Tatting time and unwanted twists

Well I finally got around to finishing off some of the pieces that I have been doing. The bracelets are made using vintage edging patterns and I am fairly pleased with the results. Except, there is always an except isn't there. Except that used for the 2 bracelets with flowers develops an irritating little twist on every second chain.Yes I have double triple checked and that is the way the pattern goes. Needless to say I will not be doing it that way in future. So I have added flowers to keep the eye away from those twists. Got to say I am rather chuffed with the purple flower. Pretty pretty pretty! Or should I say lucky lucky lucky that it worked out so pretty. Whoopsee almost forgot earring at bottom left is a Yarnplayer pattern from her latest book. With the exception of the peach thread all threads are my own HDT's the green brown being Lizbeth and the others being DMC Cordonnet Special .

Testing testing

Today being another blah sort of day, hot humid and overcast ( in other words NOT beach weather), I am playing with finishes for my tatting. I have done several of the same motif using the same thread etc and now I am testing which finish works better for me.

1a. the aquahere and water mix item fully immersed
1b. the aquahere and water mix painted on back only
2    starched
3    steamed
4    ironed using a netting protector

So now I am sitting watching it dry and planning. I have had what I think is a brilliant idea that I think is fairly unique. Really just using an old idea in a new way. We will see what comes of it.

From out of the skies they come...............

Its attack of the Killer Cockies here. Yes the sulphur crested cockatoos have discovered the sunflower.


First there was the lookout.

Then the taste tester with another lookout.

Then All out Food Frenzy

Then after Jazz tried to stalk them ( silly cat they have sharp beaks) we have the winner of the food bonanza. The poor sunflower doesnt look the same.

Tiny tatting

I finally made time to throw ( literally) some of the little motifs that I am doing for a friend down onto some paper to attempt a photo or two. The results were less than pleasing as I haven't blocked any of the pieces and I truly suck at photography.  Of course as soon as I took a step outside it started to spit rain. Me thinks the scanner might have been a better option. Anyway you can see some little doodles and a couple of Marilee Rockley patterns and even a Mary Konior pattern. They were just practice pieces before I set out to do them in HD thread and I mucked around with the patterns a bit. I knowI should have kept to the pattern but sometimes this needle tatter just looks at a shuttle pattern and goes 'WHAT? I do what?  Na lets do it this way'. And sometimes it works .........sometimes.

PICTURES WOULD BE GOOD

Pictures would be good so that people could see my threads but I have yet to manage a really decent photo of any of my colours. So that's on my list of to do things. Pity I have to work, it eats up so much useful time.

DAMMIT !!!

Okay I admit it was me. I'm the one who gloated about the weather yesterday. So now its spitting rain and has been overcast all day and it's all my fault. Hangs head in shame. Sorry.

Gloat Gloat

Do you really want to hear how lovely the beach was today. While the rest of the world is freezing or flooding we had a perfect day for the beach. And because I didn't have a hangover ( how weird is  that) off we went. A few too many tourists but I suppose I should share sometimes.