a note...looks great in 2 colours, but I'm afraid you will have to wait to see that)
I like the josephine knots, but have not found a lot of patterns using them.

Number 20...not sure about this one, but it also has not worked as I had in mind...may have another go at the idea and see what happens.

And number 21. This is done in a single round and has an interesting twist.

There has been many things on the go this past few weeks. Some will be able to be shared later on, but for now, please enjoy the rare offerings I can show you. Don't forget to share your thoughts before you go...your support is always appreciated.

Happy lace making and warmest regards from cold, cold Northern Tasmania.

Tatting about

I cannot share my bobbin lace projects at the moment, suffice it to say there has been lots and there will be something worth waiting for soon :)

Meanwhile, I have been doing a little bit of tatting in the truck this last week or so.

Motif number 13 for the 25 motif challenge is not one of my favorites, but here it is anyhow.

Here is motif 14 - I like this one :)
Number 15 is simple, and probably my favorite from this batch.

Number 16 is kinda cute too.

All the motifs so far have been made with DMC cordonnet special 20 shade 554.

When I have finished the 25, I am planning to pick the best 15 to write up the patterns and put together in a booklet. Have you picked your favorite yet?

Finally, I have completed 4 dragon wing doilies by Anne Bruvold. You can find the pattern here.

I usually make large doilies, but these will make fantastic coasters for my SIL.

I will try to take pics of the 2 larger crotcheted blankets for the next post for Kathy and there will be some more glass to share too.

Until then, thanks for visiting, don't forget to say hi before you go and I hope your days are filled with lots of love, lace and laughter...take good care :)

Students, motifs and glass

First of all I want to share some of my students work!

This is going to be a curtain for a dolls house and is the first project outside a few small samplers.

You can see the first spider...a fete that was more pleasing than my friend at the front door (for some)!!

One of the other ladies completed this flower from Rosemary Shepherd's Fantasy Flowers book. It is a gift for a young friend of hers, and she was completely delighted with the completed article...now she is well into one for herself!

25 Motif Challenge number 8...ok it may be better if I blocked it properly...

Number 9 - I like this one, but I was intending to put the trefoils in the corners?!?

Number 10 - I like this one even more - but I was still aiming to have the trefoils in the corner!!??!!

Number 11 - with the trefoils in the corner - yay...but maybe another round is needed?

And number 12 - I love this one, despite the mistake (or mistakes?) in the bottom right corner.

Actually I intended to join the chain as I did here, but did the next 2 wrong and liked that better. Completed with the same join, it would be more square and even better, I did it with split chains so no sewing threads in each round :))))))))))

The next few pics are a selection from the next firing of beads. Not all are included, but I think I am making some progress! There have been 2 breakages, both of which were delightful beads, so now the challenge is to remake them!!

These first are made with dark fossil - a mixed colour rod - and I really like the effect.

A selection of lady bugs in different red (and blue) glasses. D(Step)S loves the transparent red one on the top right. Quite a compliment from a 17 year old!
Next, some blue lavender transparents with trailing decoration. I found this easier than using stringers and fun to do.

Finally, I have saved the best til last!

I love this cute little turtle...hope you do too!

If you are still here, thanks for reading this rather looonnnggggg post!! Hope you have enjoyed :)

Til next time, stay safe and enjoy the best things in life - lace, friends and sunshine!

Just tatting about

This batch of tatting designs cannot even claim to be in my head...more in my hands.

What I mean is I had no clear thought of what I wanted to do.

I just tat!

25 motif challenge piece number 5 - kinda cute, but I think I was aiming for square.

Here is number 6 - I LOVE this one!! I can see it joined to create a solid area or just by the corners to create a checker board effect, fine thread for a shawl or heavy thread for a bed cover...A very pleasing morning's work!!
This is piece number 7 - it has taken 3 days, and like the others it has "just happened".

I did sit the middle on a serviette and doodle, but discarded the numerous designs that emerged from that exercise.

It needs blocking, and I think it is sweet, but I really don't want to make a whole tablecloth from this design.


Please enjoy...and let me know what you think.

Warmest of regards,

Cotton, glass and wire

Here goes 25 motif challenge number 3!!

I thought about making 25 coasters...there are some gorgeous patterns out there in blogland and beyond!

But...I was reminded of my design tat course this week, and my ambition to make a tablecloth or bedspread in tatting, so I have decided to see if I can design 25 motifs this coming year, then choose 1 of them (or maybe more) to start work on that tablecloth or bedspread!

2 days in the truck and here is the start to my new challenge...

Number 1...I do like this one :)

Number 2...not like the drawing, and the spokes need to be a touch longer to make it sit right, but passable I think?

Number 3 is no closer to the drawing, but I kinda like it too :)

Number 4 come about from a piece that I cut off, then played with. I think this one might join nicely, and allow for some more experimenting in that process to create some lighter areas to balance the dense rings...

Tomorrow, I plan on playing with the glass again! Some serious trolling of the internet has my head bursting with ideas to try out. Most of them will have to wait until I have a bit more experience, but I have a few ideas ready to go now.

Here is a necklace I have put together as a Christmas gift.The next two pics have not scanned so well, but you can get the idea!

Here are the final 10 Christmas tree decorations to go with my cards. You cannot see it very well, but I used 2 colours in each plait, and the 'real life' effect is quite pretty.

Finally, the last of the necklaces for Christmas! I love the black/silver colour combination, but I had soooo much trouble with breaking wire in this project, and there is a leaf missing - it fell out when I pulled the pins and I decided not to remake the section!

I am thinking the tension was in me, as the same wire was used in the pieces above and I didn't break a single wire then.

Sorry about the pic quality - I might take a real photo tomorrow!

That is long enough for now...thanks for reading on :)

Don't forget to let me know what you think before you go.

Christmas hugs for all in this busy final week of crazy!

My Fantastic Weekend

This beautiful book was the last gift from my greatly missed Mother-in-law.

It has been the soure of the best weekend I've had in a very long time.

Let me explain...

The Australian email ring Gumnuts called for participants to a workshop, in Melbourne, Victoria.

The workshop tutor was to be Yvonne Scheele-Kirkhof - the author of this book!

LOML knows that I love this book and suggested that I find out more about the workshop

- an invitation that was never going to be ignored!!

And so, my Christmas pressie has been attendance at the workshop in Victoria ... yaayyyyyyy!!!!

Let me show you the progress on day 1!

Not much, I hear you say???

Well no...but there was a lot of mind-bending happening and many new techniques learned...I have never made Withof lace before, you see.

Here is the result of the 2 days!

Not perfect, I know, but with practice, this type of lace will become a favorite.

I feel it in my finger bones :)

Travelling to Victoria meant 2 hours on a plane, 20 minutes on a bus, 40 minutes on a train, an evening in a motel room, and several hours hanging around in airpot lounges

- What is a girl to do?!?!?!?

TATTING of course!!!

Bookmarks 15, 16 and 17 for my 25 motif challenge!

(You thought I had forgotten, did'nt you Sharon VBG)

This is one of Lace Lovin' Librarian's favorite patterns at the moment, and I have discovered why!

It is "Stumpy"

I have made them all in perle 8 verigated thread - just odd bits left over from some bobbin lace projects.

Throw in meeting 4 Gumnuts among the 11 Victorian Lacemakers, an entertaining evening with one Gumnut and her husband and watching Yvonne throw the bobbins as she demonstrated various techniques and you may understand why this post is thus titled!!

Happy lace making to all my bloggy friends...hope you are enjoying your lace as much as I do at the moment!

Happy New Year

I hope that this year will be everything you want it to be!

Here is a pic of the completed fan, mounted on sticks and sunning itself in the pansies.

I have to admit that I am charmed at the end result, and the recipient was happy too.

25 motif challenge

We will call this one no 19 - sorry about the photo - camera is not happy at the moment :(
(actually completed Christmas morning at its new home - phew, I leave things til the last minute!)

Numbers 20, 21 and 22

Numbers 23, 24 and 25 are complete, but photo is not recognisable, so will try again later.

Now for the New Year Project!

My aim this Summer is to make the ring pillow (lessons 7-10) from Barbara Underwood's Floral Beds in 20 Lessons book.

I hope it is not true that what starts the new year will continue as I cut this off this morning!

I started it a couple of days ago in finca 60 (labelled as equivellent to tanne 50 as called for in the pattern), but having unpinned the first repeat this morning, and wanting to complete the whole pillow, I think I will like it much better in finca 80. Life is just too short to make the whole thing in a thread I am not happy with!

Hmmmm...shades of Barbara's workshop there as the same thing happened - lesson not learned!

While waiting for pics to download, I made the first ring on the final round of the Lizbeth doily, and have now cut that off too :(

I am going to go focus on the first pattern repeat on the tatting, then wind bobbins and start the ring pillow again! There WILL be progress today!!

Happy New Year everyone, thanks for the friendship and kind words throughout 2009, and I really look forward to the continued friendships and sharing in 2010.