Pendant and Earrings - motif #25

Haven't blogged in a while, I've been busy preparing for my first craft show. I'm a little nervous and praying hard that I sell a lot! These are just some of the items I've been making for it.
A set of matching pendant and earrings. The earrings are a simplified version of Kim Millar's "A Joyful Sparkle" and the pendant is my own creation. They were tatted in Manuela #20 and are my first attempt at using beads (the pendant has a swarovski crystal in the center).
I'm still undecided about hanging the pendant, should I use a cord, a ribbon or invest in a chain.
Any advice would be helpful.

The Last of the Blue Ribbon Entries - Motifs # 21, 22, 23, & 24

These are the last of the my MS. State Fair entries. Again I apologize for my terrible photography. They should almost finish off my 25 motif challenge, so I guess its time to start again :-)

The wedding garter is an adaption of Lenore English's bookmark pattern done in Flora #20. The doily is the Blue doily pattern from the Needle Tatting Two site, also Fora #20



















The Magnolia pin is from a pattern from the tatting calendar, the leaves were my own addition, also in Flora, #20. The butterfly is from a design by an Italian tatter, done in #10, yellow and is part of a pillow. I couldn't find the right size pillow for it, so I made one. Unfortunately, I waited to the night before the entries had to be at the fairgrounds to decide to make a pillow. We own a sewing machine but I haven't used it in years, so I decided to use Fabric-tac to seal the seams. Luckily, they judged it on the tatting not on how the pillow looked. I also entered the snowflake that I shared earlier in my blog.















The Scarf is crocheted in Gryffindor colors, my wife and I are big Harry Potter fans. I also entered a crocheted doily, angel, and snowflake.

More State Fair Entries - Motifs#17,18,19, and 20

Here are some more of my State Fair entries. Please forgive the rotten pictures, I'm a terrible photographer and several of the items would not fit on the scanner.
The Collar is a design taken from Jan Stawasz' book, I shortened the width of the collar, the original was a little too much for my wife, its to be her Christmas present. It was done in size 10. I really like the way the negative space forms hearts.
The runner is an adaptation of several motifs I had found on the net, I just kept adding on till I had a runner. It's in size 10 also.














The Linen napkin was entered in the edging category. It was done in size 20 Flora. It is part of a set I am making for my niece for her hope chest, she gets one for her birthday and another for Christmas. I'm aiming for a set of 12.
The handkerchief was entered in the hemstitch category and was done in #20, Flora. I think my wife has her eye on this too :-)




















This last item is not tatting but filet crochet, it needs to be re blocked there was too much handling at the fair. This is definitely my wife's, she loves fleur-de-lis.

16 Blue Ribbons at the Mississippi State Fair!!!

16 Blue Ribbons!!! I couldn't believe it. I won a blue ribbon in every category I entered. 11 tatting categories and 5 crochet.
The tatting categories were: Baby bonnet, Booties, Doily, Runner, Christmas, Collar, Hemstitched, Edging, Pillow, Garter, Misc. (I entered a 3d magnolia).
The crochet categories were: Scarf, Filet, Christmas, Doily and a Misc. category
I plan to add them to my blog and count them toward my 25 motifs.

































The Booties are a pattern by Lenore English done in #30 Flora white, the bonnet is my own design, in #20 Flora, unfortunately I didn't write down the pattern as I worked, time to go back and figure it out (sigh). They are motifs 15 & 16.

New Barrette - Motif #14

Another attempt at an original design, inspired by Jan Stawasz. I don't want to compare my work to his, his tatting is just amazing but the barrettes shown on his website gave me the idea to try to design my own.
The barrette blank is covered with black velvet and then the motifs applied, they are tatted in size 20 Flora . This motif # 14

Motifs # 12 & 13 - Earrings

It's been a crazy week getting ready for the Mississippi State Fair. All submissions had to be in by Friday at 5:oo p.m. I actually made it to the fairgrounds with a whole 15 minutes to go. I've been tatting like crazy to get ready, I entered 11 items in the tatting category and 5 in the crochet category. Now to wait for the judging....


It is also my sister's birthday and thanks to Dawn sharing her pattern, I was able to tat these horsehead earrings (she loves anything to do with horses).


These are some earrings ordered by one of the ladies at Church. They're a simple flower pattern in black with a pearl center.

These earrings are motifs 12 & 13.

Motif #11

Just finished another snowflake from "Tatting, Doilies, and Edgings" edited by Rita Weiss; "Lace Elegance motif #1" in Flora #20. This is probably going to be my Christmas gift this year. It's hard to think about planning for it already, but time is rushing by...

Motifs # 5,6,7,8,9,10 A Tatting Binge

This past weekend was crazy with my being glued to the Weather Channel and CNN watching their coverage of hurricane Gustav. Fortunately, we got off easy compared to Katrina. BUT it did lead to a tatting binge, as long as I'm tatting I can't eat chips or junk food, so I tatted and tatted and tatted (no calories and fun results). I finished several crosses, a collar and am almost done with a handkerchief edging. Here are the crosses, the collar still needs blocking.




















Five Star Cross and Hearts & Flowers Cross By Sharon Briggs
DMC Cebelia #20 white (motifs #5 & 6)




















"Christina" and "Monica" ( motifs # 7 &8)
Tatted Bookmarks-cross shaped by Lene Bjorn
DMC Cebelia #20 white





















"Pernille" and "Maria" (motifs #9&10)
Tatted Bookmarks-cross shaped by Lene Bjorn
DMC Cebelia #20 white and Kreinik Metallic size #8, gold

Motif #4 - My Favorite Bookmark Pattern

One of my favorite bookmarks is this one by Lenore English. Done in Flora #20 it looks to me like a simple yet beautiful piece of lace. I really love making them and giving them as gifts, they look great in almost any color.

A Tatted Barrette, Motif #3

After seeing Jan Stawasz's incredible website, I was inspired to try to create my own barrettes. The hardest part was finding a supplier for the barrette parts.
I covered the blank with black velvet and then attached it to the clip. The tatting (valiere squares, Fora #20) was attached with fabric tac. I'm also working on an oval version, I hope to be able to share it soon.
I wanted to share a non-tatted project I recently completed. I have a sister who is a horse fanatic so I found an antique pattern for a filet crochet horse head antimacassar. Its a Christmas present. I made it with #30 thread

My first attempt at designing a cross Motif #2

One of my favorite things to tat is crosses. I have a growing collection of patterns.

This is my first attempt at designing one of my own. It may not be elegant but I think it came out pretty good for a first attempt.

This is motif #2

My First Motif of the 25 Motif Challenge

I have been tatting just over two years. I was taught as a child how to crochet and helped pay for college and seminary making and selling crocheted Christmas ornaments. Two years ago a friend challenged me to learn to tat, and I took to it with enthusiasm. After winning several blue ribbons at the Mississippi State Fair, I submitted my work for judging for membership in the Mississippi Craftsman's Guild and was accepted.

This is my first time blogging and participating on the web, its rather intimidating with all the fantastic tatters out there, but here goes my first motif for the 25 motif challenge. A doily by Iris Niebach.