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.

I Can Cluny

I was recently fortunate to attend the Finger Lakes Tatting Conference.  One of my classes was with Mimi Dillman, who is the master of cluny tatting. It was wonderful hearing her advice and seeing her samples of cluny work.  I had done a little with clunies before, but they never looked any where as nice as this class project I finished after I got home.

She showed us an easier way to form the cluny "loom" over our fingers.  You can see that method in this this YouTube video HERE by Elisadusud, another grand master of the cluny style.

More Quilt Squares for Palmetto

Yeah, I forgot how to blog for a while. Sorry about that...

Anyway, here are some more squares for Georgia's Palmetto fund raiser.

The upper left leaf is the 1975 Workbasket Maple Leaf, corrected and diagrammed by Tammy Rodgers.  Click HERE for a pdf pattern.  The lower right leaf is the Light and Ayr Maple Leaf, by Karey Solomon, from Tatting Times November 2007, and on the Tatting Times CD.  Do you know if it is also in her book, "Tatting Turns over a New Leaf"? I've been thinking I need that one.  The other leaves are my simplified variations.

This one has some leaves from Ruth Scharf's patterns.  The flowers are classic motifs or freestyle tatting.

I've Got a Secret!

I've got a secret! Well, I hope it won't be a secret for long.  Registration for the Finger Lakes Tatting Convention is now open and we are trying to get the word out.

I haven't been for a long time, but I always had a lovely time, so I'm excited about planning to attend this year.

Here is Karey's news release:

Tatting Seminars in the Finger Lakes - 20th Anniversary

Twenty years of doing anything, particularly when the same people are involved, is cause for celebration.  So April 6-8, 2018 the Finger Lakes Tatting Group is pulling out all the stops for a magical "Tatting Fantasia" - meaning that anything goes, though we've got more than one nod to the movie.  This year features amazing tatting teachers - and participants - from across the country... and a few others.  We'll have classes to educate and inspire, time for fun and photographs, wholesome home-cooked food for every dietary need plus endless snacks; great goodie bags, vendors offering tatting treasures, raffles, auction, a magic show, and a chance to do good.  Our group has adopted Camp Good Days and Special Times, a summer camp for children with cancer as the beneficiary of some unselfish fundraising.

Information is online at www.fingerlakestatting.com and on the group's Facebook page (Finger Lakes Tatting).  Or email Karey Solomon at: threads at empacc dot net and she will send you the information as an attachment.