Progress is progress...

Well, progress is progress I suppose...I managed about half the third round on the Norma Benporath Lace Mat, sneaking bits in early this morning and while daughter was otherwise occupied today...the light is not nice for a photo at present, so I had to use the flash, but thought you would all like to see anyway...

...no other tatting has occurred as of yet today, hopefully a bit later this evening I will get to sit and tat for a while!  The girls have been fed, I need to do dishes, and then perhaps I could pop in a movie and we could all sit for a while...my dear husband is off watching the motor races with a group of men from church, so the evening is for we girls...we could run up to Hobby Lobby or JoAnn's (craft stores) and look for centre ornaments and other interesting crafty things too...hmmm...decisions, decisions...

Lace Mat Progress and Fall Tatting...

I finished up the second round on the Norma Benporath Lace Mat Tat-Along today and sewed in the ends.  I have not pressed/blocked this round yet, but I don't think it needs it as badly as the first round did.  I'll probably wait until after the next round...those longer chains will likely need it. 

My Husband is off picking up the big girl from school...so I'll likely not get any more done on this today and it is now the weekend, so we shall see...might be slow going on this one until Monday. 

I did also manage to finish up this little fall leaf...this is Tammy Rodgers Maple Leaf pattern available here, tatted in size 20 LizBeth in Falling Leaves. (6/25 motif challenge)

Today is my Husband's Birthday as well...and he is off from work today and tomorrow...so we will likely go hiking/picnicking/otherwise up in the mountains to play.  That usually means very little time for tatting, unless it's on the drive.  Oftentimes though, it is so pretty that I end up looking out the windows rather than tatting...and the aspen's should be beginning to turn...

Lace Mat Tat-Along...

Yesterday, Jon of Tat-A-Renda posted the diagram she had drawn up for this gorgeous Norma Benporath Lace Mat design and suggested a tat-along.  I had admired the design in the past and was just happily intriqued and found myself selecting thread, winding shuttles and happily tatting away before I could think it through and talk myself out of it.  By the end of the evening I had completed the 1st round...

 

Now, I have decided to use my older daughter's favorite colors and that this will be a Birthday gift for her...and so it must be done when she is not present to watch or it will ruin the suprise.  Therefore, this is as far as I will get today as she is now home from school...I am a bit over half way done with the second round.

 

Since the Lace Mat must be set aside for the evening, I am currently working on this...

 

This one is one of Jon's own designs...her Merriment Doily.  This is really pretty and very enjoyable to work on.  I started it back in March with some of the pretty threads from Jess!'s package she sent to me.  This is a size 20, I am not sure if it the colorway has a name or not...I can't seem to find it, but it's a gorgeous variaged lavender and blue thread.  Somehow or another this little doily never gets finished, constantly set aside when something else comes along.  Probably because it has no destination/recipient/purpose as of yet, it's a because I want to tat.  I have just 2 1/2 repeats left, we'll see if I can get this one done in the next day or so!

 

"Go To" Patterns...

I found this post on Sharon's Tatted Lace interesting recently as she was asking what people like in different patterns and what makes something a "Go To" pattern for them.  It varies quite considerably from person to person.  I, personally, enjoy tatting for relaxation...I like to have an end result and enjoy the calming effect of making the stitches.  I have three patterns that I tat all the time...

The first of these is Mary Konior's Large Cross pattern...

 

This is one that I finished up last week, but just got the ends sewn in on yesterday afternoon.  It is done in a vintage blue variegated coats size 70 thread. (2/25 motif challenge)

 

I tried something a bit different here.  Sometime ago, I saw this post on Tat-ology and noticed that Fox had interpreted the pattern diagram slightly differently than I had.  She used 15 ds (double stitches) in each center ring of the clovers where I use 10...I believe one could interpret the pattern either way and remember puzzling over which way to go the first time I tatted the pattern.  Having seen it, I had to try it...so the blue variagated cross has 15 ds while the purple version has 10 ds.  I like it both ways and will likely do one or the other as whim strikes.

 

I typically have one of these going at all times...it fits in a little case in my purse and is perfect for pulling out when I have an odd moment.  Sometimes, one is finished in mere days and at other times it may languish in there for months.

 

The next pattern is related to the one above as the stitch counts and pattern arrangement are the same, but this only uses a part of the whole...this is Kirsti Anear's Stumpy pattern...

 

This one I finished sewing in the ends on yesterday.  It is done in size 10 Cabelia...delicious stuff to tat with is that beautiful thread made in France!!!  The pretty ribbon was on an equally pretty package of thread I received from Jess! this spring when I won a little contest she had...it perfectly matched the thread and so went right on. (3/25 motif challenge)

 

This, on the other hand is tatted in size 5 pearl cotton...floppy horrid stuff to tat with and I have relegated it back to my embroidery supply box where it will remain.  Had to try it though. (4/25 motif challenge)

 

Here are the two for comparison sake.  Really, this pattern looks amazing in what ever size thread what ever color and it is quick, fun, and relaxing to tat.  This pattern takes me maybe 45 minutes to an hour to work.

 

I also like to take the large rings from this pattern, two sets of the clovers at the ends, adjust slightly and add beads and ear wires to make a quick and beautiful set of earrings for a gift as I did here.

 

This is my final "go to" pattern.  This cross makes a lovely little gift to tuck in a card...and is a quick tat for me, an hour if things go well...maybe two if the little one interrupts and has needs and wants throughout.  This is another Mary Konior cross pattern...this one is called Mark My Words.  It also looks lovely in anything from size 70 on up through size 10 and in any color you can dream up.  This was tatted yesterday and is done in a lovely vintage dusty plum colored clark's thread in size 30.  (5/25 motif challenge) The price is marked on the ball at .35 cents...would that thread was still that price!

 

There you have it, these three patterns are the ones I tat continually...they are just my personal happy tats, and each person has their own...makes things more fun that way! 

 

I have counted each of these in my version of the 25 motif challenge as well...so I am up to 5 now...we'll see what else can be added in the next few days!

Table Linens with Tatted Insertions...

Here is a lovely set of table linens that Grandma made with beautifully tatted insertions...Each insertion appears to be a rose motif with a leaf motif extending out from it...just beautiful!

 

 

Six napkins & placemats, plus a table runner...just a gorgeous set.  I love how the pulled thread work and the carefully bound insertion edgings of these linens compliments the insertions themselves.  The attention to detail in the small things is what makes her work so beautiful. 

Lace Edging...

This is a gorgeous edging that was once on a blouse or something similar and was removed.  It was in Grandma's pile of ric-rac and trims, earmarked for repurposing elsewhere.  I think it is pretty enough that I wanted to share it here...

 

It's such a pretty combination of elements to make a deep trim or collar, very nice effect...I'm sure it looked lovely on the item it graced...

A Doily Edging...

I am actually uncertain as to wether this is an edging for a doily that Grandma never completed a center for or if it was intended as a collar as it is about that size as well, but either way it is quite pretty...

 

This would be lovely with either a white or a green center...very nice for St. Patricks day, it would be fun to put this on something and see it completed as it is truely a beautiful edging!