Category: butterfly

Playing With Butterflies

Have you seen the Endrucks 1920 Project on FaceBook? Muskaan M and Ninetta Caruso have started this play on patterns and have games with different patterns. The game of the month for April 2024 is Picot Me Endrucks with Life is Bliss Butterfly by Antonia Lai. I needed a break from my other tatting projects, so I joined the game.

"Life is Bliss Butterfly" on wandasknottythoughts
“Life is Bliss Butterfly”

I started with the one on the left, which is the original pattern they shared. I was tired, distracted, and not at home when I started. Not a good start. When I tried it again the next day it went much better!

The one on the right is my first try at changing it up a bit. I used HH20-126 Purple Splendor on both. The picots on the top of the wings are crossed double picots. This is the first time I’ve tried them like this. The picots on the bottom of the wings are twisted picots. I know, not a lot of differences, but it was fun. I have a few ideas for the next one, or two. I will be making more of these.

If you haven’t checked the Endrucks 1920 Project yet, I encourage you to do so. Even if you don’t try any of the patterns, they are very interesting!

#Endrucks1920Project #PicotMeEndrucks

My days have become much busier recently. I have two grandchildren in track, same school system but different ages. This means I may be going to track meets two to three days a week. Track meets are not good places to tat, or they haven’t been lately. Yes, there is a lot of wait time between some events, but wind, dust, and cold (or heat) are not conducive to productive tatting time. If I’m not the one driving, I may get a bit of tatting time. And there is a lot of driving time.

Track meet on wandasknottythoughts
Track meet

Today is the eclipse! We will have about 87% totality here and we are not traveling to get any closer. They say we may have high, thin clouds, but I’m sure we’ll be able to tell when it happens!

Are you watching the eclipse today? Are you listening to “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler?

What to do with bracelets

While at a second-hand store a while back I found a bundle of bangle bracelets for a couple of dollars. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with them at the time, but I was sure I could come up with something. So I bought them.

Bangle bracelet on wandasknottythoughts
Bangle bracelet on wandasknottythoughts

They were all about the same diameter but different thicknesses. I washed them and then sprayed them with a clear sealer so they wouldn’t tarnish or discolor any threads I might use. I set them aside until I could think about what to do with them.

I have seen people make dream catchers out of almost anything that is round but that didn’t appeal to me at the moment. A few years ago I attached snowflakes in the center, however, I wanted to try something a bit different than that.

Ring of purple on wandasknottythoughts
Ring of purple

I like this idea of joined rings on the outside, though it is kind of tedious joining those rings together. Then I ran out of thread and can’t find the ball. Okaaay, so on to something else.

Ring with spokes in the middle on wandasknottythoughts
Ring with spokes in the middle

How about rings and chains on the inside? I tatted on the ring with size 10 thread and added the first round of chains in 10 also. The rings and chains on the next round are in size 20. These two rounds were done multiple times as I tried getting a stitch count that didn’t buckle and crowd each other. Then what was I going to do in the middle? The spokes hold it tight and give it an interesting look.

Ring of flowers on wandasknottythoughts
Ring of flowers and butterflies

The idea of putting flowers on the ring was something that kept coming back to me, but what flowers and how to attach them to the ring? I covered the ring and did the chain on the outside while I thought about it. Then I played around with leaf ideas while I thought about it. The flowers and butterflies were made with the shuttle leftovers from other projects, so I just chose the colors I thought would work. I laid them on the ring with the leaves several ways before I attached them. I used fabric glue instead of trying to sew them on. Much easier than trying to sew them on.

3 Rings on wandasknottythoughts
3 Rings

So what do I do with these rings now? I will finish the purple one whenever I find the thread, but then what? This one and the one with flowers could be picture frames I suppose. Or just hang all of them up as is as decorations the way they are? Hmmm, I’ll have to think about that.

This weekend, after many delays and postponements, I was finally able to meet up with Sherry Ashberger, a fellow Kansas tatter. She contacted me years ago through my blog with the suggestion of meeting her somewhere halfway between where we live. That never worked out because of our schedules at the time. A few months ago she emailed me again with the suggestion of getting together. Things beyond our control kept us postponing a meet until at last this last weekend it worked out!

Sherry and I on wandasknottythoughts
Me and Sherry

Sherry has skills with drawing programs and she thinks she might be able to assist me with diagramming my patterns. What a great idea! We met up at a local Freddy’s and visited for several hours. It was so wonderful to finally, finally get to meet! I think we’ll be seeing more of each other.

I get no compensation for mentioning Freddy’s

My apple tree bloomed from the last week or so of March through the beginning of April. I thought I’d lose all chance at apples with a late frost, but I had a lot of blooms after, so I’ll probably have a few. Whether I’ll get any apples or the birds and bugs will get them all is yet to be seen. But the blossoms were gorgeous!

Apple blossoms on wandasknottythoughts
Apple blossoms

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Design is knowing which ones to keep.” —Scott Adams

Butterfly Edging

There are a lot of tatting projects that I need to get done now that I’m back from Palmettos Tat Days.  I knew about them before I went to Georgia but didn’t have time to do them, so it was rush, rush, rush when I got back. I did get two of my projects done, two more to go before the end of October.

Tatted Butterfly Edged Doily for auction on wandasknottythoughts
Tatted Butterfly Edged Doily

One project I finished was an edged doily. Our church participates in an auction to raise money for a local retirement home, which is supposed to be a ‘basket’ of items that we donate. This year, it’s not a basket at all, but several items of a theme that we’ll bundle together. I try to include something tatted every year, and this year I planned a doily with a tatted edging.

Tatted Butterfly Edging looks like Mary Konior's pattern on wandasknottythoughts
Tatted Butterfly Edging looks like Mary Konior’s pattern

Our theme this year is butterflies, so I envisioned a doily with a tatted edging of butterflies. I had an idea of what I wanted and got started without a pattern. While on Craftree I found an edging that was exactly what I wanted: Mary Konior’s Butterflies from her book “A Pattern Book of Tatting.” I don’t have the book and I don’t know the stitch count of her pattern as I made it before I saw a picture of it. As it is so close to her pattern if you want to make it, check out her book.

I loved the butterflies but thought the edging needed to be a bit wider, so I added another row. The result is more suitable to what I planned for the doily.

Tatted Butterfly Edging with a second row on wandasknottythoughts
Tatted Butterfly Edging with a second row

At this point, I didn’t have a center for the doily, I made the edging first 🙂  I had time to tat but not the time to cut and sew the doily center. With the edging done I had to figure out a way to get the center the size needed and found a paper plate worked out nicely. I miscalculated a bit by not making the seam a tad bit wider (making the doily diameter smaller), but it still came out okay. Finished size with edging is about nine and a half inches across.

Tatted Butterfly Edging sewn on found on wandasknottythoughts
Tatted Butterfly Edging sewn on

These are the items we put together for our auction ‘basket.’ We had members of our congregation add the butterflies to the grapevine cross.

Auction items on wandasknottythoughts
Auction items

This is one project down out of four that I want to have done before the end of October. I have one other completed that I’ll post about later. Now on to the next!

“The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.” Rabindranath Tagore     https://brainyquote.com

Happy Independence Day!

Today, July 4, we celebrate our Indepence Day here in America. Fireworks have been heard for several days already. Tonight there will many fireworks displays, both professional and amateur. We’re planning on celebrating at our daughter’s with her family.  Let the kids and neighbors do all the work, we’ll sit back and enjoy the show.

I had mentioned on Flag Day that I might make a set of red-white-and-blue earrings to wear on the 4th but might change my mind.

I changed my mind. I made butterflies instead.

Tatted Red, White, and Blue Button Butterflies on wandasknottythoughts
Red, White, and Blue Butterflies

This is the butterfly I talked about a week ago with a few adjustments. The head is the most notable change.  It’s easier to tat and looks better.

Tatted Butterfly ready to fly on wandasknottythoughts
Tatted Butterfly ready to fly

While handling one it I discovered these butterflies don’t just have to lie flat, they can hold up their wings.

Tatted button butterfly ready to fly on wandasknottythoughts
Ready to fly!

No glue or starch was used to hold the wings like this.  I left them overnight like this and the wings never drooped.

Tatted button butterfly in blue and red ready to fly away on wandasknottythoughts
Ready to fly away!

They were hard to photograph, though.  They look much better in person!

I had hoped to have the pattern ready to share today, but, alas! I don’t. I do have the pattern written down, just not typed up or diagramed out.  Maybe next week.

Wishing you all a happy and safe Independence Day!

4th Of July Tatted button butterflies on wandasknottythoughts
Happy 4th of July!

 

Button Butterflies

The other day while tatting around buttons again (surprise!) I tried something different that didn’t work. I looked at this button from several angles trying to determine if I should cut off the tatting or if there was something else I could try.  Turning it up and down, over and sideways, another idea presented itself.

Accidental blue tatted button butterfly on wandasknottythoughts
Blue accidental button butterfly

The button is about 1/2 inch across with two holes.  It’s always interesting to tat onto a two hole button; the joins have to be thought out a bit so there isn’t too much thread going through each hole.  I hadn’t thought far enough ahead to not over crowd the first hole when the idea of a butterfly popped up.

Hmm, not too bad.  The head didn’t come out too great and attaching it to the two holes was not quite right, but it did look like a butterfly.  A little more thought and another try.

White tatted button butterfly on wandasknottythoughts
White tatted button butterfly

This one came out a bit better.  I think the head needs a little work yet, but the joins to the button look much better.

Two tatted button butterflies on wandasknottythoughts
Two tatted button butterflies

The button on the white butterfly is just a touch bigger than the button for the blue butterfly.  That must be why the blue looks narrower than the white.  I like the shape of the blue better.  Other than the head – which still needs work – I’m pretty happy with this butterfly.

These butterflies are small but complicated, using two shuttles with a lot of switching back and forth between them.  The blue is 2 1/4 inch across by 1 1/8 inch high.  The white is 2 1/4 inch across by 1 1/4 inch high.

I wonder what this would look like in two colors?

“Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”                     Nathaniel Hawthorne
www.brainyquote.com

Bits and Butterflies

I’ve been doing a lot of practice on different techniques lately.  Some of it is for Tat Days in September and some is just because.  I haven’t gotten all of them right yet, but I’ve had fun working on them.

Tatted bits of technique practice on wandasknottythoughts 'Bits and Butterflies'
Tatted bits of practice

The Clunies on the right I’m working on because there are a couple of classes I’m taking that call for them.  After a lot of practice they are getting easier.  I’m looking forward to learning hints and tricks about making them while at Tat Days.

Those funny looking flowers in the center?  I was trying my hand at Daisy Picots and Dandelion Picots.  Jane Eborall has instructions on her tips and techniques page.   Of course I rushed into making them before I looked them up.  My flowers came out okay and I had fun making them, but they aren’t made per Jane’s instructions.

I also played around a bit with pearl tatting – to remind myself how it’s done – and with using fancy embroidery floss.  I’m not too happy with the results with the floss.  If I really needed to use it for a project I’d work with it more and do better.

Tatted butterflies for Tat Days on wandasknottythoughts 'Bits and Butterflies'
Tatted butterflies for Tat Days

Part of my getting ready for Tat Days is emptying the thread from a bunch of shuttles.  I’m going to be needing them for new projects!  What better way than to make butterflies and donate them at Tat Days?  They give them away at their State Fair – isn’t that a great idea?  I’m sure I’ll have a few more for them before I get there.

I’ll be taking my entries in to our State Fair next week.  They are not what I would like them to be but I’m taking them anyway.  Over the last several years there have been fewer and fewer entries at the fair and I don’t want the category to disappear.  I’ll be taking pictures of them soon (I hope) and sharing them later.

I’m getting ready for the Kansas State Fair and Tat Days.  What are you getting ready for?

“Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success.” Henry Ford

A Try at a Butterfly and other things

I see a lot of beautiful tatting done with beads as I surf through blogs. Now I don’t do much with beads for several reasons, the foremost being that it’s not very portable, at least for me. But a friend asked me to make a butterfly and an idea came to mind that would look pretty with beads. This is the result, what I had mentioned I was working on last week. This is made in Lizbeth size 20, black for the body and Caribbean for the wings, with 10/0 seed beads. I’m counting this as #11 of my second 25 Motif Challenge – it certainly was a challenge for me!

A mini vacation
My husband and I took a long weekend and went to Colorado this last week. Our timing was great as the aspens are in the midst of changing their colors for fall. It was gorgeous in the mountains! We stayed in a Bed and Breakfast called The Ice Palace. We had a wonderful stay there. I highly recommend it if you ever want to spent the night in Leadville.
Leadville’s elevation is recorded as being 10,152 feet, which took us a little while to get used to. We also went up to Independence Pass, which is a little bit higher : )

We enjoyed a guided horseback ride from Mega Mountain Magic that had some pretty magical views. We don’t ride much so at the end of our two and a half hour ride I was glad to be done, but sad at the same time. You know the views are wonderful when your guide stops to take pictures, too!
We drove up to Weston pass and stopped once in awhile to enjoy the colorful roadsides.

The road did get kind of rough. But it was worth every mile!

It was a wonderful, long weekend with just the two of us this time. Quite a difference from the trip we made to Washington, DC earlier in the year. Each trip was great in it’s own way and I’m fortunate to be able to have done both this year.

Rooibos was the tea for today. I sipped several cups this morning as I finished off a bookmark and went through vacation pictures. A wonderful start to the day even though I have to go back to work this afternoon.

May all of you have a wonderful week and enjoy a little tea and tatting if you can.

Trying New Bookmarks

I’ve been getting quite a bit of tatting done this week but there’s not a lot I want to share today. Most of what’s been made is unfinished due to lack of time. I did make a couple of bookmarks. I’m not exactly happy with them but they have potential.

The one on the left I started at break at work for a challenge on The Tatting Forums, which is to make one bookmark a month. I didn’t have a pattern and didn’t think what I was doing completely through – it didn’t come out quite the way it was supposed to: ( It looks a little unfinished, don’t you think?

The one on the right was another thought, one that pretty much did come out the way I thought it would. It’s a pain to make, though! I did make a few decisions in mid-stream, which is obvious by the couple of ugly rings: p If I make this again I’ll do a few things a little different, and maybe add a tail or something. Both bookmarks are made in Lizbeth #682, size 20.

I also started on a butterfly this week for a friend of mine. The prototype has been made and decisions mad e of changes I would like to see when I make it again. The prototype looks very plain as it was made in ecru size 30 because I had two shuttles already wound with it. Size 30 is definitely too small for what I have in mind for this piece. The next time I plan to make it in Lizbeth Caribbean in size 20 and use beads. I’m not very proficient with beads, but practice makes perfect, right?

I don’t know how much tatting I’ll be getting done this week. I have to work some very different hours during the week. And my daughter and her son from Washington D.C. are here for a week! Yippee! We’re going to try to get together with our other daughter and her family as much as possible this week, too. Both grandsons together – it’s going to be fun!

Hope everyone has a wonderful week this week!

Sherry’s Hope

Welcome to Tatting Teas Tuesday! Sit back and have a nice cup of tea….

What? It’s not Tuesday? Are you sure? You mean I missed it? Oh, man!

I had a lot of things going on yesterday. I actually did start this post yesterday but was never able to get back to it. So I missed TTT! I hope every one took a few minutes for themselves with a little tea and tatting even if I wasn’t able to.

I did finally get a little tatting done this week. Sherry Pence shared her “Hope” butterfly pattern with the world and I actually made one. It’s such a wonderful butterfly! I was going to make this is shades of blue, but this brown and gold were already on shuttles. Both are Lizbeth size 20. I think it came out nicely, though I know I’d like it better in blue. I’m counting this as number six in my second 25 Motif Challenge.

I would like to thank Sherry very much for this wonderful pattern. It didn’t take very long and it came out looking wonderful. I know that I’ll be making more of these cute little flutterbys. I can just see this on a card with a few flowers.

I’m hoping to not miss Tatting Tea Tuesday next week. And maybe I’ll get a little more tatting done, too!

Home again, home again, jiggety jig – with butterflies and snow

We made it home at last, in time for Tatting Tea Tuesday. I say it that way because who doesn’t sleep better in their own bed? I had a wonderful time in Washington, DC and loved the visit with my daughter and her family. Though I didn’t get to see a lot of the sights of the area – at least up close and personal – it was an enjoyable vacation, too. But it is nice to be home again.

For the last two weeks the tatting I’ve gotten done has been in a limited number of colors because I didn’t take a large variety of thread. I really didn’t anticipate getting a lot done. Which I didn’t. What I did get done was simple patterns that I didn’t have to concentrate on too much. Between taking care of the grandson (ooh, so sweet!) and meeting new people (daughters’ in-laws), seeing the area, and then the long trip home, my mind wasn’t into thinking hard. So what has been posted and these few butterflies and the heart are the entire amount of tatting I’ve done in two weeks.

The heart is again Tracy’s Heart by Heather, done in Lizbeth thread size 20 black and Victorian Red. I used two shuttles and adjusted the pattern just a little so the bottom ring was in black instead of red.

The butterflies are based on a pattern by Monica Mancenido, aka soyloquesoy, found on Intatters. It’s a simple little butterfly with a simple little stitch count. I decided to make it, but wasn’t on-line and hadn’t really checked the stitch count. So what I got are the butterflies you see. The one top left is the closest to her original pattern – not quite, but close – and then the top right with a lot of picots on the outside. The two bottom ones I added the thrown off ring for a head as well as more picots. They are all done in Falling Leaves Lizbeth size 20. Another cute way to use the last of the thread on a shuttle.

I’m enjoying a nice cup of hot tea today (mint), much needed as the weather is pretty chilly. The thermometer says it’s 39 degrees F but it’s gray and cold-looking outside. The last few days in Washington were wet with the tail end of Ida causing lots of rain but they are now enjoying nice, sunny weather. We come home to snow flurries and rain. Ahh *sipping tea* but it is nice to be home, no matter the weather.