Motif Twenty--Jane's Gecko

Here is Jane Eborall's gecko, one of my favorite recent patterns. Look for it here: http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~nickeb/

The thread is a Valdani pearl cotton. It's not as smooth and shiny as a regular perle cotton, but not as "matte finishe" as Caron Wildflowers. It's too bad the eye beads don't show up. When the light hits them, they sparkle with the same colors as the thread.

Motifs Eighteen - Nineteen: Bookmarks

Here are a pair of bookmarks I made for an exchange in June. (Yes, I'm still behind with my blog entries, but I'll be done with my new pattern book Real Soon Now and get back to normal.)

The one on the right is one of Jane Eborall's patterns.

The one on the left is the Maltese ring bookmark I will be teaching at the Palmetto convention. I started with an edging by Mlle. Riego and substituted different types of Maltese rings in the middle and decreased the number of little rings in the outer part. Maltese rings are not as hard as they look.

Motif Seventeen -- 3D Watering Can

Is a 3D object a motif? It had better be. I've been neglecting this poor blog of late. The watering cans and flower pot are a little something different I made up for the Palmetto TatDay with its flower garden theme this year. This will be the project in one of the classes I am teaching. The pink one is made in Cebelia size 10, the blue and brown varigated is Caron Wildflowers, and the tan is a vintage size 20.

Motif Sixteen--Small Doily = Large Motif

This is the Celtic Sugar and Spice Doily, pattern by Tina Neudorf from her book "Needle Tatting from the Heart". Tina has quite a few really nice patterns in this book, and you can make them with shuttles or needles. I used size 30 Omega thread.

I made this doily as part of the monthly tatting exchanges organized by Mary Donohue. The exchanges have a different theme each month, like bookmarks or butterflies. I think some people participate every month. Others, like me, join in now and then as time permits. I think it is a lot of fun to exchange a piece of tatting with your partner--often you get to see a pattern or type of thread that is new to you. You can more information about the exchanges on Mary's site at http://tinyurl.com/2lx368

Motif Fifteen -- Debbie Flork's Kokopelli

This is Debbie Flork's cute little Kokopelli which you can find on Jane Eborall's site http://www.e.n.e.btinternet.co.uk/

I chose it as a quick little motif to try out a new thread, DMC Quick Finish Senso Harlequin (a cotton/acrylic blend). It comes in lots of pretty varigateds. This is a really thick thread which reminds me a little of Lustersheen. I am happy to report that it is tat-able, but get out your big shuttles since an Aero bobbin will hold just 2 yards.

I usually avoid big threads, but I had been looking for something to decorate a shirt with that wouldn't take forever to put an edging around the neckline. Unfortunately,though the ball looked great next to the shirt, the tatted up piece seems to clash with it, so I'll have to find something else to do with it.

Motif Fourteen -- A New Heart

This is the heart I made for the Hearts with Wings exchange last month. I wanted to experiment with using different "textures" in the same piece. The split ring lattice work in the center is a technique I learned from Mark Myers.

The silver metallic thread is Oren Bayan on a spool that I got from Lyn Morton at http://www.tatting.co.uk/ It tats very nicely. The blues are Cebelia size 30, shades 797 and 800.

Motif Thirteen -- Happy Presidents' Day

Here is Honest Abe Tatbead in honor of Presidents' Day. (Or maybe it's one of the Smith Brothers, but I don't know when Coughdrop Day is.)








This is, of course, based on Jane Eborall's wonderful Tatbead family. Check them out at http://www.e.n.e.btinternet.co.uk/beadpeople.htm

and more on her blog http://janeeborall.blogspot.com

These are a lot of fun to make.