Pretty blue doily edge finished

This lovely little doily just needs the ends sewn in and a little blocking. It is from a Russian translation of an Italian book, gifted to me by a kind friend.

Blue doily edge. From Russian/Italian pattern. Size 50 Altin basak blue thread paired with Lizbeth 40 rainbow taffy.

This has been my standby project, so I will need to find something else to have in its place.

Edit: here is an image of the book cover, as requested in the comments.

I haven’t been tatting very much this year as I have been time crocheting and knitting. One of the bigger pieces I made was a crocheted item for a commissioned yarn bombing at a shopping centre. It was a fun project to be part of.

I do miss my shuttles though, so I hope to have some of the new coloured threads on my shuttle soon to share some eye candy with you.

Until next time

Happy tatting

Fiona T

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The last Tat it and See from Jane

Well, I tried to make it last as long as I could, but I finished off the tat it and see (TIAS) this weekend. The cute little mermaid is finished. A huge thanks to Jane Eborall for once again planning, designing, diagramming and hosting this fun little project.  Here is a picture of my little mermaid, with her flowing green hair.

The images below shoe the progression of the project since January, when the pattern was released in small parts over on the TIAS blog. The guessing game that runs along side the pattern release is also fun to follow, with some creative tatters making images and poems to share their ideas too.

Did you take part in the TIAS this year? Feel free to link to your own blog in the comments to share your experiences too.

Until next time,

Happy tatting

Fiona T

 

Sending tatted squares to Brussels

There are a couple of big events happening in the international world of tatting at the moment. One is Jane’s Tat It and See game, which I have blogged about here a few days ago. The other is a new idea, Cathy from Brussels has invited the tatting community to contribute 10,000 tatted squares to be stitched together to cover a brussels monument later in 2018, during the world lace congress. To find out more about Cathy’s idea and get involved yourself, these links may help: http://www.canarithy.be/cinema.php and Cathy’s facebook page:  www.facebook.com/canarithy

Those who follow my page on facebook have already seen the progress of my squares. I managed to make nineteen squares from the skein of pink hand dyed #20 thread I bought from Alenalea. I usually work in #40 or #50 thread, so it was great that I could just buy a small amount (70m) to use for this special event. I posted them to Brussels yesterday, and hope they will get to Cathy in the next couple of weeks. I’ll keep an eye on her facebook page, as she has been putting up photos of the squares as they arrive to her.

There has also been a great discussion over at craftree.com as some tatters are trying other square patterns, and adapting them to be the size Cathy has stipulated.There is someone working on a Norma Benporath square to share. This has made for interesting reading and if I had more time I would love to play with an older pattern too.

Are you following along with these projects? Perhaps you are contributing too? Let me know in the comments.

Until next time, happy tatting

Fiona T

Jane’s 2018 TIAS begins

Well it’s that time of year again, Jane Eborral has just launched the 2018 Tat It And See (TIAS).

Here is the link for the Day 1 pattern https://janeeborall.blogspot.com.au/2018/01/day-1.html

And a link to the TIAS blog, so you can follow along as people progress: https://tatitandsee.blogspot.com.au/ 

For those who are new: the TIAS is a pattern which Jane shares in little parts every few days. What we are actually making is a mystery, which leads to a guessing game along side the pattern release.  Jane encourages us to take pictures as we go along and send them into her to share on the TIAS blog. It is a wonderful international event for tatters. You can pick up your shuttles and join in too!

Here is my work so far:

Have you joined in with the TIAS before?

Until next time, happy tatting

Fiona T

Merry Christmas angelinas 2017

Merry Christmas to everyone who follows one mad tatter. Here is a picture of my Christmas tatting this year, some of Alenalea’s angelinas. The pattern is available from her etsy store. 

This year I made seven of these gorgeous ornaments for some very special people in my life. They stand at about 2.5cm high and are made in size 40 thread. 

I hope you have a joyful holiday season, where ever you are in the world. I hope 2018 brings crafting fun for you too. 

Until next time, happy tatting 

Fiona T 

Tatted Ammonites – TAP exhibition

This week was very exciting for me. It was the first time I have had my crafting efforts recognised as art. I was invited to submit a piece to the TAP (Teacher as Practitioner/Teacher Artmaker Project) and fringe exhibition https://www.facebook.com/TeacherAsPractitioner/. This year’s theme was ebb and flow.

To come up with an idea for submission, I contemplated the theme ebb and flow. In my mind ebb and flow refers to gentle movements. These gentle movements over time may lead to changes in how we perceive nature. Invariably I kept coming back to water, and the idea of the ebb and flow of the tide. As a biologist this reminded me of the amazing fossils which have been revealed because of the relentless motion of the tides. This natural process has revealed fossils which were hidden for vast tracts of time. The discovery of these artefacts has lead to a variety of scientific understandings. One of the most famous (and most common) fossils are those of the ammonite’s which lived 65-400 million years ago. So I tatted a representation of an ammonite ‘fossil’ using thread and beads.

I knew I wanted to use Marilee Rockley’s pattern (from her Craftsy class), but I wanted to make it slightly bigger to display as part of a scene. The threads I had of the correct colour was size 80. Making one in this size was quite small, and I incorporated it into the final piece, but it was too small to be the main feature. I needed some help.

At the next Melbourne tat and chat I was able to explain my idea to Lea, from Alenalea’s Tatting and she bravely took on the challenge of hand dying size 10 thread to match my sample fossils, and in particular lengths so I could wind the shuttles CTM (continuous thread method) without measuring or wasting thread.  Within a week I had the thread in my hands. She had also made an extra sample in size 7 thread for me to test. Thanks Lea, you are a thread genius!

I ended up completing three tatted ammonites, and displayed them on a felt covered board. The layers of the felt represent the geological earth layers and the ocean. You can interact with the display to move the tide and ‘discover’ the small fossil. In this way I feel the piece invited people to be participate in the art experience. My piece was displayed with a few other fibre based objects.  I will have to get a photo of the full display next week, as I forgot to take one on opening night.

I wonder, do you think of your craft as art?

Until next time, happy tatting

Fiona T

 

A curated list of over 50 tatting blogs :)

**Edit August 12th 2017- this blog post has had so many hits, I have made it into it’s own permanent page: https://onemadtatter.wordpress.com/links-to-over-50-other-free-tatting-blogs/  

A list has been circulating proclaiming the ‘top 75 tatting blogs’ and then asking for credit card details to access the sites. When I realised my blog was on this list and that all of the blogs on the list are actually free to access, I was a bit annoyed (thanks to my followers who alerted me to this situation too).

I don’t usually post curated lists of links as blog posts. I usually share sites, videos and products I have used. So, without changing my operating methods, this blog post is an extended listing of tatting blog sites I have visited and enjoy reading. If you would like to visit them too, simply click on the links 🙂 You can then choose to follow the bloggers through email or RSS feeds. And there is no monetary charge to access these links.

If you have a tatting blog that isn’t on this list, please add it in the comments (or message me through facebook- one mad tatter) and I will progressively add them to this blog post too. If I have listed your blog and you wish it to be removed, please let me know. If you want different information listed next to your link, please let me know about this too.

As always, happy tatting

Fiona T

• The list below is not exhaustive – it is a work in progress.
• Some listed sites have a descriptor next to them- this is either a short sentence from me or taken from the about page, if the blog has one.
• Blogspot attached a ‘.au’ ending to all blogspot blogs, as I am in Australia. This should not effect your ability to access the site, and don’t be concerned if the ‘.au’ ending changes to your countries ending.

http://www.lovelytatting.com/

We are a mother (Hye-oon) and daughter (Eunice) team residing in Seattle, Washington.  Hye-oon Lee started tatting twenty-five years ago. Within a year of learning how to tat, she started designing her own patterns. She is inspired by the natural world, and enjoys spending time outdoors with her family. Eunice Lee is a designer who enjoys taking photos. When she isn’t working in front of the computer, she is typically exploring the mountains of the Pacific Northwest, reading books, or watching movies.

http://tatknot.blogspot.com.au/

This is where I share my latest adventures in fiber and send people to begin their journey into the world of tatting. Enjoy your visit.

http://tattingtreasures.blogspot.com.au/

Christian SAHM to an empty nest, married 32+ years to my best friend–the hardest working man I know (preacher, teacher and farmer.) Two sons: (DS#1, DIL, GS#1-6 years, GS#2-2 years, Gchild infant, DS#2)

https://tattinghomework.wordpress.com

We are here to encourage tatters. Our classes meet weekly on line (see info below) looking at how to tat patterns. What’s tatting? Making lace with a shuttle or needle and thread.

http://25motifchallenge.blogspot.com.au/ Like the homework site, this is a place for those participating to post their pictures and progress with this challenge.

http://www.thethreadbears.com/blog/

The Thread Bears is the first tatting group formed in Western North Carolina. Located in Black Mountain, NC, the focus of our group is to generate and renew interest in the art of tatted lace, often referred to as finger lace. We share patterns, techniques and ideas centered around but not limited to tatting. Members of the group are artists in a number of fields as well.

http://mistenetats.blogspot.com.au/

https://agaveartesanias.com/ This blog will be dedicated to tatting and crocheting as I ´ve been experiencing them for the last three years . They are not only beautiful crafts but indeed a kind of concentration practice. So while we create our elegant laces or mandalas we will also improve our attention and visual memory. This blog it will dedicated to my pupils in tatting courses in Valencia and to everyone who would like to approach this kind of arts and learn them as active meditations.

 

https://lacegazette.com/ Canadian lacemakers gazette

The Canadian Lacemaker Gazette was first published in Spring, 1984 by a group of women from Denman and District Lace Club, located in British Columbi

Then, over the years, the Gazette was published in Toronto, Ottawa, and Sooke BC, and is now located in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

There are 38 Canadian lacemaking groups in our directory. We have subscribers in Canada, USA, England, France, Australia and send to other countries all over the world.

https://bridgecitytatting.blogspot.com.au/Jeff Hamilton’s blog- currently completing the monster doily from Jan Stawasz.

http://toptattyhead.blogspot.com.au/ Linda Davies blog- lots of lovely patterns and good videos for split rings and split chains amongst other things.

http://lafayettelacemakers.blogspot.com.au/

The purpose of this non-profit group is to develop an appreciation for the fine art of lacemaking. Through educational programs + workshops, our members have the opportunity to learn about, collect, preserve, and actually make the various laces that have made history.

https://margaretsdesignercards.blogspot.com.au/ Margaret is an avid tatter and very supportive member of the tatting blogging community.

http://hiskid66.blogspot.com.au/

https://pigminitatty.blogspot.com.au/ 

http://ladytats.blogspot.com.au/ 

http://danielamendola.blogspot.com.au/  My name is Daniela Mendola and I am fond of tatting. I love working with the shuttles, but mostly I like to conceive and design new patterns.

http://tattingbyjenn.blogspot.com.au/

https://oclairedelune.wordpress.com/ Claire’s blog-  french language (use google translate to read in your preferred language), beautiful tatting.

http://twoshuttles.blogspot.com.au/

http://heartsintatters.blogspot.com.au/

http://berkshiretatter.blogspot.com.au/

https://janeeborall.blogspot.com.au/ Jane Eborall’s blogs regularly here- keep up with BC3’s antics, ideas and patterns.

http://tatitandsee.blogspot.com.au/ Jane Eborall’s TIAS blog- Tat It and See – a mystery tat along game for all tatters. It is most active in January each year.

http://loopsofjoy.blogspot.com.au/

https://knotvortex.blogspot.com.au/

http://pamfreck.blogspot.com.au/

http://irisniebach.blogspot.com.au/ the tatting player- The brilliant Iris Niebach’s blog

http://dallaslacesociety.blogspot.com.au/ The Dallas Lace Society is a non-profit organization and a chartered chapter of International Organization of Lacers, Inc. Our purpose is to continue and promote the art of lacemaking through education and demonstration. Focusing on Bobbin-made laces, many members also participate in other types of lacemaking including crocheted, knitted, tatted, and needle-made laces.

http://battatter.blogspot.com.au/

http://theshuttlesmith.blogspot.com.au/

http://liyarrastattingnook.blogspot.com.au/

http://ginabea.blogspot.com.au/

https://tattedthreads.wordpress.com/ This is my tatting blog. I hope to include mileposts on my journey, as well as tips and tricks that might help other tatters.

http://cmhandmade.blogspot.com.au/

http://manda-tory.blogspot.com.au/

http://umintsuru.blogspot.com.au/

http://tatsakoolchallenge.blogspot.com.au

http://threadsofatattinggoddess.blogspot.com.au/ Gina B’s site- Gina passed away a few years ago, and the tatting world lost a great advocate and support. Her blog is still live, and maintained by her family as far as I know.

http://occhi-johanna.blogspot.com.au/ 

http://tatsheaven-churchlog.blogspot.com.au/

http://tat-ology.blogspot.com.au/ Fox’s blog

https://victats.blogspot.com.au/

http://marthas-tatting-blog.blogspot.com.au/

http://telamagistrae.blogspot.com.au

http://lacelovinlibrarian.blogspot.com.au/

http://yarnplayertats.blogspot.com.au/ Hello, my name is Marilee Rockley. I live in the exciting, culturally diverse area of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with my husband and 3 sons.

Over the years I’ve experimented with many fiber arts, but tatting remains my favorite. I discovered tatting in my youth when I found a small needlework how-to book stashed among my mother’s art books. Between those sketchy instructions, library books, and trial and error, I soon taught myself and fell in love with the art.

http://sharonstattedlace.blogspot.com.au/

http://www.be-stitched.com/ Nancy’s hobby blog, access to a range of patterns and information

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com.au/  Muskaan’s site- lots of photo tutorials and tips

https://tatsaway.blogspot.com.au/ Jon’s blog- great patterns and tips

http://tattingcentral.com/blog-2/

http://westpinecreations.blogspot.com.au/

http://timtatstoo.blogspot.com.au/

https://tennbrown.blogspot.com.au/ Carollyn’s tatting blog (MadTatter 80- be assured we are two different people lol)

https://onemadtatter.wordpress.com/  My blog (Fiona T)- but you already know this address- because you are here 🙂 I am a hobby blogger, science educator and crafty person. I share my current projects and ideas. This blog also serves as a ‘brains trust’ for me to keep track of my projects.

http://janemactats.blogspot.com.au/

http://shuttlecreations.blogspot.com.au/

http://www.wandasknottythoughts.com/

https://abctattingpatterns.com/blog/

http://phyls-handwork.blogspot.com.au/

http://tattingbythebay.blogspot.com.au/

http://northernlightslacemakers.blogspot.com.au/

http://totusmel.blogspot.com.au/ 

http://worldwidetatting.blogspot.com.au/ Kristen Fink’s tatting blog- Lovely tatting and book reviews too.

http://www.tattedtreasures.com/ Heather’s blog: Tatted treasures is dedicated to introducing tatting to the public, providing easy-to-follow instructions to learn this ancient art, and inspiring accomplished tatters with information and ideas.

http://renulek.blogspot.com.au/ Renulek’s blog is gorgeous. Every few months she conducts a tat-along, releasing large doily (napkin) patterns in stages over weeks. These gorgeous designs are diagrammed using annotated photographs of each round. Renulek has recently opened an ETSY shop and sells PDF versions of her full patterns.

http://backwoodstatter2010.blogspot.com.au/ Heather’s tatting blog.

http://rozellalinden.blogspot.com.au/

Knot a blog- but you-tube channels/facebook pages 😉 : 

http://entrelanzaderas.blogspot.com.au/2010/10/clases-de-frivolite-tatting-lessons.html Karen Cabererra’s blog, linking ot her fabulous tatting video tutorials

https://www.youtube.com/user/RustiKate/videos Rusti Kate’s tutorials

https://www.facebook.com/SparklingLightCreationStudio.GloriaNelson/  Needle tatting facebook page from the very helpful Gloria.

Other sites of interest to Tatters:

http://www.janeeborall.freeservers.com/Links.htm More helpful links for tatters from Jane.

http://www.somethingunderthebed.com/CURTAIN/TATTINGbiblio.html If you are wondering about a tatting book, this is the site to visit. It has over 1,000 reviews of published tatting books. M. Leigh Martin’s site.

http://www.bellaonline.com/site/tatting Georgia Seitz writes for Bella Online, and provides interesting commentary and links to antique patterns.

https://www.craftree.com Run by Kersti Anear and a dedicated group of admins, craftree is a social media site for tatters to connect and share. It houses the old ‘in tatters’ forums, which are a wealth of information for old and new tatters alike. You can use this site for free, or choose to become a member for a small monthly fee. Very welcoming group.

TIAS fun with Jane

Well, I know it is January as it is super hot here in Melbourne, the tennis is on and I am tatting the TIAS.  Every year for the last few years Jane Eborall has run a Tat it and see ( TIAS) on her blog. It has become something I really look forward to. It is fun for a few  of reasons, as the pattern is split up and released over a couple of weeks no-one but Jane and her test tatters know what it is, so it is a mystery. It also becomes a guessing game that tatters across the world get invovled in. There is a great sense of the international tatting community in this yearly event. Thanks Jane for all of the effort you put in to make sure this is such a fun and welcoming event. 

Here are some pictures of my work so far, day 1, 2 and 3. I am using altin basak green size 50 thread left over from the collar I made recently:

I’m really not sure what it is yet…my current guess is a horse…let’s see what day 4’s pattern brings.  

Until next time, happy tatting!

Fiona T 

1,500 likers giveaway- and the winners are…

Thanks to all the people who took time to comment on the blog and facebook page to enter this giveaway. There were some wonderful patterns shared, and some I hadn’t heard of either. The winners are: Australian prize (Craft pack including the 5 vintage books above posted to you)- Kristen Fink; International Prize (2015 snowflakes pattern and have a choice of 2 other patterns from Alenalea’s store– emailed to you) – Anne Fine.

I will contact you both through facebook and get details to send on your prizes.

This past week I have been busy marking, so  I decided to include one of my favourite patterns- this Anchor doily I made for my sister a long time ago. I really like this pattern for a few reasons:  it isn’t round, has a great balance and use of negative space and I was able to adapt the pattern to use split rings and chains so there were less ends to sew in. I also love the colours and used Altin Basak size 50 threads to make this to match my sister’s beautiful vintage cups. Here is a link to the post about the process of making this doily, and here is a link to the post about it being blocked and gifted. 

Until next time, happy tatting,

Fiona T

Revisiting the Tatted Tardis pattern

Last week I decided to tat another Tardis, and I dug out the pattern and threads to begin. I decided to try and get an idea of the amount of thread needed on each shuttle to make one, and measured out 4.5m of thread for each shuttle. As I had some thread left on each shuttle I will try again this week with 3 meters of thread – hopefully not too much left over.

This is a great pattern to practice split rings on, and there is one split chain too. Once mastered, these two techniques open up a lot of opportunities in tatting, including being able to reduce the number of ends to sew in on older patterns.

The Tardis pattern is one I adapted and shared a long time ago, that Anne Bruvold kindly added to her original version of the pattern as an adaptation Anne B’s Tatted Tardis, available for download from here: http://nuperelle.net/EngPatterns.htm . I have tweaked it again to add a white ring to act as the ‘notice’ on the window of the Tardis.

Don’t forget to enter the 1,500 liker giveaway by commenting on the blog from Sunday: 1,500 likers giveaway or over on the Facebook page under the post for the 1,500 likers blog link.

Until next time, happy tatting

Fiona T