How do you use thread leftovers? Earrings of course!

I really hate wasting thread, and throw it away, mostly if it's good and not so cheap thread!
That's why I like the patterns where you have an overall indication of how much thread you will need to tat the pattern! But even when you have the indication, we don't have all the same hand and tension... and if there's something I hate even more is to get close to finish a tatting piece and be left with no thread... so I always wound a bit more to avoid attaching new thread during the work!
The consequence? A lot of small leftovers, wounded on the shuttles :-(

I'm sure at all tatters happens the same (if not please explain me how do you do!!!), so what we just need are very small tatting things to use them. What do you do with your leftovers?
I often tat small flowers, hoping I will find them a place one day!

This time, I decided for another pair of earrings, to finish all my Lizbeth thread leftovers, adding some coordinated seed beads.

Not a new pattern, you've already seen it here. I don't know where I first saw the pattern, or who is the designer, if you know please tell me so that I can give credits :)

Summer readings... or tatting bookmarks?

Last few days have been still very hot here in Italy... but since yesterday evening we began breathing again! And this means my baby Giò can sleep a bit longer... so finally more tatting time!

Usually summer to me is the reading time, when I have time to relax, lay down and put my hands on all the books I can't afford in winter. During the year lots of books start piling up, waiting for the summer to hang around with me during holidays. But this time is different, this is my first no-reading summer - mostly in these last days in which Giò discovered how fun is to rip up everything paper she can find :)
So this year for me only very short books, like the one I'm reading now: Amelie Nothomb's "The life of hunger": have you ever read one of her books? To me she is just amazing... give it a try if you feel ready for great imagination and disdainful irony. But this post isn't supposed to be about a book, but about a bookmark!

Here there is the "Foldover Bookmark", a free pattern from Jon Yusoff blog, you can find the link to the pattern here.

It's tatted in Lizbeth #20 (my usual size), in one of my favorite variegated color, Vineyard Harvest.

As all others Jon's pattern I tatted, this is a sincere joy to tat, so if I can't have relaxing time reading, at least I can enjoy relaxing time tatting! I love above all all the sudden changes of directions, that anyway flow so smoothly!!! It's so harmonious!

Hope you like it!

So what can I say...
Just have a nice summer reading ;)

My first own designed tatted bracelet... it's finally done!

It's done! I completed my first tatted bracelet - pattern all by myself!!!
I know... matching earrings are still missing, but I'm working on them!

I couldn't imagine how rewarding is to see something you realized from A to Z... So happy today!

Well, I don't want to be boring with all my excitement, maybe to me it's wonderful but nothing special for anybody else!

But, as you can see, I also enjoyed making picture to post!!!




Anyway, while working at the earrings, I need to find a name for it, any suggestion?

I still have to find my way to draw the diagram... I received some really worthing advices from more experienced tatters, but I still didn't find enough time to try!

I'm working on something else as well, I'm preparing something for my first giveaway!!! So stay up to date, it will be coming soon (if I find out the technical way to run it)!

One more tatted animal... a big butterfly!

Almost 40°... way too hot for tatting, don't you think?
And even for blogging... the computer releases heat as well...

So the only thing I have ready is this butterfly I tatted from Inga Madsen book "Tatted Animals", in Lizbeth solid colors n#20, very easy and relaxing pattern!

It will be part of the blanket I'm preparing for my baby, together with the Robin and the two small butterflies I've posted last month.

More tatting when the heat goes down a bit...

Some steps forward on my first design

Still working on my first design... this weekend has been a beautiful one with all the family to the seaside, that means beach, sun, sea, ice creams and barbecue... but only little bit of time left for tatting and therefore testing my design! But I'll show you that little bit of progress I made on the bracelet:

Here there's the first two motifs in Lizbeth #20 Ecru with wood beads of 8mm... and this has been the issue: the pattern would work better with smaller beads, I guess 6mm should be fine.

But in my mind I had seen this pattern tatted in ecru thread and wood beads, and I only had home 8mm beads.. so to fit them I changed a little bit the stitch counting.

By the way, the pattern is customizable depending on the bead size you use, just need a change in number of ds in the chain over the bead. In the paper design the chain had 4 picots indeed... here in the picture you can see there are 6!


What do you think about it? I'd love to hear you sincere opinion!

Hope I'll be able to show it completed, and maybe even in some other colors and beads size!
Please be patient :)

Dolphins' family completed!

I don't have really much to show... except for the dolphins' family completed!

Now the group of three is ready to be sewn on baby sheets... I think I will add some embroidered waves and some water squirts! 

Concerning threads, the darkest one is in Lizbeth #20, while the two lighter ones are in MFM #20, Italian "Cordonetto" thread. I can say I really enjoyed tatting with this new thread, it's a little bit less twisted than lizbeth but not enough to affect the tatting joy! So, for italian tatters, if you find it buy it, I'll always be in love with Lizbeth but this is a good alternative and a big saving!

Jane Eborall's Dolphin Free Pattern

And now... my hands are finally free to work on my first jewelry pattern! Can't stay with you one minute more... I need to start the stitch count checking!

Have a nice crafting day!

Dolphins for my soon-to-be-born nephew

Today I completed a little dolphin for my sister-in-law incoming baby. It's the first of a group of three, in two different tones of blue, that are supposed to be sewed on a baby bedding sheets set, let's see it when it will be finished!

The pattern of course is a free one from Jane Eborall's blog, I just adore working on her animal patterns, they're absolutely perfect for babies' birth equipment!

As I was giving a hint on a previous post, to follow the pattern I had to face my first split chain! The pattern contains two split chain (they're optional, but the dolphin looks better with than without, go and see it here to visualize the difference), being my first try the first one was a mess, the second one was almost right!

If you look at the picture it really contains plenty of mistakes - what a pity... what was I thinking about while tatting? But if you don't know the pattern the overall impact is not that bad... I think I will keep it and not trow it away in the end!

I will tat the other two dolphins with a new thread I bought yesterday, from a brand I've never tried called MFM, made in Italy... there are a lot of nice colors! I only bought two balls so far, I want to see how it works first!

Working on my first tatted jewelry design!

Today I tried to face my greatest tatting challenge: design my first tatting pattern!

It's been a long time I desired to design a pattern for some tatted jewelry, but each time I had the time to relax and think about it, I didn't have the inspiration, and each time I felt I had the inspiration I didn't have the time to work on that! How many times did it happen to you as well? It's the hard fate of craft designers, isn't it?

By the way, this afternoon I finally made some little steps on the designers' path! I was browsing once again in the DMC Library Tatting book, and my attention has been raped by #16 medallion. I don't know how, but in few minute I was frantically drawing rings and chains with a pen on my moleskine notebook. And somehow a small piece of that medallion, with new connections, a little bit of asymmetry and few beads turned out into a bracelet and earrings parure!

I haven't tried to tat it yet... so I'm pretty sure I will have to change more than once the stitch counting...



And what is worse, is that I have absolutely no clue on how to transfer my "handy" drawing in a smart tatting diagram... There must be some software... need to research a bit, hoping to find something enough user-friendly to me.

At least I've already decided thread color and beads I will be using for the first test... let's see how it works... wish me good luck!

What a productive Sunday... and what a struggle!

What a productive and happy Sunday!

Today I really put myself to the test, both in tatting and in blogging... I'm really tired now! But I succeeded! Do you think it's bad to say that I'm proud of myself? Hope not!

Concerning blogging stuff, it took me almost one hour but in the end I could add the Pinterest Widget to my blog page! Not easy for someone like me who doesn't understand anything about computer language, but not even an impossible challenge if following the Code it pretty instructions! I need to thank Rhondda Mol' post who shared this info!

And concerning tatting, I've been since yesterday evening trying to realize my first split chain, and I've finally done it! Never had problems with split rings, but the split chain has always been dreadful to me, I've always stepped away from pattern where you had to do it. Now I can say I master it (more or less), cannot show you because the piece is not yet ready... but it's been a great thing to me!

I only have a very small and quick tatting work to show today, a pair of earring, I remember I've seen the pattern on the internet but I didn't save it, I tatted it by memory, so forgive me if I can't give credits! If anybody knows who they're from, please let me know and I will add the link back to the pattern!

Have a nice Sunday afternoon!

A new gift for a friend: Yarnplayer Vision necklace

Happy thursday!

 Today we wake up with rain outside, but now the sun is shining again! so for the afternoon I'm planning to go to a yarn shop in a small city not far from here, hope I won't spend too much, I think you know how it goes every time!

What I'm showing you today is my version of the wonderful Vision necklace, designed by Yarnplayer, you can find her amazing free pattern here!

I tatted this one for a friend of mine, but I really hope I will find the time to tat more of this necklaces, for other friends and maybe for myself, because I find this pattern just amazing! 

The instructions are easy to follow, and I think it's a very versatile one, changing thread's color and beads' shape or size you can have very different results and different styles! 

I decided to use small stones instead of simple beads, 'cause I wanted to realize a special and a bit precious gift, so I used onyx (in two different sizes) and rough ruby, I feel they fit well with the design!

In the work-in-progress picture maybe the details are a little bit more clear, that's why I upload that one as well!I really recommend this pattern though, thanks Yarnplayer to sharing it!

Two big news today for a great thursday for a newbie blogger like me:

1. I found an e-mail from InTatters that says my membership request has been approved! very glad of it, can't wait to join the other tatters community (if only the day had 48 hours...)!
2. My husband is coming to the seaside this evening from Milan, and he is bringing with him a very special gift just arrived via mail from Poland, sent me by a new friend found blogging... It's a little bear from Mulinowe Misie... But I can't tell you more, I haven't met my little bear yet! I'm so happy that I want to dedicate one entire post to the first gift I received as a crafter! So be patient, I'll keep you posted!!!

I've been too long already, I will tell you my other news in the next days! 

Can you guess what I'm working at?

What a busy busy week!

Last week's been really busy, I couldn't find the time to blog... the few spare time I found I used for tatting a bit! I have some ongoing projects, almost finished. Hope I'll be able to show you something by tomorrow!

In the meanwhile, following all the posts talking about Google Reader closure, I switched all my favorites blog to Bloglovin, so you will find the Bloglovin button on the sidebar on the right to follow me there! I was worried to loose my favorite blog list, anyway, I can still see all my favorite blogs list on by blogger space... maybe I didn't understand very well what was going to happen!

By the way, I discovered Bloglovin and I have to say that it's a pretty nice service, I like receiving a daily e-mail with all the new posts of the blogs I follow, so that I can read them also from my mobile when I'm traveling or somewhere else than home!
So welcome Bloglovin!

I don't want to end up the post with no tatting showed, so I'll show you a work in progress, hope you'll like it! This is the Robin pattern from Jane Eborall's blog, you can find the link to her wonderful animal patterns here! The Robin is finished, just need to hide ends, I say work in progress because it's part of a bigger project (as the butterflies I showed you here).

Of course, the project id for my baby Giorgia... can you guess what I'm working at? More clues on upcoming posts... Who knows, it can become a giveaway quiz???

Now it's time to ask for help: I'd like to try some tatting with a metallic thread, do you have any suggestion on which to use and where to buy (online shop would be better, in Europe will be the best)? Thanks in advance to anybody who can find a minute to help me :)

I really hope this week will be a good one for handcraft, but sun is shining now, the beach is calling me! Have a nice monday!

A tatted pendant... just for me!

Hi all!
even today I'm taking advantage of my baby's nap! She so cute when she's sleeping... I could spend hours staring at her!
I did'n think that starting blogging was so demanding in terms of time to dedicate... I really don't have so much time, and blogging means less time for crafting!!! But I will hold tight, I definitively and strongly desire to have my little sharing space, and really hope you can enjoy it with me!

What I'll show you here today is a tatting piece again from Jon Yusoff book "Tatting with rings".

I decided to use it as a pendant, I love it so much that I decided to keep it for myself.

You know what?

All jewelry I tatted so far became a gift for friends and relatives, I've never kept anything for myself... but this one I will keep!

But I have to confess... I've already made another one, exactly alike, for my sister-in-law!

Here is the "packaged version"... any suggestion for a different string?

Hope you all have a nice sunday, mine will continue on the beach with my daughter... cannot say relaxing but fun for sure!

butterflies... summer feeling!

Hi!

Here in Italy it's been so hot that tatting was almost impossible... hands so swollen!!!
But I have some tatting to share with you anyway!



Here there are two colored butterflies... really feeling the summer heat!

The pattern is "Papillon" by le blog de frivole, you can find it on her Etsy shop! It's easy to follow and (what an amazing thing!) with no ends to hide!!!

The wings create a tridimensional effect, so the result seems more complex of what it is.


I tatted it in two different Lizbeth variegated colors, don't know what I like most.

They will be part of a larger project I'm working on... you'll see the progresses in the next days!

A rocking horse for babies' dreams...

Hi!

Today it's really summer here! I'm at the beach with my baby, she's sleeping now so I have a little bit of time to post!

When I was waiting for her I tatted a small rocking horse to realize a blanket for the stroller. Actually I tatted two of them, the second one for a friend of mine who was waiting for a baby as well.
Here there's the one I tatted for my friend (unfortunately I don't have pictures of what has been realized with it, should be a blanket as well)

Here is what I've done for baby Giorgia:

Both of them are realized with Lizbeth threads 30, solids and variegated colors. I'm not 100% happy with the colors of the second one, it's a little bit too flashy, isn't it?

The pattern should be from Pam Palmer's Tatting Treats Two, to be honest I found some pictures of the realized horse online, but I wasn't able to find neither the book nor the pattern, so I adjusted it looking at the pictures (and so the result is not perfect...)! So please forgive me if the direction of the pattern is not correct and let me know if I made a mistake.
oooohhhh..... she woke up!!!

Here we are...

Here we are... my first post!

I've been thinking about this blog for some months, but now I think I'm ready to try. This blog is supposed to be mainly about tatting lace, but maybe some other little handcraft works will find a place here!
I discovered tatting from my mother-in-law, she is from Sicily and she learned it as a family tradition... As soon as I've seen some blankets, bed sheets and tablecloths realized by her mother,  I've been enchanted by the shape of this lace creation, wonderful but still a bit too "classic" for me. But then, when I discovered all over the net that there are new ways of tatting, and how versatile and open to any kind of style it can be, I deeply fell in love with it!

I started with very simple projects, and I'm still a beginner so far, but I've been experimenting all around and I will be really happy to share with you the few things I've done.

I've realized some earrings, necklaces and pendant, and then during my pregnancy some decoration for my baby's bedding, but so far I've always worked on somebody else's pattern. The challenge for me will be to be able to design a new pattern by myself, not easy... so please be by my side!

Actually I'm working on a pattern from the book Tatting with rings by Jon Yusoff (I really love her pattern); here's my work in progress.