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.

Motif Twenty-two: Beaded Flip Flops in Block Tatting

Just for fun.

Motif Twentyone--A Failed Attempt

I picked up some special varigated DMC embroidery floss at Hobby Lobby a while back. I forget its name, but it had very attractive soft colors. (I separated the floss into 2 ply to tat with it.) At the same time, I got some Bead Treasures beads which are like a batch of varigated colors--blues, purple, green, bronze--all together in the tube. The beads and the thread looked great next to each other. Unfortunately, I did not choose an appropriate pattern.

If you are going to be putting beads on picots, make sure the picots are not too close together.

The beads are bumping into each other, making it hard for the piece to lie flat, and overwhelming the delicate thread color. (It looks better in the scan than real life.) On top of that, my tension was not even, so one wing is bigger than the other. This was originally supposed to be for the Palmetto competition, but I was unhappy with it and left it at home. If I ever get around to the blue jean bag challenge, this would be a good piece for that.

Not a Motif

You may have noticed my blog entries have been few and far between. Here is why--I've been busy with this new book. It's finished at last! You can go to my website to find out more:

http://www.home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-tatsamore

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.