Category: bookmark

Tatting Tea Tuesday

Tatting Tea Tuesday is here again. I haven’t done a lot of tatting this week and one of the things I did make didn’t get it’s picture taken – oops.
Saturday my husband and I went to a wedding in Oklahoma. I didn’t think I’d get to go because of work. But, big surprise, we didn’t have to work so we headed south. As it’s about a three hour drive I decided to tat the wedding couple a cross bookmark, something I didn’t have time to make before. (And of the three choices of colors I had with me, I picked the wrong one. I had their wedding colors with me, I just didn’t know that was it! I’ll bet they’ll like it anyway.) I didn’t take a picture of it because I didn’t think about it. I had the camera, just not the thought.
Something I have been working on this week is a challenge from Sharon on her Design Challenge blog.

This came out looking like I imagined it would, but it is kind of a pain to make, with a lot of reversing work. On the second, two color one I tried the method for making chains of NOT reversing but also not flipping the stitch. It works (I did it, I did it!) and it’s not quite so persnickety a pattern this way. Of course, you have to pay attention and remember NOT to flip the stitch…
I like the look of this and I’m counting this as #23 on my 25 Motif Challenge. And though I don’t use beads much, I’m thinking of trying this with beads. This could be my snowflake for the Christmas season. I try to come up with a new one every year for friends and family. I may just have come up with it a little early this year.

A little bitty doily and a horse

A few weeks ago I needed an ecru doily for a gift. I had a colored doily but found out that the recipient really liked ecru as this was more in line with her home decor (I like to please). Soooo, as usual, instead of going with an existing pattern I tried to come up with something that didn’t take too long. And this is the result.

I call it Arches Over Arches. This is made with DMC ecru (of course!) in size 30. I came up with this from a center I found in my old stuff that was made with size 10, which was much bigger. I think this was supposed to be an edging that went wrong. But it made a nice center for a doily.

The other two rounds I came up with this time around. I have several ideas for the next time I make it – and I do have plans to make it – and my husband has a couple of really neat suggestions, also.

There’s nothing here to compare it to so you can’t tell the size. It’s pretty small, only about 4 inches across. So maybe it’s too small to be considered a doily, but I would use it under a vase for a single rose or some such, so I call it a doily.

I’ve also had another idea in mind that I worked on last night. After seeing all the neat ideas of using a large paperclip as a bookmark, I thought a large paperclip with a horse head would be neat. Now, I make my own bookmarks and doilies and such, but coming up with something like this has not turned out well. I’m not showing my attempts, just say they met a quick end. But the Internet is our friend and makes finding the many wonderful people with great ideas easy to find if you go looking.

If you go to ds9designs you will find that Debbie Arnold has a very cute seahorse pattern. I saw it and thought “if you start here and leave that off, it would make a really nice horse head pattern.” So last night I tried it with thread I already had on a shuttle. (The colors would have made a wonderful seahorse!)

.

This is made with Lizbeth Caribbean size 20. I think I need to make the base a little wider and the neck maybe not quite so long. Then I need to try putting it on a paperclip. Maybe in a horse-y color. And then again, maybe not. To be continued…

Most of this last week was spent finishing the butterfly for the Intatters butterfly exchange. I got it done in time (just barely!) and sent it off to Cindy in Minnesota. After I know she has it I will post a picture of it. I thought it came out well and I’m looking forward to sharing it.

An angel, a bookmark and some buffalo

My little angel didn’t have to wait a week to get her wings, or her body either.
I finished her a couple of days ago. She has a little boo-boo on one of her
wings because I wasn’t careful with my scissors, but I think she’ll be okay.
This is the first pattern I ever came up with on my own, and after almost 20 years I made
the first real modification to it. I lengthened the skirt and made the wings a little wider.
This angel has been made a lot for Christmas decorations, sending warm thoughts to people
that needed a little lift, and just for the fun of making them.
The blue angel on the right is from the original pattern. The one one the left is with the change.
I know it looks a little pink but it’s actually ecru! Both are in DMC size 30.

I guess I haven’t gotten off the bookmark kick from trying to come up with one for the InTatters bookmark exchange. This is what I was aiming for to begin with in the exchange, but kept trying too hard. I like both this one and the one I sent. This is made with Manuela size 20

thread in blues #008 and #019. Now I have a gift ready for the next time I need a little something to send in a card!

No, I didn’t tat any buffalo, I just took their picture. These are American Bison, raised by a man across the section from us. My husband and I happened to drive by last week and see them so I took a picture. I don’t know if you can make them out or not, but the lighter colored ones are the babies. I know these look small, but they are very impressive up close. The bulls get to about six feet at the hump and are very massive.

I was planning on posting yesterday, but we actually had a day off from work(!!). And being Father’s Day we actually went to see our fathers and then went to our daughter’s for supper. Itwas a very full day, but a lot of fun!

And now I am off to finish (I hope!) my butterfly for the InTatters butterfly exchange.

How about another bookmark? Or two?

Back in May I was trying to decide which bookmark to make for the Intatters bookmark exchange. I tried several different ones on the way to one I liked enough to send. I just counted, and if I counted correctly, I made five bookmarks before I settled on one.

The one at the right is one of them. This one I ended up giving to my mother for her birthday. It’s made with size 10 DMC thread in red. It’s a bit long, about 12 inches long. I’m not sure what I was thinking, I just kept on going. She liked it so I guess it was okay. I’m counting it as #16 of the 25 Motif Challenge.

This blue bookmark is the one I finally sent for the exchange. It’s made with two shades of Manuella size 20 thread. I hadn’t planned on having a ribbon through it, but it looked like it needed something, and that
ribbon really set it off well. The bookmark is laying across a book about Kansas. As my exchange partner lives in Australia I thought I’d add a little something to go along with it so sent the book to show her something of the place I live in. I’m counting this as #17 of the 25 Motif Challenge.

The fifth bookmark was never completely finished. It ended up being a hodge–podge of ideas. A repeat of this, a repeat of something just a little different, then something with the count just a little different, and…. It looks rather strange and lop sided. But I did come up with several ideas I liked in the process, so it wasn’t a waste of thread or time. The exchange bookmark is the result of one of the ideas. I’m using another part of it on another bookmark. Like I need another one right now. Of course, bookmarks are nice to have on hand for unplanned gifts, so whether I use it or gift it, it will not languish too long in a drawer I’m sure.

I have several things I’ve been working on that I haven’t taken pictures of yet and will post them as soon as I can. And I have a list of things I’d like to try from checking out the wonderful blogs out there. Some of you really make me drool with the lovely things you make. Now if I only had a little more time…

More Bookmarks

I’m still working on bookmarks. I’ve made several for the InTatters bookmark exchange, looking for just the right one for my exchange partner.

I like this one but it’s kinda dark. It’s made with DMC Pearle Cotton size 8 in color #115. The pattern is mine from several years ago. The top tassel is new. I just wasn’t happy enough with it to want to send it for the exchange.

So I tried another one.


This blue bookmark is new, something I came up with in my search for the perfect bookmark. It is also made with DMC Pearle Cotton size 8 in a variegated blue. I really like this one but I messed up on the tassel and it has a kink in it. Aggravation!

But my daughter really likes it so I gave it to her. I’m definitely going to do this one again.

I’m working on what I hope to be the bookmark I’m going to send to Australia to my exchange partner. So far, so good. Which ever one I end up choosing I’ll post after she receives it.

Things are finally settling down on the home front with the family but my husband and I were informed at work to not expect any weekends off until August!!!! We may get Memorial Day off, not sure of the weekend, but 4th of July is in question.

I’m glad I have a job but I’d also like a life! It is going to be a long summer.

Fun with Bookmarks

InTatters is having a bookmark exchange and I joined it. I’ve never done an exchange before, so I’m very excited about this. I’ve been trying to decide which pattern and which thread to do it in. I’ve made several but I have not been happy with any of them.

This one is pretty good and was my first attempt. It was going pretty good when at the end I pulled the thread up at the end – and the thread broke! It left just a few fuzzy little strands, not enough to weave into any ds. I used the other tail to work it in somewhat, but I don’t trust them not to come out again. I will probably put a touch of glue there to keep it from coming out, but it doesn’t meet the standard of a gift.

I have done a couple other bookmarks that I will share another time – they don’t meet the standard, either, but aren’t too bad. But I don’t like the way my blog decides where the pictures go (instead of me) so I’ll post them at a different time. I WILL learn how to set this blog up better, some time. I just need to know where I can find some of that time. I seem to be very short of it right now.

With a deep breath and a prayer I look for the family to be done with hospital visits for awhile. Both my mother and my DH’s mother are both home and doing well. My father is doing better but the doctor said he can’t go home but needs to be moved to a convalescence home. This will be hard on everyone but a relief in many ways. He has been getting weaker and more confused lately. Now the doctor gets to be the bad guy instead of the family for telling him he’d have to go to a home.

But this means that I won’t have much time for me for awhile. I’ve been taking a few minutes here and there to visit other’s blogs and InTatters, but not really enough time to get pictures ready and post. I hope to get the other bookmarks up in a few days. Wouldn’t that be nice?

And tatting is so portable I can take it with me almost anywhere. So I have hope in getting a few things done. Wish me luck!

Decorated shoes

My nephew is the proud daddy of a new baby girl. Today we had a baby shower for her, which is nice that we all got to see the new baby. These are the shoes I decorated for her. The one on the right is what they looked like when I bought them. The other, is of course, what they looked like when I was done.

Which do you think looks better?

Both of my daughters and their babies were there and helped me host the shower. It was a very nice day, lots of conversation and all the babies got passed around. We had it at the local activity center so some husbands came along and were able to play pool and socialize as well.

My husband had to go to work before it was over (I would have, too, except I made arrangements for someone to work for me!) so our daughters, the babies and I had a great afternoon together and then supper out. My oldest had to leave a little quicker than planned because the weather started getting bad. Nothing severe but she – nor I – wanted her to drive in it.

For my next project I’m looking for a nice bookmark pattern. InTatters is having a bookmark exchange in May. I have never done an exchange before, but I think I can handle a bookmark. And then there is the thread choice, maybe harder than the pattern, because of course it has to be just right for the pattern. But that’s part of the fun, isn’t it?

Unexpected time-out from booties

I had to take a little unexpected time-out from making booties to make this cross for a friend of ours. Friday her husband, an older member of our church, passed away. It wasn’t exactly unexpected, but when is a death ever really expected? I sent it off today in a sympathy card.
This is a very quick pattern. I just made it off the top of my head but I’m sure I’ve seen it, or some variation of it, in at least one book. It’s made with DMC size 30 so it’s about 3 inches long, not including the tassels.
I’m going to call this #12 of the 25 Motif Challenge. Even though it is a sad occasion I think the bookmark turned out well.

Bookmark in fall colors

This is a bookmark I designed a few years ago when I was with one of my daughters at a sporting event. I posted this on eTatters and was asked if I would post the pattern.

Finally, here it is! Anyone is welcome to try it. It looks good in other colors, too.
Bookmark in fall colors
Designed by Wanda Salmans, aka tattrldy

Shuttle and ball
Motif
#
Clover
R 5-3-2. DNRW
R 2+ (to 2nd p of prev R) 3-3-2. DNRW
R 2+ (to 2nd p of prev R) 3-5. RW
Ch 5-5. RW
%
R 5+5 (to 2nd p of prev R) DNRW
R 5-5 RW
Ch 5-5 RW
%
Repeat between % twice.
Repeat Clover and following Ch, joining 1st p of 1st R of Clover to 2nd p of prev R
Repeat between % three times
Join to base of 1st Clover. Cut and Tie.
#
Repeat between # twice, joining to previous motifs in 2nd p of 2nd R of Clover.

Outside edge

R 5+5 to 2nd p of 2nd R of Clover at one end of the string of motifs. RW
Ch 3-2-2-3. RW
@
R 5+5 to next j of facing Rs of motif. RW
Ch 5-2-2-2-2-5. RW
@
Repeat between @ two times.
^
R 5+5 to next j of facing Rs of motif. RW
Ch 3 RW
R 5+5 to j of Clovers between motifs. RW
Ch 3 RW
^
Repeat between @ three times
Repeat between ^ once.
Repeat between @ three times.
R 5+5 to next j of facing Rs of motif. RW
Ch 3-2-2-3. RW
R 5+5 to 2nd p of 2nd R of Clover at end of the string of motifs. RW
$
Ch 3-2-2-2-2-2 each p increasing in length -2-2-2-3 each p decreasing in length. RW

Repeat from the beginning of Outside Edge with next R in same p as prev R.
Last Ch $ 22 ds, no picots.

Add tassel of 8 strands of thread doubled and brought through the $ chain from front to back. Bring all ends through loop and tighten. Trim ends as desired.
Update – added to My Patterns tab 1/6/15