Reinventing the Wheel

I love old fashioned tatting.  One of my favorites is the classic wheel motif. 

Yes, this one here.

It turns out the wheel is quite well suited to be adapted to buttons.  Simply omit the center ring and join the small rings directly to the button.

There is no "one true" pattern for the wheel.  The number of stitches or picots may vary as long as the concept is the same.  For the blue wheel above, worked with size 20 thread, the inner rings are 5 + 5 and the outer rings are 5 ± 3 – 2 – 2 – 2 – 2 – 3 ± 5.  The buttons here are about 1/2 inch diameter.  

Totally independently, my friend Stephanie was making wheels with buttons about the same time.  Her stitch count was similar, but her buttons were a bit bigger, around 5/8 inch.  Tension and the length of the bare thread spaces and picots may play a part in the difference.  You can make your rings a little bigger or smaller to fit whatever buttons you have.

Guess what else the wheel can adapt to? Ice drops!  I'll be teaching that at Palmetto TatDays in September.

Butterfly names

I'm usually not much good at coming up with pattern names.  And I don't know a lot about real life butterflies. Thanks to a link to a butterfly book shared by Little Grey Bungalow, I see there is a family of butterflies called Fritillary (or Fritillaria) close enough in shape I can use it to name my large butterfly.

But what to do with my small butterflies?  They may have to remain "Two-Button Butterfly" and "Four-Button Butterfly" if I can't come up with anything.

Humongous Psychedelic Teapot

When I started working on a book of tatting patterns with buttons, I just assumed I had plenty of buttons on hand.  But when the time came to test the patterns with larger threads, I was surprised to discover how few large buttons I actually had.  Not to mention how little good quality size 10 thread.  Going shopping was out of question this weekend, so I stirred and stirred through my buttons until I found a handful about the same size.  Worked up in size 10 thread, it came to 6 3/4 inches across.  I thought it was garish, if not scary at first, but I think it is growing on me.

Things are looking good right now to have the book finished in early September.  I'll keep my fingers crossed.

By the way, I am no longer getting email notifications when there are comments awaiting moderation.  I don't know if that's a Blogger thing or a Yahoo mail thing.  I try to remember to check, but sometimes I forget.

Button Doily

For my upcoming book of button tatting patterns, I've been working up various types of motifs -- butterflies, angels, hearts, amulet bags -- but I had a vague yearning for something else.  How about a little doily?  And a marquise shape would be much more interesting than a circle, right?

I Love Buttons

One of the reasons I haven't been blogging very much is because I have been busy trying to put together a new book, and the theme is tatting with buttons.  Some patterns with a single button, and some with lots of buttons.  Watch this space for news.

Most people who know me know I like to tat with buttons. One of my favorite things is to pour out a jar full of buttons and sort through them, looking for just the right ones to put together for a project.

You just can't have too many buttons.  I went shopping the other day and bought just a few more.

Have You Seen Me?

When designing small, simple patterns, sometimes you can accidentally come up with something that has been done before.

Does anyone recognize this angel as something that has already been done? Or similar enough to a previous pattern? 

More From Lodi

Here are class projects from the Finger Lakes conference, going clockwise.  The theme was "Fantasia," so the hippo is Jane's pattern adapted by Ginny Weathers to be one the dancing hippos from the movie.  I still need to add the tutu skirt which will be made from tulle net that Ginny provided.

The cluny snowflake taught by Mimi Dillman that I showed you last time.

A Faery designed by Karey.  She provided the dolls and we tatted the clothing and wings.  Her pattern included making the doll so I can make more later if I want.

The angel is from a class by K Boniface.  She adapted vintage edgings to make new motifs, just my sort of thing.  I changed the joins in the last row a little.  There were 3 more little motifs in her handout, which I will get to later.

I always enjoy my time at this conference.  It is rather relaxed and informal.  They feed you wonderful home cooked food at every meal. And Karey is such  delightful person, I always enjoy her company, and that of many other regular attendees.