Apples, Apples, and more Apples!

We went apple picking at the relatively nearby Lusk Orchard in Fowler, Colorado and brought home 75+ pounds of absolutely amazing apple's...

 

 

Beautiful, Gorgeous, Scrumptious Apples...Macintosh, Jonathan, and the old variety of Red Delicious...

 

and so I have been cutting them up to freeze for later, loading the dehydrator, and making this....

 

...and this,

 

 

The jelly is made from the cores and peels...I love making something wonderful and delicious from something that I would have thrown away previously.  I found the recipe here.  It is an absolutely beautiful soft pink from the Macintosh apples I used today and the flavor is amazing.  I think I will make another batch tomorrow in pretty little gift jars for small Christmas gifts, but will increase the final boil to 2 minutes as the set is a little softer than I prefer.

 

Fall harvest opportunities have a way of creating unplanned interuptions......back to your regularly scheduled tatting and other crafting soon I think, I have just two more buckets of apples to go! 

Autumn Splendour...

A few photos from this weekend, just for your enjoyment...

 

 

The color was gorgeous, just at the beginning of the good color, it should be at it's peak this next weekend.  The girlscouts, my co-leaders, and I stayed in a forest service cabin across the road from Lake Isabel...a beautiful place to spend two days!  Fun was had by all...

 

 

This is a view of Lake Isabel I took the last morning we were there.

 

I returned home Sunday, spent the afternoon unloading and putting away the truckful of gear that I took with me.  Monday was simply a day of rest, it seems that no matter how relaxing of a time we have as a troop I am always exhausted when we return.  I think it has something to do with a decided lack of sleep! 

 

Yesterday I spent working at learning to diagram patterns and then on the pattern for the earrings I created last week.  Hopefully I will have that ready to share with all of you later today.

Pretty Dishtowels...

These, also tatted by my Grandmother Stella, I find to be both lovely and practical...not so elegantly done that I am completely afraid to use them...

 

We found a stack of these in the pretty heirloom dresser I showed a while back...

 

I chose this one to bring home with me...

 

This simple ring only edging Grandma could tat just as fast as lightning it seemed...she made yards of this simple trim to add to things...everything from nightgowns to dishtowels was decorated in this fashion...

 

...it's a special touch, but not too much...so one isn't afraid to use it.  I love these, definitely going to have to make a few more in a similar fashion!

Owl and a Stripey bit...but a pussy cat would love them!

Here are two light summer blankets that I made for my girls, perfect for traveling about this summer.  I made these while up in Montana this summer, one for each girl, but never managed to blog about them. 

These are something special, but something usable...these are easily washable, fun to use, warm but not too warm...a kitten would love to cuddle on these, and my little kitten certainly enjoys hers!

 

The edging is the same on both, just utilizing two colors on the owl fabric and a solid color on the striped fabric...

 

These are fun to work up and I enjoy making them...I have another started, this one in a cream and red Christmas poinsettia fleece...I think it will make a pretty throw for on the couch during the winter season.

A Lovely Winter Flake...

This, too, is one of my Grandmother's beautiful works...

 

I would like to recreate this one as I both really like it on it's own merits and love it because it is a design my Grandmother tatted. 

One lovely winter flake, once part of a flurry of flakes that graced her home each Christmas season... She had a silver tinsel tree that she used to cover with white tatted snowflakes, pretty tatted bells, and satin balls covered in tatting...it was simply gorgeous and I wish I had a picture to show you, but I have yet to find one. 

 

I do not know what happened to all of Grandma's tatted ornaments, Dad thinks Grandpa gave them away to various friends. I hope they treasure them...I'm sure they must as each is a beautiful work of art. 

Yellow Flowers with Simple Tatting...

I thought I would share a little more of my Grandmother's tatting with you today as I will likely not get to photographing anything else to share today...

 

I love the style of the embroidery on this piece, just elegant and beautiful.

 

The drawn thread rectangle bordering the embroidery and the simple tatted edge on this piece are exactly right for it.  I love this piece...just gorgeous in it's simplicity.

 

I am off to the mountains this weekend to coordinate a two night overnighter for my girlscout troop and I will not be where I have access to the Internet to post and I may or may not have anything of my own to post when I return. We shall see...sometimes, there is little for me to do now a days as the girls are older and can do most of it on their own...other times, well, they would rather do other things than their own cooking and clean up. 

 

In the mean time, I'll try to leave a couple of things set up to post for your enjoyment while I am off supervising my favorite girls (they have been in my troop since kindergarten and first grade and are now in 7th and 8th, and so they are girls whom I treasure greatly, whether they know it or not)...

Maria Cross & Papillon...

Here is the finished the Maria Cross...

 

I actually decided what to do right after Ladytats made the first comment, saying "If I didn't really need the 2 tails~the cross would be inside between the pages and the tail would show me where~ I would not worry about it and take it out back to the single tail."  That was exactly the right answer...but I was still wondering what other's would have to say and so I waited.

 

In the end, this is in a devotional and does not need two tails.  I was only trying it that way as that is what was shown in the pattern.  It really was supliferous as this will rest inside the pages of a daily devotional, not a Bible or a prayer book where having more than one might be beneficial...and so this cross is finished and will be counted as number 7/25 in the 25 motif challenge.

 

Now, on to other small things...namely Papillon, Frivole's new butterfly pattern...

 

Isn't it tiny and exquisitely beautiful next to the cross!

 

Here it is on it's own...

 

I am very proud of this tiny little piece of tatting...

 

Not because it's perfect (it's not), but because I tatted it at all...

 

I bought the pattern the day Frivole came out with it...but then I didn't tat it...

 

Why?

 

Well, there was a split ring...one little tiny, teensy, itty bitty split ring...

and I had never done one.

 

I've hidden all manner of unnecessary ends to avoid the little buggers...

but this one,

well...it's necessary...

 

That tiny head is vital to the beauty of this elegantly designed little flutter...

 

 

So there you go, my first ever split ring, and it wasn't so bad at all...I think it even came out rather well...

 

...unlike my lock chain which is a bit of a mess and not really a lock chain at all as in my anxiety over the coming split ring I made it with a full stitch flipped and then a full stitch (both sides) unflipped instead of 1/2 flipped and the second 1/2 unflipped as I believe I should have done.  The thread is some vintage J.P. Coat's size 30 that was on the shuttles from this and the previous cross I posted.

 

The butterfly is lovely, and I am thrilled with the pattern...it's just an exquisite little butterfly.  But then, coming from Frivole, I knew it would be exquisite, perfectly explained, and just as beautifully elegant as tatting can be, just as all of her patterns are. (8/25 motif challenge)

Now What???

Suggestions anyone?  I was just finishing up the Maria bookmark from Lene Bjorn's Bookmarks - Cross-Shaped...had cut the threads and was sewing the second end in when this happened...

That short thread is the core thread in those 155 half stitches of course...and, yeah, I did use some "vintage" clarks size 30 thread that is "aged" looking...but I really liked the "antique" look it gave...it matches the book I want to use it in very nicely.  So...How would you go about fixing it? 

1. I could pull a bunch of the half stitches off to get a longer thread, maybe all the way down to the join, tie a new thread on and re-tat those 155 half stitches. 
2. I could pull out down to the join and sew in there just leaving a single tail.
3. I could try to tie on where it is and make a new ring, hiding the short end as I tat the first few stitches of the ring.  I think it would be a touch shorter than the other tail though.
4. Other ideas I haven't thought of...

What would you do?  Definitely a "now what?" moment...and I am curious as to what other tatter's solutions might be...

Julie

Singing the Doodaa song...earring style!

Well, I couldn't help but play with the centre ornaments that I managed to find at Hobby Lobby on Saturday..or as the inspiring Lace-Lovin' Librarian, Diane, calls them...Doodads!  They do make a tatter feel like singing and tatting happily away with them.  I'm sure you all knew that's what I would be doing.  At any rate, here is what I have come up with...

 

I really rather like this, it is very pretty on...about the size I typically choose to wear at present as well.  This one is done in Lizbeth Antique Violet Med. (Color 640) with silver 11/0 beads...

 

Now, just so that you don't think it came out this pretty on my first attempt, I will show you what was the first attempt...

 

Nope...don't like it...not quite right at all.  Mushy thread for this application besides, a vintage size 30 Clark's thread.  Really needed more of a firmer thread for making these and needed to adjust the spacing a bit and change the top...and that thread was a touch to small to hold that size of beads in place nicely.

 

So the second go round was much nicer...

 

This is loosely based off of the arm of the Maria bookmark from Lene Bjorn's Tatted Bookmarks - cross-shaped.  Diane, the Lace-Lovin' Librarian, just tatted the same bookmark here...and I happened to have started the same bookmark Sunday morning, but got sidetracked when I thought how pretty an earring shaped the same way would be. 

 

 Additionally, I feel this is also inspired by the pretty set of earrings made by Lady Picot here.

 

I have seen that arrangement of rings and chains elsewhere, the stitch count has been adjusted, as well as the addition of two more rings at the top...so I feel fairly comfortable claiming this as my own creation.  If you all agree and like the design, I would happily share the pattern.

 

All in all, I am very happy with these.  I believe the silver beads give it a silver studded appearance that gives it a type of western styling that is currently popular in the Southwest part of the United States at present.  Which means this might prove popular as a gift for a few ladies I know at Christmas time. 

 

For now, I am off to make the second earring so that I have a pair...it is lovely, I like it very much, and I have just the shirt to wear them with tomorrow!  I might make a pair in turquoise thread as well.  Then we'll see what else I come up with...

Embroidered Dresser Scarf, Tatted Edging...

Here is another pretty thing made by my Grandmother.  This is a beautifully embroidered dresser scarf with a tatted edging...

 

Here, you can see most of one end of the scarf...a beautiful embroidered basket and a wide tatted edging...

 

More detail of the edging can be seen below...

 

...and here, detail of the embroidery...

 

The border is three rows of rings wide...very simple, but very effective and pretty.  I really love it on this beautiful embroidered piece, though I feel it would also be perfect on it's own...

 

I love how simple things are often the most elegant.  I think it is an enduring style, modern and classic at the same time.

 

Tomorrow, I will show you more of what I have been working on with the NB Lace Mat and other things...I wanted to share more of Grandma's work and was not able to find the time to get photos of my own work befor dark anyway...and mine can wait, Grandma's has been waiting longer to be shared...

Hobby Lobby it is...Tatter's Loot Report!

Well...the girls wanted to do something since Daddy was getting to do something...so I offered up Hobby Lobby and they took me up on it...they are girls after my own heart...

 

Had to check out the thread, because you never know, they might have some new colors (mostly they never do, but I always have to look anyway)...did you know they are carrying LizBeth size 80 now???  Truely tickled about that...

 

...oh and these little needle boxes, love them...have had one in a pretty blue with flowers for probably a year and it's perfect for holding a pin for the dreaded untatting that occurs occasionally, needles of different sizes, and a paper clip or two...

 

So I ended up with some leaf green size 80 thread that was just too pretty to leave for someone else to take home...and a needle box in a pretty pink design...then onto the BEAD section...

 

I was searching for centre ornaments that might work for tatting...I found a couple.  The second from the left and the farthest right will make excellent centres.  The other two...well, I'm thinking more along the lines of what Lady Picot did with her centres here, absolutely gorgeous. 

 

Then we ran into Wal*Mart for a couple of things and "happened" to wander down the craft rows there...and I spotted this...

 

...here is a closer look at those ornaments...see the potential?

 

I am looking forward to playing with these, tomorrow I hope!!!

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!