Royal Melbourne Show Results 2012

A quick blog today, as I am determined to have a family day and some time out from a very busy few weeks.

I entered the Royal Melbourne Show again this year, and created a 3D flower display (using Linda Davies ‘Tatted Flowers from Bulbs’ book) of one of my favourite paintings. I will take a photo when I get my entry back, as the photos I took before submitting the entry aren’t very good. I found out yesterday that my entry received a ‘commendation’….I am excited and can’t wait to see the other entries. There were quite a few more tatting entries in this years’ show, confirming for all of us tatters that this is not a ‘dying craft’.

Finishing my show entry marks the end of another 12 month show ‘journey’ for me. I have learned so much more this year about tatting techniques and design as well as making contact with a number of tatting ‘glitterati’ through various tatting forums. I am planning  quite a few other tatting adventures for the next 12 months, including some more patterns I have designed and will publish via this blog. I also really want to diagram and trial tat more of the Norma Benporath patterns in the ‘in tatters trove’ project.

Last night I got onto the long list of tatting projects I have been stockpiling this year. I finally began to learn Sherry Pence’s ‘branching encapsulation’  from her book of the same title. Here is my attempt at the first ‘lesson’. I found it a bit fiddly with so many threads, but not impossible. I like the creative potential of this technique and so will persevere with practicing this and working through the lessons Sherry has outlined. I like the pictures and careful instructions, very easy to follow!

I’m not the best photographer, as you an see, but below is a picture of my challenge to tat from a picture only. I have commenced the fourth row and did settle on using the flower patterns from Lyn Morton’s book: Tatting Patterns. Lyn’s pattern allows for different coloured centers to the flowers. Lyn’s flower pattern also reminds me of the technique for a hanky edging from one of my vintage books, as the chain is forming the petals. It is a lovely simple flower, and I think it will work well in this doily.

Thinking about the long list of projects I want to begin, I wonder if you have a list too? What is the project you are most looking forward to beginning?

As always, Happy Tatting

Fiona T