Birthday present

Today is my birthday and Mom gave me this Anne Orr Tatting book #48, copyright 1950. She seems to have better luck finding tatting books in antique stores and flea markets than I do.

Motif # 13 - Dresser doily

This is the small mat of Dressing Set from the Handy Hands Newsletter Winter 2010 (vol 18 issue 1). The color is Lizabeth Wildflower #109 and is 7" across.

 I'd like to do this one again in either a solid or varigated and do the two little rings that go head to head in a contrasting color. I tried to make the larger oval mat that goes with this one, but couldn't for the life of me figure out the 3 rings of the 1st round. After going through an entire shuttle of thread without success, I gave up. I don't know if I was making it harder than it needed to be, or if there was a typo / info missing from the instructions, or both.

I was at my grandma's last month and gave her this doily along with a snowflake.

Motif #12 Denim Whisper

This is Design 52 from Tatting - 60 Original Lace Treasures by Christel Weidman. Although I've only done one motif from this book, it's one of my favorites as there are a ton of edgings that can be combined into rounds for custom one-of-a-kind doilies.  The color is Lizabeth Denim Whisper #120 and is 5.25" across.

And I'm very excited to announce that with Motif 11, the Diamond Doily, I have completed all of my UFO tatting projects. I still haven't been able to find the pattern for this coaster so I have decided it is done as is. As of this writing I'm done, anyway. No telling how many projects I will start and abandon for what ever reason in the next hours/days/weeks.

Motif #11 Diamond Doily

This is "Diamonds Are Forever" by Roger aka/Freedman. The link I had to this pattern no longer works. Thread is Lizabeth Country Turquoise Med #661 and ecru, size 20. I started this about 2 years ago and when you look closer, you can tell where I stopped as my tension is tighter than it was 2 years ago. This finishes to 10.5" across and is the largest doily I've made to date.

Motif #10 - Spinning Glass Mat

This is Spinning Wheel glass mat from Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konior made with Lizabeth Autumn Spice #136 and finishes to 4" across which is a full inch smaller than the book listed. But then it was made with mercer crochet thread which may be a bit thicker.

Clover hanky

 

I bought this clover hanky from a vintage hanky vendor at the Oklahoma City winter quilt show probably about 3 years ago. I had just bought the green varigated size 40 thread and thought it was a good match and immeadiatly started on the edging. The plan was to have it done by St. Patrick's day. By that Valentine's day I had just over half the length done and could have easily finished it, but for whatever reason, put it away in a little compartment of my tatting supply box where it patiently lived, hopefully looking up at me each time I opened the box.

Well, I got it done by St. Pat's, I just didn't specify the year. 

I proudly showed it to my husband who gave a soft grunt of admiration then held his hand behind the thin hanky material and said, 'if you blowed your nose on this, everything would go straight through.' Thanks, babe, love you too.

Please tell me I'm not the only one this happens to.

Self 1: "Is this enough?"
Self 2: "Maybe 2 more arm lengths."
*click click click*
Self 1: "How about now?"
Self 2: "Just to be sure, put one more."
*click click click*
Self 1: "now?"
Self 2: "ehhhhh......"
*click click click*
Self 2: "just fill up the shuttle, we'll make little butterflies with the leftovers"
*click click click click click*
Self 2: "Keep going"
Self 1: "It won't hold any more"
Self 2: "yeah, it will"
*click click*

Later That Week......

Self 1 and 2 in unison: "DAMMIT"
Self 2: "and this is our last round too."
Self 1: "Shut up and get me some chocolate."

Motif #9 - Harvest Vinyard Doily

This was finished shortly after I moved to WA over the summer. It was for the most part finished but I had 2" left on the final round (yes, I did all the rounds on this one) when I packed it up for the move. The pattern is by Darlene Polachic and is called "Ivory Lace" done in size 20 Lizabeth Vineyard Harvest #131 and Leaf Green Med.#684 and is 8.5" across. I've been trying to incorporate a solid in at least one round of the doilys that have varigated thread to give it some interest. Sometimes it works, like this one. And other times it doesn't quite work out the way I imagined.

It was more than kinda ruffly when I finished it, which I'm assuming is because I have tight tension as the pattern photo showed a flat doily. I left it ruffly until picture day before ironing it because the ruffles didn't look good in the photo.

Motif #8 - Coaster?

I made this before my move this summer and considered it a UFO. Recently I decided to finish it, and looked through every book and printout I have and cannot find the pattern.  The colors are Lizabeth Mountain Breeze #134, Leaf Green Light #683 and Leaf Green Medium #684. So until I can find/remember what the pattern was, it will be considered a coaster.