Safety Pin Brooch

I have a thing about using up all the thread on a shuttle, even when only a little bit is left. So I make little flowers and birds or try new techniques, doing anything to make me feel like I’ve not wasted more of the thread than I have to. This leaves me with lots of little flowers and birds and such. Now, what am I supposed to do with all of them?

While checking out videos on YouTube I saw one about slow stitching, which is embroidery. But I liked the result and thought that using tatting instead would also look good. Here is my first try.

To make the back I did have to do some stitching with needle and thread. Following the directions, I didn’t worry about hiding any of the stitches, letting them be part of the overall look. I have a package of coil-less safety pins, so I have a lot of opportunity to do more of these.

The butterfly is another try at the Picot Me Endrucks’ Life is Bliss Butterfly, this month’s challenge of the Endrucks 1920 Project. For this butterfly, I made longer picots on the top chain and then added a chain back over them.

My black coat is a wonderful background for the brooch. It’s getting warm now so this coat probably won’t be worn much more until fall. I guess I’ll have to find something else to put the brooch on for the summer.

I have two grandchildren in track this spring. Yesterday both of them had track meets in towns miles away from each other. The parents, my husband, and I divided ourselves so both kids had family in attendance. I went to the one that was an hour away and lasted six hours. Not much else gets done on days like this. And on Thursday there is one that starts at 10 a.m.! At least it’s only 30 minutes away instead of an hour!

Today I don’t have any track meets or other obligations. Except to work on something special for my granddaughter’s hair for her confirmation. This coming Sunday. I need to get to work on it!

“Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.” Unknown