25 Motif Challenge - #18

I'm still plodding away on the Petal Doily, but I found a motif I had done to use up thread on my shuttle. It's a teeny thing but excellent for tatting off leftover thread.

Motif #28

from Motifs for Marie

by Kaye B. Judt

unknown pink variegated thread

3/4"across

Missing in Action / Christmas Cards

Sorry for being gone so long. My old computer's monitor died and everything for the blog I have been doing is stuck on the tower. I have to get some cases to salvage my hard drives and make them portable drives. So I had to establish my laptop as the main computer and load files I needed, hook up to the internet, let Windows update itself several times a day (I never connected the laptop to the internet). I am also working on another tatted Petal Doily which takes time. So I thought I would share my Christmas cards I am sending out this year.

I started with Canson Watercolor Greeting Cards for the base since they would be good and sturdy. I found a poinsettia pattern in one of my painting book and used a lightboard to trace onto the cards. I then colored the base colors with BIC and Sharpie markers. Highlights and shadows were added with Prismacolor pencils. The inside message was printed, torn to fit, and then edged with Real Red Ancient Page by Stampin' Up.

CARD FRONT

INSIDE

25 Motif Challenge # 17

This motif finished off the first end of unknown threads. One down - a gazillion to go...........

Motif #17

from Motifs for Marie

by Kaye B. Judt

unknown ivory thread

1 1/4" across

25 Motif Challenge #16

Motif #2

from Motifs for marie

by Kaye B. Judt

unknown ivory thread

1 1/4" across

25 Motif Challenge #15

A few years ago I was given a huge amount of old tatting thread. It was all rolled into balls with no identification as to brand or size. A good portion of it was very fine and slick and it has taken me some time to feel up to using it. It is actually easy to use and not that hard to see if I use my 'super-cheater' glasses. :) Unfortunately, I don't have enough of any one ball to do anything big, so there may be a lot of little stuff being done for a while.

I bought a new book from my tatting dealer this month called Motifs for Marie by Kaye B Judt. It is nothing but small motifs that should help me clean out my stash so I'll have room for the new threads coming out!

St. Pat's Day Doily

by Heather

unknown ivory thread

2 3/4" diameter

25 Motif Challenge - #14

This is a fun little motif that works up quickly and works well on fabric Artist Trading Cards (ATC).

Tatters Round Robin for Beginners

by Georgia Seitz

Flora HH size 20 color 100

2 1/4" across

25 Motif Challenge - FINISHED!!! (number 13)

Sorry I've been missing for so long. Several things added up to make a simple project become a huge undertaking. We had a heat wave, my arthritis slowed my tatting to a crawl, and I developed a breathing problem which has also slowed me to a crawl. But enough of the whining ....

I actually enjoyed working on this doily. It is designed very simply. If they pay VERY close attention to he joining I think a beginner could tat this and not go nuts doing so.

Tatted Petal Doily

from Star Book 66

Flora HH size 20 colors 100 & 670

13" diameter

25 Motif Challenge - In Progress

I'm currently working on a large project, and you might think me MIA if I didn't check in. This is the Tatted Petal Doily from Star Book 66. The end result looks like a flower - a circular center with eight petals.

I had recently bought some new threads and the screamed to be used for this project. My scanner wasn't perfect in the color - the 'brown' in both threads is actually a beautiful deep cranberry and the yellow is a brighter yellow. The scan shows the center, the center ring of the petals, a cloverleaf used in shaping the petal, and round 1 of a petal. Since this is so modular, I am doing all of a segment at a time. It seems to be going faster since I can quickly memorize the current piece's pattern.

Zentangling Fun

If you still don't know what Zentangle is, check out zentangle.com for information. I enjoy the relaxation it encourages. This first piece was from a pattern coloring book. The first image is the untouched page.

This is the completed Zentangle done by using the pre-drawn pattern as the string. All of this is done with a .01 disposable technical pen.

This is a bit different. I had a tank top that had gotten dingy and lightly stained. I took a very fine Sharpie pen and did a Zentangle on the shirt for a unique piece of art.

25 Motif Challenge - #12

Foldover Bookmark

desighed by Jon Yusoff 2010

Flora HH color 53 size 20

5 3/4" long

25 Motif Challenge #11

I'm not real sure why this is called a snowflake. It has 4/8 points (depending on how you count them) and snowflakes have 6 points. Its a nice motif and is dense enough to be used as a glass mat or small bud vase doily.

Snowflake 9

Festive Snowflakes & Ornaments

edited by Barbara Foster

unknown lt. blue size 20 thread

3 1/2" across

New Sketch

This is just a warm-up sketch to try and get my hands and eyes back in shape for drawing. I was quite pleased considering I haven't drawn since before last Thanksgiving.

Back to the Board

I'm starting to spend a little more time at the drawing board trying to get back in the swing. It's been a while since i've had the urge to draw or paint. This is a marker piece with a collaged flower and leaf.

25 Motif Challenge #10

This was a bit tricky in spots, but not too hard so long as you paid attention. I've not been tatting much so I could rest my right hand. I had been tatting so much I kept dropping shuttles and cramping. I should have new pieces soon.

Snowflake 8

Festive Snowflakes & Ornaments

edited by Barbara Foster

unknown lt. blue size 20 thread

4" diameter

25 Motif Challenge #9

This cross has a solid Gothic feel to it. It was extremely simple and easy to tat. I had several ideas come to me on ways to make beaded variations.

Small Cross

Tatting with Visual Patterns

by Mary Konior

unknown lt. blue size 20 thread

5 1/2" long 4" wide

25 Motif Challenge #8

This is the project that tried to eat my lunch....... It is deceptively simple - which is the main problem. When I first started it, I couldn't make out that I was supposed to use the shoelace trick in two places, so I just tried twisting the chains. It wasn't too bad after I figured out the first mistake but then I made an unfixable mistake and started again.

Time two went better at the slt points and I went chuggin along until unfixable number two.

Number three has a semi-serious mistake I fudged around. I think only a tatter would notice. Right at the last section I made a chain too short and was not going to start again, so I added a picot to the next chain. Even with mistakes, I like how this turned out and plan on trying it again.

Spinning Wheel Glass Mat

Tatting With Visual Patterns

by Mary Konior

unknown multi-colored size 30 thread

4 1/2 " diameter

25 Motif Challenge #7

This is a slight change from the snowflakes. :) I am working on a project that has been eating my lunch and I had to empty my shuttle, so this small piece was perfect.

Medallion Cross

by Roger aka Freedman

unknown multi-color size 30 thread

3" wide 3 3/4" long

25 Motif Challenge #6

Brain-damaged me made a realization - I was forgetting to count my pieces! This piece starts the count at 6 motifs finished so far.

I had a bit of trouble keeping the center balanced, but it might be a bit easier with a larger thread. I do like this pattern as it seems to reproduce the natural crystalline shape of snowflakes.

Snowflake 6

Festive Snowflakes & Ornaments

edited by Barbara Foster

unknown blue size 30 thread

3 1/2' across

25 Motif Challenge

Have you ever seen butterflies in the snow? I have here in West Texas as the changing of the seasons you may see a butterfly flitting over snow. This snowflake reminds me of that as the 'points' look like butterflies to me.

Snowflake 5

Festive Snowflakes and Ornaments

edited by Barbara Foster

unknown blue size 30 thread

2 1/2" across

25 Motif Challenge

This doily was very easy to make with a nicely balanced design. It is a prime example of the professional free patterns available on the internet.

"Arches"

by Marilee Rockley

unknown size 30 thread

6" across

25 Motif Challenge

It's been a bit since I've posted due to a severe bout of arthritis and muscle pain. I'm coming out of it and feeling a LOT better. This is the third snowflake from the HH book, but it is not one of my favorites. It is just too light and flimsy for my taste.

Snowflake 4

Festive Snowflakes and Ornaments

edited by Barbara Foster

unknown size 30 thread

3 14" across

25 Motif Challenge

I got a bit lucky this month - I was able to find a complete year of Workbasket magazines from 1954 (in fairly good condition) on EBay for about $1 an issue. I almost fell out of my chair when I got them, as the original subscription lable was still on them, and the lady lived in my hometown in my part of the country mail route. I was totally amazed, after all, how often does something like that happen?

This is a bit of a non-traditional snowflake. I am trying to use up my odd-ball threads before I go out and buy all the new ones I want! lol

Snowflake 2

Festive Snowflakes & Ornaments

edited by Barbara Foster

HH Flora color 2053 size 20

4 1/4" across

25 Motif Challenge

Well, I've decided since I'm going to be doing a lot of tatting from some new books I've bought and working on projects for the fair next fall that I might as well re-join the challenge. I'm also trying to use up a LOT of unknown brand and sometimes unknown size threads I inherited, so who knows what may wind up here.

Snowflake 7

Festive Snowflakes and Ornaments

edited by Barbara Foster

unknown size 20 thread

41/4" across