The tattingplayer

Earrings for my pupils

2012-01-07T09:33:00.001-08:00

Dear tatting friends

It's really a long time since I have last tatted. Actually I'm teaching german in a private school in 8 different classes, so I have a lot to do.

In a fifth class my female pupils asked me to make them a pair of earrings like mine, so I promised them to work them in christmas hollidays.

Fortunately the girls are only 4, otherwise I would have to deny.

Here they are:

Now I tell you about the difficulties to work them.

First the most difficult and time consuming task is to find the matching colours. I look at all my dozens of bead colours and nothing seems matching to the thread. Three girls wanted violett, pink and white, one wanted orange. First attempts went bad, colours did not match and hours went away.

Second difficulty is to make the copy mirrored. In this pattern it is not so easy, though some of you talented people were able to mirror the more difficult version of these earring.

Third difficulty is to work slowly and precise, because I have to make a gift, so the work has to be the most perfect possible. This means, even and regular stitches, small joining picots, good tensione to make it stiff. Perfect, invisible and never opening hiding of thread ends.

Fourth difficulty is, that the earring tangles around the finding, so I inserted a piece of thin wire inside the ring of the finding and along the first chain. This holds the earring in perfect position.

For these 4 earrings I worked a lot of hours, but now I have finished and I'm satisfied.

I'm sure I will have to make other earrings for the girls of other classes!

new doily

2011-08-10T04:36:00.000-07:00

Hollidays are wonderful. I had some days free from children and grandchildren, and so I decided to design a new one round doily. Here it is. I'm redoing it with some corrections and an other colour combination.

Danish tatting day

2011-04-10T10:29:00.000-07:00

The next saturday there was the danish Tatting Day, with a tatting workshop. You see how they are all concentrated and busy working.
I taught a piece from my last tatting book, called Rita.
In a big room downstairs there was a little exhibition of all the works of the members, and there were also sellers of thread and shuttles.

There I bought some balls of variegated Lisbeth thread size 20.
With this thread I worked the piece of the workshop, which you see here on the right.
Do you see the surprice? This piece Rita has split rings in the middle, and..., look at them, they are all in one color. And the stripes of the squares are all in different colors. After every split ring i have changed the shuttles with a simple knot (to chainge the colors, when I work with 2 different colors), and, 2nd surprise, the color did not change, all green on one side, all lila on the other.

Tatting course in Denmark

2011-04-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

I have been invited by the danish tatting group to teach a tatting class. Inga Madsen, the chairman of the group, hosted me at her home with her usual warm and caring hospitality. Inga had organized all the things for the tatting class and the workshop, which was hold a week later at their general tatting meeting. At the class, which you can see at the picture above, we are working at a doily, and you see also that tatting ladies like the colour purple for dressing. The doily we made, is a doily I designed for the Palmetto tatters day in 2007, when the theme was Flowergarden. It is a doily with a lot of techniques in, a type of techniques exercising doily. Lene Bjorn worked the whole doily twice, once in two colours and once in 4 colours, as you can see here under.
Inga and I have also worked toghether at the last things for the book we are prepairing together and which is now at a good point. We are both very satisfied about the result.
I will show you further pictures the next days!

flowers on the t-shirt

2010-08-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

Today, instead of cleaning and tidying up my appartment, which is in a desperate state, I played around, tatting, surfing in the internet, playing the piano and the guitar. But fortunately time was not wasted totally, because my brain cell no.3 gave me an idea. I played around with pattern Stella of my new book "Fantasia 3". First I tried to make a necklace, but putting the bead in the middle of this flower was too time consuming and I liked more the long picots I put between the ds of the middle ring. Then I thought is would be nice on a t-shirt, but it rounded too much, so I cut open the joining on the second petal and now I can round it the way I like. Perhaps I will buy some t-shirts for the children and put it on, I'm sure the girls will like it.

insertion for my DSL

2010-07-29T23:55:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of 10 thread, but no use for it. So I decided to give it to my sister in law Delia, because she would tat something big. At the time my mother in law was young, there were woman who had a loom in their home to weave bedlinen. But the poorer ones had a smaller loom to weave towels. These poorer ones weaved also bedlinens and sewed the stripes together with invisible stitches. Today you can find those stripes for little money and they are used to make bedspreads inserting lace stripes in between the woven stripes. This is what my sister in law wanted to do. So I suggested her a wonderful square from Teiko Fujito's book, because the design has to be resistant and close. But my DSL did not like it, too many joinings, she said. So we went trough all my designs and all my book, but this was too simple and that was too difficult. She wanted something to be made continuously in rows, and not in pieces to put together. Now I spent some days on the seeside with 3 of my grandchildren and designed this pattern, which I hope she will like! This is only the sample, with corrections done on the way and to be perfectionated.

orange and green

2010-06-30T06:48:00.001-07:00

The white pearl beads exalt every other color, I tried out also other colors, but they have not the same beautiful effect. Only between the white ones the others are nice. Though the earring is big, with lots of beads, it is not heavy at the ear.
Now I have to work the second of the pair.

lilac and orange

2010-06-27T07:35:00.001-07:00

I'm trying out some other color combination, which is always very difficult with some waste of precious thread.
I found that lilac and orange match pleasantly.
This earring has no difficult techniques, except perhaps the maltese ring, which somebody of you does not know. Perhaps a challenge would be to work some patterns with maltese technique to show.
The only bad thing for me, who I'm a very lazy woman, is that there are 6 threadends to hide at the end of the work, as I leave no knots around, which could open.

earrings for Azzurra 2

2010-06-23T13:23:00.001-07:00

This is one earring of the second pair of earrings I designed for my friend Azzurra, with the beads she gave me.
I worked very hard to find a satisfying solution for the read irregular coral beads.
But I think she will like this!
Some technical information: As we are working with thread and this is not stiff, I needed some technique to make it stay. So I used a bit thicker wire, which I took double around, and knottet around it to create the inner ring of the outer round. So this holds good.
The inner ring is surrounded by a maltese ring, whereby the inner beads are the center ring of the maltese ring. This holds good.
The upper piece with the earring finding is also partially worked on the same wire, but not taken double. Here the wire goes from the side through the red beads and the to the other side.

gemstone

2010-06-20T01:13:00.001-07:00

This is a gemstone I bought, when I was hosted in Brenda's house in England last year. I have tried to frame it to use it for a necklace. I worked the whole day of yesterday, without finding a solution, because the gemstone always fell out, as it has no hole.
Today I started at 7 o'clock in the morning and I came up with this. It is not a good image, as it is scanned, and everything has to be perfectionated. But without a bit of glue it will not stay. So, when I was at last excited to have finished something, I put a bit of glue under the tatting, and...I got the glue also on the stone.
Though it took me hours to make this, I will make a better one!

Fantasia 3

2010-05-26T06:23:00.000-07:00

This is the new book ready. The theme of this book is edgings and insertions. There are 18 patterns, and descriptions of the extraordinary techniques, like the cluny leaf.
You will find also the black edging (not in black).
Some information about my other books are on the tatting book blog .

images of earrings

2010-05-22T23:28:00.000-07:00

Marta from Poland has worked the earrings and she has made also a symmetrical piece. You can see them on her blog.

Karen has send me this nice picture of her version of the earrings on the vase.

And this is Johanna's version of the earrings
Those of you who have worked the earrings, please write me, you will recieve a surprise!

decorated box

2010-04-21T00:19:00.000-07:00

This is a sample of the boxes Inga and I are prepairing for a new book, which will be ready in autumn. The decoration of this sample is from the book "tatting square motifs together", but the ones of the new book will have stunning and never seen decorations.

Katie and Carla

2010-04-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

Carla made this doily out ot my book "Tatted doilies" and added another round from another doily in the book. She will soon publish it on her blog "Il chiacchierino della nonna".

Some of you have already made the earrings, and I'm so happy about this. Here is the picture Katie Verna sent me from her version of the earrings.

Difficulties of earring

2010-04-15T03:27:00.000-07:00

Dear tattingfriends,
I'm so pleased that you all try to make the earring. Step 15 and 16 are difficult. But if you have problems, please send me a scan of both sides of your earring, tell me the number of the step where you had the difficulties and I will try to explain what went wrong.
When you arrive at Step 15, you are working on the back side. The ds of your light color ring show in the same direction of your previous dark chain with the bead. Without changing any direction take the middle ring of the center flower over and make first join there. The chain with the bead is on your left. Work the next ds, take the bead under your ring and join there, as you see on Step 16. Work the last 9 ds of first half ring and join to first picot of dark chain (Step 17), then work the ds of second half. Close and only now put your ring in the right position over the bead (Step 18).

Fourth steps of earring

2010-04-14T11:48:00.001-07:00

Step 19: Work now the second ring in the same way as described at Step 4.

Step 20: Work the third ring 10+10, joining through the other rings to the picot of your underlying chain near the 6mm bead.

Step 21: Without reversing work a chain as described in Step 13. Join to last picot of center flower.
Now we have only to hide our thread ends on the back.

Et voila, our earring is ready!

Third steps of earring

2010-04-14T02:32:00.000-07:00

Step 12: Without reversing your work change color with shoelace knot and make a chain of 12 ds. Join to last free picot on you dark chain near the 6mm bead.

Step 13: Change direction, change color with shoelace knot and work a chain of 3ds taking a seed bead from your working thread between: 3 b 3 b 3 b 3 b 3 b 3 (5 beads). Join to picot of last ring of dark center flower.

Step 14: Change color with shoelace knot and work a chain with a 6mm bead as described in Step 2

Step 15: Now comes the most difficult part! Start your ring with 7 ds. Look carefully on the image and join to picot on top of second leaf of dark center flower, leaving the dark chain with the bead behind.

Step 16: work other 4 ds and join to the 6mm bead on your chain.

Step 17: Work the next 9ds on your ring and join to first picot of the dark chain in the same way as described in Step 4.

Step 18: Work the last 20 ds of the ring and close. Put the ring in the right position on the underlying chain.

Tomorrow we will finish!

Second steps of earring

2010-04-12T21:22:00.000-07:00

With the same thread start a second ring with 16ds. Join to second picot of the underlying chain going through your previous ring (image step 6).

Then work the other part of the ring and close (image step 7)

Take your work to the other side and load the 4mm bead on the thread of the other color (image step 8).

Reduce gap and with the same thread start a ring: 3ds, join to picot of first big ring, 3-3-3 and close (image step 9).

Work other two rings: 3+3-3-3, and 3+3-6 (image step 10)

Lock join to the 4mm bead (image step 11)

first steps of earring

2010-04-12T05:45:00.001-07:00

Step 1: Load the 10 seed beads on the thread you want to be outside, knot the two threads together and start with ring 14 ds.
Continue with chain 1-4-4-1. On the core thread load the 6mm bead and hold it with a thick paper clip or other mean.

Step 2: Reduce gap between bead and chain, work the next 7ds.

Step 3: Take the thread of the other color and work a ring: 3-8, join to the thread of the bead, and work other 9ds and join to first picot of previous chain.

Step 4: Work the next 20ds.

Step 5: Close the ring and put the chain with the bead behind the ring.

earrings to make together

2010-04-09T01:28:00.000-07:00

This is the lighter version of the earring, that we will work together. You need 6 cord thread size 20 (or 30, if you work very loose) in two colors, 4 6mm beads, 2 4mm beads, 20 seed beads, findings for earrings. We will start next Monday.

earrings for Azzurra

2010-04-07T02:58:00.000-07:00

My friend Azzurra gave me a box with various beads and asked me to make her a pair of "important" earrings. Fortunately I hade some precious time in South Italy, where my husband made everything for me and I could tat the whole time I liked to. So I had wonderful inspirations and after a lot of trying and retrying I realized this pair of earrings for my friend:
The image is not very clear, because I scanned them, but I think you can see enough to appreciate them.

Edging in Black

2010-02-17T09:59:00.000-08:00

This is another edging for the new book. I like it so much and started a piece in black. I cannot stop it, because I like to work it in black. So while I'm progressing with it, it is already half meter long, I'm thinking about what to do with it. Where can I put a black edging on? Please help me!

England, needle tatting and other things

2010-02-11T05:24:00.000-08:00

Returning to my trip to England and my stay in Brenda Rebhorn's house among a lot of other exciting things Brenda taught me to needle tat. In the first moment I was a bit sceptical about it, but then I realized, that it is a technique one has to know and it has some possibilities, expecially when working with beads, that the shuttle tatting does not have, allthough the shuttle tatting has possibilities, which the needle tatting does not have. Anyway I tried out one of Gunhildes wonderful necklaces. Please don't criticize the bad execution of the sample, but I'm a beginner in the needle tatting, but you see in the picture, that with the needle tatting you can put both your threads through the bead (look at the chain on top). With the shuttle tatting this is not possible, so one has to put the bead in another way (second sample). The knots are not so neat and tight, as the shuttle tatting, but with beads the needle tatting is easier and faster. I'm so grateful to Brenda to teach me this, and she is a phantastic teacher.
Here I show you some other pictures from England: One thing which impressed me a lot, where the very high and perfectly cut hedges!
After a period of depression I forced myself into positive thinking and so I started to finish my projects. So I finally finished all the pieces for a book of boxes I will realize together with Inga Madsen. I cannot show these pieces to you, but I can say you that I'm very satisfied about the result.
Second I finished all the designs for a book of edgings and insertions, which are much more than the number which can stay in a little booklet, so I will give you some of them as free patterns. I now have to put the edgings on the right items, which is another lot's of work, because for the photos work has to be finished. I show you one of the pieces!

My trip to England

2009-10-26T08:07:00.000-07:00

Dear tatting friends,
Today I have a bit of time to do a relaxing work on my blog. So I will tell you about my wonderful trip to England at the end of september and show you some pictures.
As I'm not so much a photografer, I forgot to take pictures during my two workshops.
I was hosted so wonderful by Brenda Rebhorn, who had organized two workshops and a lot of meetings with tatting and lace people for me. She drove me around to show me a lot ot wonderful places and cooked for me typical english meals. She let me look at all her hundred tatting books and magazines and showed me all her tatting and other lace work. To my surprise she had tatted a lot of my patterns and I feeled really very honored. One afternoon, when she had organized a meeting with some lace ladies, she taught us needle tatting. At the start I was a bit sceptical about learning needle tatting, but then I saw immediately, that with the bead works there are some more possibilities, than with the shuttle, though I always like more the look of the shuttle tatting. I will show you later something I tried out.
Though the weather in England is often rainy and foggy, we had 12 wonderful sunny and warm days. So we could travel around on the open bus and on top of the ferry to visit London, which is the most impressive capital I ever saw in my life.
We visited Birmingham, which is also a very big and beautiful city. Then some smaller villages with their picturesque streets, houses and wonderful churches.
The last days of my stay also Ira from Wales joined us and we laughed a lot together, and Brenda took us to visit an old glas factory.

The cheep surely admired my beauty, or not?

Lichfield Cathedral, one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the world. More pictures on the next post.

More about the burda patterna

2009-08-16T22:17:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of the burda pattern. I did not like the look of the second round onf the flower, so I left it away and joined the pieces likt this. This morning I have to make a big cleaning in my kitchen and will tat in the afternoon.

Burda flower

2009-08-16T01:31:00.000-07:00

My piece for the magazine is not yet ready, other things kept me away from working on it. An exhibition in my husbands village, where the persons had never seen the tatted yewellery and were delighted (but did not buy anything).
Yesterday I went through my magazines and found a Burda magazine from 1989, which has very intriguing patterns. I tried out the most difficult,which is made of a flower in 20 thread and a filling in 80 thread. It took me the whole day of yesterday to find out the right stich number. The description is very poor and the filling in fine thread did not fit. Perhaps the 20 thread used is thicker than mine. Anyway I had to change the stitchcount on the flower and also in the inner ring, because it also ruffled. Now it is perfect, here it is:

2009-07-09T06:46:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,
I will soon post again, I'm tatting again. This time I can't show you the piece, because it is for a magazine. But in the later summer I have to make a ringpillow for a spouse, so I will show you this.

2009-03-31T01:24:00.000-07:00

Dear tatting friends,
The diagram for the design challenge is ready. Print it out and make your design.
1)Be aware that you have four motifs to join in the center, where the lines cross each other. The joining of the 4 motifs will give a further nice motif.
2) Start your design on the foot ot the top rings to be able to make a continuous round with the inner one.
You can already see a beautiful different version on Vinnie's blog
I wish you to enjoy this!
Iris

Object of the design challenge

2009-03-18T01:58:00.000-07:00

Here ist the joining center of the TIAS 2 motif. This joining center will be the object of our design challenge. I will post a diagram, which you can print out and design your joining center in. Perhaps there is somebody among you, who knows how to put a vote window on the blog. The most votated design will get a gift from me and I will also tat it and make the description for all of you.

diagram of 2nd version of TIAS

2009-03-16T04:22:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,
the diagram for the 2nd version of TIAS is ready, but this time it is not a mistery any more for you. Anyway this gives the opportunity to make the TIAS also for those of you, who are not used to written instructions.

2009-03-05T21:27:00.000-08:00

Ellyane Hutchinson, one of my students in Berkeley send me the picture of the advanced bookmark, which I had cutted in pieces and given away. She also made the butterfly and a second one for her aunt.

little correction ot TIAS

2009-03-05T18:09:00.000-08:00

Hi Iris,
I now see in your dolly picture that I was right when I thought that on day 5 there was a little mistake in the pattern

51) LC ring clover 6+3-3(join to opposite LC ring), 3+6-4-6-3, 3+3-6Continue from 13) to 22)

I think it had to be:
51) LC ring clover 6+3-3(join to opposite LC ring), 3+6+(join on big LC ring from first motive)4-6-3, 3+3-6Continue from 13) to 22)

One of my members also asked that, but on that moment you were in the plain and I couldn't mail you So I told her that you didn't made a join so the best thing was folow your pattern
It is also possible to do it without the join as you can see in the picture what is comming with this mail, meaby it wil gave problems when I close the doly, but than I can do something with neddle work.
Greetings
Riet the B-engel

Riet is right, I forgot to write down this last join. If you redo the doily in other colors, remember to do this join of the inner LC big ring.

Images of my works

2009-03-05T12:37:00.001-08:00

The shuttle motif was intended for a collar, but first it got an edging.

Then I bought this variegated wool in Berkeley and made the first collar, but for an adult collar it rounded too much.

So I made a second version with a different motif in the upper middle, so that it rounds right.

After this thought it would get also a nice doily and made the first version. but the I thougt it could lighted a bit up and made bigger on top of the squares. First i put daisy flowers on top, but then I thought this would have too much limited the persons able to follow the TIAS.

For the beginner class in Berkeley I made this bookmark which is "the key to tatting".

Then I made also e second bookmark with advanced techniques, but I lost it, so I show you here the design:

I designed also this other edging with advanced techniques, but we did not do this. Though some of them also learned how to make a cluny leaf.

Returned to Italy

2009-03-04T19:02:00.000-08:00

As you see, Im on my computer in the middle of the night. I arrived yesterday morning, and the whole day I had low bloog pressure and was cold, because in Canada I would have been sleeping. Then I tried to sleep a little in the afternoon and went to bed very early, so now I'm awake at 3 o'clock in the night. I looked at all the TIAS pieces in progress and already finished and I'm very happy about the result.
Now, if you like, I'm prepairing a second version, which would be shorter to complete and which would have also a design challenge for you. What do you think about this?
I also will prepaire the diagrams, but before having time to do this, I have to clean the house, because my family did not clean a lot during my absence.
Now I return to bed and next day I will scan you some of my pieces done in Canada.

5th day of TIAS

2009-03-02T18:20:00.000-08:00

Now we repeat the starting shuttle motif on the other side, joining in reflected way:
39) continue with DC chain 11
40) three ring clover 6+3-3(join to p of adjacent DC chain),
3+3-3-3, 3+3-6
41) RW, go down with LC chain 10, join to start point of adjacent chain
42) DC SCMR 5, ring over SCMR 4 LP 7 Lp 7 LP 4, second half of SCMR 5
43) LC chain 10
44) DC ring 4 + 7 + 7 LP 4 (joining to previous big ring on LP and Lp)
45) LC chain 10
46) DC ring 4 + 7 + 7 LP 4 (joining to previous big ring on LP and Lp)
47) LC ring 5+5 (join to opposite small LC ring)
48) LC chain 10
49) DC SCMR 5, ring over SCMR 4 + 7 + 7 LP 4, second half of SCMR 5
50) LC chain 10
51) LC ring clover 6+3-3(join to opposite LC ring), 3+6-4-6-3, 3+3-6Continue from 13) to 22)

Now, if you want, you can continue working around to obtain an eight point doily or you can finish it here and use it as an ornament.
I'm leaving Canada tomorrow early in the morning and I will be back to Italy the 4th of march. Now I have to pack all my stuff, hoping to get all in. In the meantime you can continue!

4th day of TIAS

2009-02-28T09:38:00.000-08:00

Now we work back over our motif.
30)DC chain 10, join to picot of ring of tree ring clover, 10 - 12, LJ to the center between the 4 big LC rings
31) RW, LC chain 12, RW, DC tree ring clover 6+3-3(join to near picot of DC chain), 3+3-3-3, 3+3-6
32) RW, LC chain 8
33) RW, DC tree ring clover 6+3-3(join to previous ring), 3+6-6-3, 3+3-6
34) RW, LC chain 8
35) RW, DC tree ring clover 6+3-3(join to previous ring), 3+3-3-3, 3+3-6
36) RW, LC chain 12, join to center between the 4 big LC rings
37) RW, DC chain 12, join to picot of last ring of tree ring clover, 10-10, LJ to foot of last big LC ring, pushing the ds a bit down making a bit of space under the ring on the core thread.
How has it to come out: the darc color forms a heart around the lower motif and in the middle of the heart there comes up a square of light color, surrounded by 3 DC tree ring clovers, joined together between themselves and at the ends to the dark color chain heart.

Are you ready for the 3rd TIAS day?

2009-02-25T17:32:00.000-08:00

First of all I have to tell you, that I was wrong with the "down join". Riet was so kind and send me an explanation, which you can read here:

The explanation of our TIAS is getting more complicated now, but there are some of you, who are very good at understanding written descriptions. But one thing is important to say: I always let the color go the way it is presenting.
23) go down on the side of your shuttle motif with DC chain 11, LJ to the lower chain at the point on the bottom of the smal DC ring of the inner flower.
24) continue DC chain 6-6, DC ring 3-3, DC chain 6-6, LJ to p of smal LC ring.
25) work up on the other side: DC chain 6+6 (join to opposite chain), DC ring 3+3 (join to opposite DC 3-3 ring), DC chain 6-6
26) LC ring 12-12
27) continue the DC chain 6+6 (join to opposite chain), DC ring 3+3 (join to the other 2 small rings), chain 6
28) LC ring 12+12 (join to opposite 12-12 LC ring), LC ring 12-12
29) DC chain 6, DC ring 3+3 (join to the other 3 small rings), 6+6 (join to opposite chain), join at the starting point of step 24), LC ring 12+12 (join to opposite 12-12LC ring)
From step 24 to step 29 you have to get a square, which is less high at the top,surrounded on the top by 4 LC rings, and with a small 4 leaf flower in the center.
I wish you to enjoy!

Second day of TIAS

2009-02-22T07:32:00.000-08:00

Let's continue with second part:
The work is now going up on the other side
13) LC chain 10
14) DC ring 5 + 5 (join on top of opposite small ring)
15) LC chain 10
16) pull the central Lp a bit out, pushing the there joined rings near.
DC ring 4 + 7 + 7 LP 4,
17) LC ring 5 - 5 on the other side
18) LC chain 10
19) DC ring 4 + 7 + 7 + 4
20) LC chain 10
21) DC ring 5 + 5 (join to top of opposite small ring)
22) LC chain 10, LJ on top of opposite chain under the ring clover (push the ds a bit down to make a little space on the core thread under the ring clover and lock join there)
LJ means Lock Join, which is made with the core thread, this join is also called somewhere Down Join.

Let's start

2009-02-18T14:13:00.000-08:00

Let' start to work the first 12 steps, is that too much?

material needed: thread size 20 in 2 colors (if you use a smaller thread size, LPs have to be smaller)
2 shuttles
a picot gauge (can be cut out of a plastic card)
abbreviations:
LP = long picot 1/4 inch measured vertically, or I would say: folded
Lp = long picot 3/8 inch measured horizontally, or not folded (finished it is a bit smaller than the 1/4 inch picot)
DC = dark color
LC = light color
1) Start with ring clover: DC 6-3-3, 3+3-3-3, 3+3-6
2) LC chain 10
3) DC SCMR 5, ring over SCMR 4 LP 7 Lp 7 LP 4, second half of SCMR 5
4) LC chain 10
5) DC ring 4 + 7 + 7 LP 4 (joining to previous big ring on LP and Lp)
6) LC chain 10
7) DC ring 4 + 7 + 7 LP 4 (joining to previous big ring on LP and Lp)
8) LC ring 5-5 (on the opposite side)
9) LC chain 10
10) DC SCMR 5, ring over SCMR 4 + 7 + 7 LP 4, second half of SCMR 5
11) LC chain 10
12) LC ring clover 6-3-3, 3+6-4-6-3, 3+3-6

From Canada

2009-02-18T07:01:00.000-08:00

Dear tattingfriends,
A long time has passed since I posted the last time, but I assure you, I'm not inactive. The teaching in Berkeley CA at Lacis was wonderful and I hope to have trained about 10 people who will spread the love for this craft.
So, what I am doing now? I am prepairing a TIAS for you. In this TIAS there are involved only simple techniques, the only thing you have to learn previously, is the SCMR (self closing moc ring), which you can find in the internet. I don't have my computer here, so I don't have my designing program, therefore I will try to describe all with short hand notation. Ohh, this will be difficult for me!!!
We will start soon.

colar in grey

2009-01-02T03:18:00.000-08:00

I redid the collar in gray with a wool yarn combined with a metallic yarn. This version has some slight modifications as to the white collar. Now I will make a third version with the last very slight modification and then it will be perfect. Sherry Townsend aka Celtic Dreamweaver is proofing the pattern and, I'm sure, she will make an astonishing item, as usual.

nearly finished

2008-12-29T23:08:00.000-08:00

the oneround collar

2008-12-29T05:35:00.001-08:00

This is the second try, the first one has been cutted in pieces, before being scanned. I always cut the pieces to see the space missing or advancing, but unfortunately with wool this is not so easy, because when the work gets cutted, it opens a lot and the hanging threads hide everything and extimating corrections is more difficult. Nontheless I was able to make the second piece with the supposed correction and I like it a lot. I will finish it and then I will make another one in rosa with some more corrections, for example I will make the element in the middle on the lower side bigger. Soon I will show you the finished piece.

design realisation

2008-12-27T23:59:00.000-08:00

There were some points in the first try, shich did not satisfy me. First the little square could not be inserted in the design without an extra chain, second the clunies were hanging a bit down. So I made a second design trying to find a way to make the square perfect and a chose to put the clunies on the outer round of the flower. Tatting it I realised the the chains on the second round under the flower were too short, so I also cut away the flowers of first try and make the chains longer. So now I like the result of both. Now I will try the next one!

First try

2008-12-27T11:55:00.001-08:00

Today I was free from babysitting and I could tat the whole day. So I had time to try out one of the 3 designs. I used the idea Jon and redid the designs on a polar grid, which I prepaired with my drawing program. But...unfortunately I'm not satisfied with the result, I have to find out, what is it, that I have to change to better the result. Perhaps you have some suggestions.

New designs

2008-12-27T00:22:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,
the realisation of the item in wool with the wonderful Fujito squares has not satisfied me, because the tatting is not elastic like knitting, so the item does not follow the body lines. I have to find the perfect shape to make the item fit on the shoulders. I have worked a lot, but my daughters did not like it, so now I have to cut open everything and rearrange the squares in another way. My daughter Gloria said to make new designs. So yesterday evening I sat down and made a lot of new designs, from which I chose 3 which are worth to give them a try. Here they are. If some of you will try to realize one of them following the , you are free to do so.

My favorite square motif

2008-12-10T00:30:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite square motif and finally I tried to work it: it is from the wonderful japanese book from Teiko Fujito, and I fall in love with it the first time I saw it in internet. Later I bought some tatting books without knowing exactly, what would be inside, and ... there I found it, my favorite square motif. I have an idea to use this square, which I realized in wool to make something very surprising. I had to make some corrections, perhaps first due to my way to tat, and surely second because of the use of wool. First I had to make 2 ds less on the long chains at the inner motif, because they resulted too loose, as you can see on the image, and in the next motif I will also make the joining one ds lower, so that it does not go over the flower motif, second I had to make the big rings on the outer round as chains, because the wool does not resist to the tension through such a big ring. I climbed up to the second round with a split ring. It is fantasic.

The pullovers and the Nativity

2008-12-05T09:23:00.000-08:00

Finally I can show you the work I was doing together with my friend in Matera. Here are the two pullovers we realized together, it was a long work. She is making also a dress which is not ready yet and I couldn't take a picture.
The same friend, her name is Angela, asked me to make a tatted Nativity. I took inspiration of Ineke Kuperij's Nativity and made this one. It took me about 30 hours to find the right pattern and shape

sixstar with rose center

2008-11-11T01:40:00.001-08:00

Now stitch count of joining motif is perfectionated. I put the rose in the center of the hexagon, because I liked that more. If somebody of you wants to try it out, let me know. This time I worked with cotton thread AIDA 20. The size comes out the same, as worked with the wool.

rose motif

2008-11-08T13:48:00.001-08:00

This is the rose motif, which can be inserted into the space between the hexagons, but it can also be used separately and joined together. I will show you this tomorrow.

hexagon in rectangle

2008-11-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

I designed this little square to fill the hole between the hexagons joined in the rectangle way. It seams now a little like an italian needle lace and the square continues the design of the hexagon. I like it, but I will also design another one, which has to be completely different, so that is stands out of the design and evidences the hexagons more, perhaps a rose or a threedimensional flower. If somebody of you has a suggestion, it is wellcome.
I must tat it also in one color to see how the design shows up, because it has to be nice also in one color.

Ancient collar made of pentagons

2008-11-05T09:02:00.000-08:00

Riet Surtel send me this link of a wonderful ancient collar made of pentagons.

necklaces made of motifs

2008-11-05T01:24:00.000-08:00

I give you here the link to one of the extraordinary jewellery pieces from the school of Rina Stepnaya, where you can see a necklace made of hexagons. Go to "Brown Hall 1" and then look at number 153. This necklace has been made in February 2006.
This is a site which inspires me enormously to create yewellery. But the 25motifchallenge group is something which induces me to work even more, because every motif, from simple to complicate, inspires me also so very much

ready sixstar

2008-11-03T09:03:00.001-08:00

Now I'm finally satisfied with the result of the hexagon. I changed the color with the computer, because the grey does not show the design so well. Now there are 2-2-2ds on the top rings, and 6-6 on the side rings. Now I like the triangle of the center joining and the whole is the right size and easy and fast to tat.

sixstar motif

2008-11-02T01:45:00.000-07:00

The creation of the sixstar results much more difficult than I thought.
This is the first attempt of the hexagon, but it was not like you see it here, because I cutted it in different points not being satisfied with the result. The motif in light grey came not out well and I didn't like the little dark spots around it. Further it bowled up in the center joining, where you see the red square.

This is the second attempt. I rejected it, because it takes too much time and comes out too big, and I don't like the result of the color combination.

Third attempt was more satisfying, as you see I joint four motifs. But I'm not satisfied hundert percent. So I thought to turn to first attempt, where I cut out the ring in the top joining (red square) and sewed motifs together. Here perhaps I will make a very small ring and I will make 6ds instead of 5ds on the side joinings. I will give this another try.

Further I will try to join the hexagons in the rectangle way, where there remains a whole between, for which I will design another motif to balance the colors better. Beside I must say that it is really a great fun working with wool. When the pullover is ready (that needs a bit of more time), I will show you the result, but I have a lot of ideas for girl's dresses and jackets and many more.

Sixstar pattern

2008-10-30T05:57:00.001-07:00

This is the same pattern as hexagon. The procedure is the same, if somebody needs more detailed instructions, let me know. As a star it is sufficient, for a patchwork there remains a too big hole between the joined top rings, so it needs a second continuous round, which is started here. I will show you soon, how the joined motifs look like.

collar pattern

2008-10-28T02:55:00.000-07:00

Here I show you the progress of the collar. With the wool I have to work more carefully, always paying attention to the resistance of the thread. I broke the thread only once, when closing the SCMring, and then I used a different way to close, pulling the thread in two moments. Clicking on the image of the progressed collar you see the exact size of it. The pattern is also here, it can be worked with any thread you want. Next pattern will be the hexagon.

The pentagon

2008-10-26T09:18:00.000-07:00

I have joined the second motif, leaving out the top rings at the second motif at the joining points and joining the rings in the middle, because otherwise there remained a too big whole.
The wool I used is a very thin wool for machine knitting, which I took double. This type of wool is very resistant. Also stocking wool can be easily used for tatting. When you work with wool, you have not to tie too much the stitches, because wool breakes more easily than cotton thread. But I think for those of you, who needle tat, this would be much easier.

tatting with wool

2008-10-26T03:58:00.001-07:00

This pentagon is worked with wool and is thought to become a collar for a pullover. Pentagons are very useful for collars, because they round at their joining points. But, they are not useful for patchwork, like a shawl. Therefore I designed a hexagon, which I will show you soon. The pattern of this design will soon be available as free pattern for all of you, so that you have the time to make a cristmas gift for some friend of yours.
And, please, count the stitches, copy my designs and sell them, I love this, you only have to say that the pattern is from me.

Cluny triangle

2008-10-12T07:51:00.001-07:00

This is a doily made of 6 triangles. The positive side of triangles is that they can be combined in many ways: you can make hexagons, stars, edgings, and so on. The negative side is that the pieces are small and you have at least two thread ends to hide. But perhaps it is worth the effort, what do you think?

Cluny butterfly

2008-10-05T11:42:00.001-07:00

I made this pattern for the boxes, but it will not fit on any shape. It is a bit too big for the purpose. My daughter want's it as earring, but I'm not sure if it is portable.

Cluny rose

2008-10-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

The scanner does not do justice to this threedimensional rose. The flower needs some adjustments, because it is not yet perfect. At the last petals the thread broke at a cluny leaf. You see, I'm not yet so good in doing clunies, but I assure you, they are not so difficult and it is a matter of exercising. I made a description for the cluny leaves, which is on the palmetto CD of 2007 and if you are interested, I can put it on the HBT site. But there are also plenty of descriptions in the internet.

Cluny daisy

2008-10-05T01:04:00.001-07:00

This cluny daisy is ispirated by Elisa Dusud's creations. The daisy is very similar to her flowers, there are not many ways for variation, only the surrounding and context makes the difference. Have a look at her wonderful creations.

Colour combinations

2008-09-28T06:58:00.000-07:00

I have hold on my new creations for a moment and I'm making some items for an exhibition in South Italy, where I hope to sell a bit, to get back some of the money, which I have to spend for the exhibitions.
The crosses are made with a wire inside to hold them in the right shape, though I did not reach Elizabeth's perfection. I would so much know her secret. I will teach the technique to insert the wire, when I will be in Berkeley in February.
The Spring earrings are fast to make and stiff enaugh. I'm trying out different color combinations.
The Easy earrings are also very fast to make. The rose ones are in silk thread I got as gift from the japanese ladies, when I taught tatting in Japan. You can find the earrings in my book "Just for Fun". If you have tried out the Spring earrings, you will be able to know how I made the crosses.

Teaching at Berkeley

2008-09-18T06:29:00.000-07:00

I have been invited from Lacis Lace Museum in Berkeley in California in February next year to teach tatting for different classes, from beginners to advanced. I'm so excited to go there and I would so much enjoy to meet some of you tatters there.

Decorating boxes

2008-09-16T07:19:00.000-07:00

Actually I'm designing some pieces to decorate different shape of boxes, which Inga Madsen will make and teach in a new book. I asked her to make this book together, because I thought of the lovely little tatted pieces everybody has made, but perhaps has no practical use for them. Making these fabric covered boxes is such a funny thing to do and decorate them with a lovely tatting is superb. Naturally those boxes can also be decorated with embroidery or other techniques. I designed this piece for the oval box.

Images from Pamela

2008-08-29T22:07:00.000-07:00

I have returned from my summer holydays and will soon show you, what I'm trying to create. In summer, as you know, I had the exhibition in Matera, and after this in another small town of South Italy. This needed a lot of work. I have also learned a lot of better ways to expose the pieces to show them in their whole attractiveness.
Pamela Myers, better known as tatsakoolchallenge, send me theese pictures of some wonderful realisations of a snowflake, from which you can find a free pattern on my website.
And, she send me also the diagram with progression numbers for those of you who find it difficult to follow only a slice of diagram.

As she made the Eleanora doily almost twice, she send me also the diagram with progression numbers for this.

Modern tatting

2008-07-26T13:46:00.001-07:00

Would you call this a "modern" tatting design? This is another hexagon designed for the japanese class. The hexagons combined together form 3 different triangles.

japanese hexagon number two

2008-07-25T00:35:00.001-07:00

This is another hexagon I designed for the lessons in Japan. It is not so effectful as the hexagon number one, but a good exercise for Maltese ring and Selfclosingmockring. Perhaps at the joinings of the round doily I could join another round to give it a better shape. I will try that out.

Perhaps this simple second round would better it. In this way I obtain a heart shape with a flower inside, which joins as a triangle.

diagram

2008-07-23T13:14:00.001-07:00

Here is the pattern for the hexagon: for those of you, who are not able to make a cluny leaf, you can substitute it with a chain of 9 or 10 ds.

traditional tatting

2008-07-21T09:30:00.000-07:00

Dear tatting friends,
While I was attending my exhibition in Matera, i looked in my little notebook and found this design I made in the airplane, when I travelled to Japan. This was one of the samples for the design class. So I worked it out and show you here the result. It fits also a bit Sharons challenge. What do you think?
The doily is composed of seven hexagons and did not fit in the scanner. I made it with size 20 thread in cream.

Exposition in Matera

2008-07-15T23:18:00.000-07:00

Dear tatting friends,
perhaps you have never heard from this little town in South Italy, but perhaps you have seen a film about Jesus Crist, which was made in the old town, which is called "sassi", which means stones or rockies. All the old houses are caves, only the front side is embellished with cutted pieces of rocks, called "tufi". I have been invited to make an exposition (click here to see the pictures) there in a cave of the old town, where all the caves are now beeing restaured and filled with artists, restaurants and bed and breakfasts. This to conserve the old town for tourists and to give it new life.
The lady you see near the mirrors with crocheted embellishment is the organizer and owner of the cave. She is also owner of a yarn shop in the modern town and she shows here wonderful knitted and crocheted items.

gift from Memé

2008-06-21T04:25:00.000-07:00

Today I went to the post office to take a letter which arrived from Chile. It was a letter from Memé. I was excited to open it. What could be inside?
A long letter with so nice words for me. I'm happy that Memè has become an experienced tatting teacher and that she is spreading tatting in Chile. But there was also a big surprise: a wonderfull doily tatted for me by Memé. Thank you so very much, Memé!!! As I show the wonderful doily here, please tell me the source of the pattern for all who will love this doily like me.

Some suggestion on how to avoid aches

2008-06-16T12:25:00.000-07:00

I use a comfortable armchair and a long breastfeedingpillow. I sit in my armchair, and reduce the space around me with the breastfeedingpillow, which I put in the position to feel me back relaxed, and my ellbows also can relax on the sides of the pillow. This position helps me a lot to avoid aches in my back and in my arm.
As I don't have at home a table which can be adjusted in hight, the ironing table is a very helpful solution. I can position it at the right hight for me to work with the beads. I put it in a position where I have to make nearly no movement to take the beeds.
Light is important. I use a light a bit behind me at one side, which throughs the light on my work and not in my eyes. This helps me a lot to work better, when there is not enough sunlight.
Glases and magnifier help, when my eyes are tired. This happens, when I have worked also a lot at the computer. Joanie Culverhouse suggested me to put on two of these glasses, which can be bought at the supermarket, and this magnifies the work. But, I don't know if this does the eyes good and... I will never tell this to my eye doctor, because he will through me out of his studio and never receive me again.

2008-06-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

I made this piece entirely with the wire inserted and I love how it comes out. The joinings between the rings are made with the lock join method with the working thread. After joining I continue with full double stitches, because joining knots remain under the knots of ring or chain. I made the picture big so that you can perhaps see these details.

Video

2008-06-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

Dear tatting friends,
On my website cou can look at the video to learn about tatting with a wire inside, and also how to put the beads in the beaded square, which is frequently used in my patterns. The video is not perfect, text will be soon added to give further explications.

Iris in Horstmar

2008-06-08T05:29:00.001-07:00

In Horstmar in front of my stand.
Me demonstrating how to work a wire inside rings and chains.
My husband and me with Mrs. Takashima and her daughter.
Earrings
Necklaces
Jewellry on handkerchief
A lady trying out my method of working in the wire.

Horstmar

2008-06-07T02:18:00.001-07:00

First pictures from Horstmar tatting exhibition. Click on iniebach's Horstmar photoset below, click then on slideshow and on the "i" on the first picture to read all the information about the tatters and their works.

www.flickr.com

iniebach's Horstmar photoset

2008-05-27T11:56:00.000-07:00

Dear tatting friends,
I'm departing tomorrow for the international tatting exhibition in Horstmar, which is in Northern Germany near the border of the Netherlands. When I return next week, I will show you some photos of this extraordinary exhibition, where people from France, Belgium, Holland, Sweden, Denmark, Italy and from the countries of Eastern Germany partecipate.
I did not have the time to prepair all I wanted because of the babysitting till the last minute before my departure tomorrow in the early afternoon. The trip to Horstmar is very long, about 1400 km and the German high ways are very trafficated, so we need 3 days drive to arrive.
The weather in Italy is already warm and fine, I hope it will be the same in German, so driving will be less stressing for my husband. I will try to drive, but I admit that driving in Germany scares me a bit.

2008-05-23T15:23:00.000-07:00

I designed this pendant in a moment I was very depressed because of the tyring babysitting, cleaning, cooking and what else and the consequent lack of freedom and repressed creativity. I tatted it immediately after my daughter has gone home with her children. Now I have to think about a chain for it. Suggestions are welcome.

earring bon bon

2008-05-17T22:26:00.000-07:00

Dear tatting friends,
In the moment I'm busy working for the international tatting exhibition in Horstmar (Germany). Also a new project is on the way, worked together with Inga Madsen. A lot of persons asked me to make them earrings, so this is also to do. My grandchildren are to look after, as my daughther's last weeks at the university before holyday are the most stressing ones.

I add here a picture from earring bon bon of my book, where I inserted one of those glas balls used for flowers and decorations, which are round on one side and a bit flat on the other. They fit perfectly inside the bon bon earring and give it consistency. Unfortunately the picture is not very good, because I scanned it, but you have an idea. Inserting the glass ball it was not possible to close the beads in the middle with the thread, so I closed them with a piece of very thin wire, which I carefully passed through the beads and then simply twisted, cut and hided a little piece behind the rings. Now it will be tested, if it holds.
As I made some progress in finding methods for making the yewellery, specially the bigger earrings, stiff withoug glue and other products, I have in mind to make a little videy for helping everybody to improve yewellery making skills.

tatting patterns with errors

2008-04-30T23:39:00.000-07:00

Dear tatting friends,
Translating my book into italian I realized that it enters the category of patterns with errors. Fortunately the detailed diagrams help to understand also without the text. There is one pattern, where a number is missing in the text and on the diagram. Please contact me, if you have any problems with working the patterns. Here I show you some pictures of my test tatters. These have been made by Brigitte Henneberger and Jutta Grun from Germany:

And here some pictures from my dear test tatter Sherry Townsend from New York:

New book "Just for Fun"

2008-04-28T00:03:00.000-07:00

Dear tatting friends,
my new book is now available at Lacis Online Catalogue
As there is no image yet, you can have a look at all the pages on my website www.iristatting.com
A bit of warm weather has finally arrived in Italy and everything is already green and the nature is wonderful and enjoying. Unfortunately it will rain again this week and clouds have already arrived.

Denmark

2008-04-15T02:52:00.000-07:00

Dear tatting friends,
I have returned from Denmark yesterday and I will show you some photos from this marvellous time I spent there hosted in Inga Madsen's house. Here we are on front of the entrance to Ingas house.

Here some pictures from the computer class, where I taught to make tatting diagrams on the Adobe Illustrator program.

In the middle of the week we were invited to Lis Christiansen and Lene Borns house in Nakskov. This is a nice place on the seeside.

Here we are in front of Lis' house and later in the afternoon in front of Lenes house. Here in four we eat half of this big and tasteful applecake with whiped cream on it.

On the weekend we were in Tommerup for the annual meeting of the Danish Tatting Ring, with exhibitions and workshop. At the workshop I taught one of my earrings.

And here Inga and me tatting in the train. I'm also trying to read something in danish. We are with the train on a bridge over the see.

Boxes Inga and me made together and decorated with some of the squares of the "Tatting togehter square motifs" book.

The beadcross earrings

2008-03-22T01:38:00.000-07:00

Dear tatting friends,
Now that I have finished my book I have time to work my patterns. This is an earring from the new book, one of my favorites. I worked it with a Finca Perle mixed with a metallic thread. Worked together these threads are about a 30 size. A metal wire inside the outer round holds the earring in perfect shape.

2008-03-16T07:23:00.000-07:00

Dear tatting friends,
after many months of work my book is finally ready and will be sent to the printer next week. I show you here the cover. There are 15 patterns from simple to complicated, but really all easy to make.

Roundrobin doilies

2008-03-06T08:33:00.000-08:00

I have neglegted my blog for a long time, very busy working (in the night and on weekends) on my new book. As I have nothing new to show at the moment, I thought to show you some images of roundrobins I partecipated many years ago. We made these togehter with Adelheid and Martina from Germany, Hedy from Svizerland and Eva from Sveden.
My book seems never to come to an end. Description text got far too long to make a nice book, as it is also in German, which is even longer, you imagine pages of description text? Now I tried some solutions, one was to invent new tatting notations, which could be comprehended without translation, but I gave them to Jane to try them out, and ... they didn't function. So now I'm redoing everythin cutting the text down and making detailed diagrams. But, the more I change, the more confusione comes in. The houshold is neglegted and I'm a bit unhappy. Outside a very cold wind blows and it is colder, than it was in the whole winter, though the trees are already blooming.
Happy tatting to all,
Iris

The last piece

2008-02-02T00:30:00.000-08:00

This is the last piece of my first tatting book. Somebody who lives in a very hot country, where you can't wear necklaces, asked me if there will be broaches in my book. There will be items in the book, which can be adapted for broaches and hairclips, but I thought a lot to find a solution for a brouch, which would be sufficiently stiff and hanging down from a stiff support, where you can attach the broach finding. Here it is.

The heart doily

2008-01-15T12:32:00.000-08:00

I made this doily for a magazin of the Danish editor Akacia, but they prefered another doily to this, because it was a bit similar to a doily I donated to the Danish tatting ring, which is the colored one above. Also these two doilies are one round doilies.

Pattern DELIA from "Tatted doilies"

2008-01-15T12:16:00.000-08:00

These doilies have been made about two years ago from the ladies in Denmark, where I hold a tatting design class. The result of this class is the booklet "Tatting together square motifs". The pattern is a one round doily, which gives this color effect, when worked in two colors.

The Palmetto Learning doily

2008-01-14T14:17:00.000-08:00

Two weeks have passed since I posted the last time, but my children have all been ill again. I hope this was the last flu and I will have a bit of better time with the grandchildren I'm babysitting.
But in the night I'm busy working on my book and testing my descriptions, finding tons of mistakes.
But I will not leave you without a picture, so I thought you would like to see the Palmetto doily, which I would call the Learning doily, because it is thought also for exercising a lot of techniques. Have a look at it.

Sand, See and Sky

2008-01-04T11:46:00.000-08:00

I'm very hard working on my book. My shoulders hurt. I'm working all my patterns following my instructions in surch for mistakes. I redid also this Square Shape pendant in my favorite color, which is sand. So, while I was working the pattern, I reflected on the color and thought: this is really Sand, See and Sky.

pattern for the easy earrings

2008-01-02T08:17:00.000-08:00

EASY ONE SHUTTLE EARRINGS – DESIGN FROM IRIS NIEBACH COPYRIGHT 2008

Material: 1 shuttle
2,5m x 2 of thread size 30
30 x 2 seed beads A for the ring tops
46 x 2 seed beads B size 11 for the inner joins
1 x 2 beads in drop form with longitudinal whole (but you can use, what you want, because they will be put in at the end)
earring findings
For loading the beads on the picots and passing thread through the beads use a piece of very thin wire plied and cut in the length of about a sewing needle.

Attention: when the bead size is given, it is important for the shape, where the size is not given, the seed beads can be bigger or smaller, because you put the quantity which fixes on the long picots. You can recognize 11 size beads, putting them on a thread and measuring 1 inch – there have to fit about 17 beads on a length of 1 inch!
Picot a: ¼ inch
Picot b: 5/16 inch (5/8 inch on the picot gauge taken flat)
Picot c: ½ inch

Wind 2,5 m of thread on your shuttle, load the thread with
3B-4A-5B-4A-3B-4A-3B-4A-5B-4A-3B-1A and start working
1) Start with the top ring. Leave a piece of thread (don’t hide the thread ends, they are needed for finishing) and take 3 beads on your ring and work 3ds- picot a-2ds, work picot c and 1ds, load 1A from your shuttle thread and work another ds, then load 6 beads (or the quantity that fixes)on picot c and join to that picot making 2ds-picot a–3ds and close. You must always have a total of 12 ds on your rings.
2) Put 3B between and start the next ring: take 3A on your ring thread on your hand, start with 3ds, join to picot of previous ring, loaded with 3B and make next 3 ds, then take the 3A and 1A from your shuttle and form the rhombus on top of the ring. Continue with 3ds-picot b -3ds and close.
3) Put 5B between and continue next ring: take 3A on your ring thread on your hand, start with 3ds, join to picot of previous ring, loaded with 5B and make next 3 ds, then take the 3A and 1A from your shuttle and form the rhombus on top of the ring. Continue with 3ds- picot a-3ds and close.
4) Put 3B on your thread and make the next ring: take 3A on your ring thread on your hand, start with 3ds, join to picot of previous ring, loaded with 3B and make next 3 ds, then take the 3A and 1A from your shuttle and form the rhombus on top of the ring. Continue with 3ds-picot a -3ds and close.
5) Put 3B on your thread and make the next ring: take 3A on your ring thread on your hand, start with 3ds, join to picot of previous ring, loaded with 3B and make next 3 ds, then take the 3A and 1A from your shuttle and form the rhombus on top of the ring. Continue with 3ds-picot b -3ds and close.
6) Put 5B between and continue next ring: take 3A on your ring thread on your hand, start with 3ds, join to picot of previous ring, loaded with 5B and make next 3 ds, then take the 3A and 1A from your shuttle and form the rhombus on top of the ring. Continue with 3ds- join to picot of first ring, loaded with 3B-3ds and close.
7) Put the last 3B between and knot the two thread ends together. Now load on the thread ends the beads you want to put in the middle. You can use hanging beads and let them hanging loose and hiding the thread ends on back of the top ring or you can use beads with transversal whole and fix them on the opposite side, putting the thread ends through the 3A beads of both sides and hiding them on the back of the adjacent rings.

Easy earrings

2008-01-02T02:17:00.000-08:00

These are earrings I designed time ago. They are easy, made with one shuttle only and I'm prepairing a free pattern for you to start the new year happily.

Two hearts

2007-12-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

Today I designed and tatted these two heart.

The double flower pendant

2007-12-29T11:08:00.000-08:00

Fortunately I have a bit of time, so I made this double flower pendant. It was not so easy to find the right way to make it in one pass, putting the bead in the middle of the ring, with the last beaded picot on the outside, but at the end I found the way. I repeatet the whole medallion almost 7 times to get the right shape.
Here it is.

the summernecklace

2007-12-20T00:03:00.000-08:00

This is the necklace with matching earrings, which was displayed in the exposition room at Palmetto Tat Days 2007.

Influenza 2

2007-12-15T03:28:00.000-08:00

During my illness I realized also these pendants. They are three, a shuttle shape, a square shape and a flower shape. The designs where already made, but in bed I tatted them. From the 25 motifchallenge I have arrived at quota 17.

South Carolina

2007-12-15T02:22:00.000-08:00

I have to tell you about the visit we made to Betty Magill, called Mrs. Betty, and the wonderfull day we spent there. Pam Freck drove her car with Riet Surtel in it, and I was in Joannie Culverhouse's car. Fortunately - for me - Pam didn't remember well the way, so we crossed a lot of countryside and I had the opportunity to admire this wonderful sorroundings, but I was a bit surprised to see a lot of poor people living in very old and sometimes ruined houses. After a lot of driving around we got to Betty Magill's home.
Betty Magill and her husband live in Kinards, SC which is between Newberry and Clinton, SC. She is surrounded by fields of cotton, corn and soybeans. There are many dairy farms in that area also.
Mrs. Betty has been corresponding for over 50 years with people from all over the world in regard to tatting, crocheting and notecard making. Dorah Orr was one of those ladies. She test tatted many patterns including the ones for Myrtle Hamilton. Another lady she corresponded with in Florida was Joanie Culverhouse who was delighted to get to meet Mrs. Betty in person.
Betty was in her own little world until the SC State Fair in 2000. Mr. Robert, her husband, was watching TV early one morning and saw the Palmetto Tatters on TV and he told Mrs. Betty to come watch. She was beside herself and found their very next meeting. She has done a lot of the PTG Guild correspondance through the years like thank you notes for the butterflies and makes bookmarks to give away at Tat Days. Due to her health issues she has not been able to attend either the State Fairs or the Guild Meetings for the last 2 years. That is why the Palmetto tatters try to take the lessons and the folks to her.
We sat a lot of hours together tatting, showing our tatting works and speaking. I admired Mrs. Betty's framed tattingworks on the walls and a shuttle collection under glas in a table. She gave us some handmade booksmarks and other gifts. She also had invited a yournalist from the local paper "The Newberry Observer" to join us, who made a lot of questions and took pictures and stayed also hours together with us. She wrote a very big article on that newspaper about tatting, a whole page with text and photos. Pam Freck was so kind and sent me a copy of that paper. Evening arrived and Mrs Betty invited us to remain for dinner, but Joannie had to return home to prepair dinner for her husband, so we greeted Mrs. Betty and went home. It was really a wonderful and unforgettable day.

Influenza

2007-12-15T02:03:00.000-08:00

I had three terrible weeks in which the whole familiy was sick almost twice. My 8 month old grandboy, whom I babysit during the week while my daughter attends university, cried for two days and nights of cause of the fewer and caugh and close nose and in the night my husband, me and my daughter, everybody hold him for some hours in his arms in vertical position to permit him to sleep a little between crying. His sister also had fewer, vomiting and diarhea. My daughter also got ill with hight fewer. Then they were all so ill, that they didn't come and I was free but then I got also sick and so got my other daughter and my 6 year old granddaughter. It seems now all better, but after all suffering I got also a teeth ache and on monday I have to go to the dentist. I'm a bit depressed.
But, as you already know, when I'm sick, I'm creative and I designed and tatted these earrings.