Happy Thanksgiving

Another pattern progression for you.

Rough Draft--Part 3

The story thus far: I had failed at making a maple leaf, but thought the shape suggested an eagle. My first attempt to turn it into an eagle led instead to a baby bird. Now it's time to try to turn that chick into an adult eagle.

Again I let the shapes speak to me, to suggest what they wanted to be. I know it sounds funny, but it's hard to describe. Think of it as doing "free association" but with shapes instead of words.

I decided that the key to the eagle was to turn the wings upside down. I was very pleased with the next draft, despite a mis-start with the tail. From there, it was just tweaking for the final shape. Designers's trick: note how some of the birds have two different wing treatments. If it's not going to be a final draft, a piece doesn't have to be neat or symmetrical. By trying different things in the same piece, you can cut down the number of drafts. I once made a snowflake with 5 different points. Better to have one really ugly one than to make five separate ones before getting it right in my opinion.

Rough Draft, Part 2

Those of you who guessed I saw a bird here were right on the money, so give yourselves a pat on the back. Actually, I looked at the first rough draft (the failed maple leaf, remember) and thought I saw an American eagle. I worked another draft, but it looked more like a baby bird than an eagle. But that's OK, a baby bird might be useful. Then it's just a few tweaks for shaping. Note how I begin working in cheap, plentiful "ebay ecru" and switch to the good thread as I get closer to the end.

I wonder if there's still an eagle in there somewhere.

Rough Draft

Sometimes rough drafts are really, really rough.

I was trying for a maple leaf, but this is just dismal, even by first draft standards.

But--I think I see a different shape hiding in there, trying to get out.

What do you think it is?

Motif Twenty-five+ Happy Halloween

Well, here I am, two days short of my one year challenge (I was a late bloomer). This has been a lot of fun and I expect to start over again. The Motif Challenge has been one of my favorite source of eye candy and I owe many thanks to Sharon for keeping us all posted on the many pretties to look at.

You see here Carol Amich's "Scaredy Cat" plus some odds and ends of my own devising destined for a future book.

Motif Twenty-four: Getting It Right

The motif in the upper corner is one of the small hearts from my book, Tat's Amore. Sometimes the hard part about designing is not coming up with the idea, but doing it over and over until it comes out right. Some of these have major changes from the one before and some are only one stitch different. Even after I thought I had gathered up all of these, I would come across another one. There may be still more lurking about.

Motif Twenty-three: Jane's Palmetto Frog

This is Jane Eborall's frog from Palmetto Tat Days. I had just exactly 32 red bugle beads in my mixed bead package, whew! The head is a little oversized though. My biggest beads for the eyes weren't the size called for, and I overcompensated a bit. This was quick and fun, and I'll make it again someday when I get some good beads.