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.

Motif Twelve -- An old heart, redesigned

Here is an extreme makeover of a heart I designed a few years ago. This one is in DMC size 80.

Below, I'll describe some of the (re)designing steps.















This was the original. Some of my friends like it just fine, but I wasn't satified. I think the leaves are too large in proportion to the grapes, and that large green area seems unbalanced with the whole.

For the next attempt, I will add another row to the grape bunch and make it a little wider so that it occupies more of the heart interior.

Also, the lower part of the heart outline had been worked with 4 shuttles making 2 chains concurrently. I was trying for an over/under interweaving effect, but the payoff in effect wasn't worth the bother. I plan for split rings with a SLT in between for the next version.

I work the grape cluster and the heart outline in some old ecru thread. (That's a great use for the old partial balls that came in lots from ebay -- a tip I thank Jane for.) Then I turn to one of my favorite designing tools -- the Xerox machine. I tat a few leaves in different sizes and move them around on the picture like puzzle pieces to see where they can go, and then pencil in some stems.





I also experiment with some markers to work on the colors. The green foliage at the top needs more green at the bottom of the heart
for balance. I will replace the intertwining bit with green rings.









This is the actual ecru rough draft with two different versions of the stems. Remember rough drafts will be rough. You can try more than one thing on the same motif or round. There will be big ugly knots and loose threads.







For the next draft, I change to colored threads. This is showing progress, but not quite good enough yet. The curve at the sides is not smooth enough, which could be helped with changing the points where the leaves join. There is too much overlapping in the stem area which might just need blocking, but probably needs moving the placement of those little rings. What gradually dawns on me, and bothers me most is that the top is too flat and needs more cleft. After a deal of thought, I decide to omit the center ring of the upper row of grapes and pull the outline downward. Of course this will mean major changes to the leaf section.

So again, I tat the grapes and the outline and do the puzzle piece experimentation with the leaves. Since there's less space available, there are fewer possibilities, which simplifies matters. After one false start which I cut away, I make the version of the leaves and decide it will do.

Motif Eleven -- Another bookmark gift

This one is the Flowery SCMR Bookmark by Jane Eborall http://www.e.ne.e.btinternet.co.uk

Jane is one of my all time favorite designers.

I made this with size 8 perle cotton. (Actually I made a few in different colors, but only managed to scan this one.)

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE

Motifs Nine and Ten -- Two by Julie Patterson

I took Julie Patterson's Candy Cane ornament and added some decorative picots, and then I gave it a tassel since I was giving bookmarks as Christmas presents. The cross is her pattern Diamonds and Pearls. The SCMRs help this cross to work up pretty quickly. She has so many great bookmark patterns. She and Toni Storer share a website at http://www.twoaussietattingtwits.com
The website link doesn't work anymore.  Can anyone fine the candy cane pattern with the Wayback Machine?

Motif Eight: Deb's Sea Horse

This is a another pattern from the folder. This one is Deb Arnold's Sea Horse made with Omega size 30. Just for practice, I used the directional tatting/wrapped stitches for the chains. I hadn't used that technique in quite a while and was pleasantly surprised how quick and easy that motion soon became.

You can get the pattern at http://www.ds9designs.com/patterns_free/seahorse.jpg

While you're there, check out the rest of the site. I'm still drooling over the varigated threads.

Motif Seven - Wally's Thankful Heart

I've got this big folder of internet patterns to make someday. (Doesn't everyone?) This seemed like a good opportunity to pull some of those out.

This one is Wally Sosa's Thankful Heart. You can get the pattern at http://needles-n-shuttles.com/thnxheart.html

I worked it in Cebelia size 30.

Motif Six -- Candy Corn

One of the many good things about Halloween is getting to eat the leftover candy, and candy corn is one of my favorites. ( I meant to post a little sooner after Halloween, but I ran out of weekend before I ran out of things to do!)

I made this with 3 ply of embroidery floss. I have a bag of old cross stitch supplies, so for small motifs I find floss to be an excellent quick source for colors I need.