Tag: garter

Tatting by P. Melanie Vliet

P. Melanie Vliet contacted me a few months ago apprising me how she had used my pattern “Flagged Edging” to make a garter for her son and soon-to-be daughter-in-law’s wedding.  She actually made two, one to keep and one for the groom to toss. She added beads for a little added elegance.

Wedding garters tatted by P. Melanie Vliet using 'Flagged Edging' on wandasknottythoughts
Wedding garters tatted by P. Melanie Vliet using ‘Flagged Edging’

I love her manikin leg display!  Can you guess what it is?  It’s a box of oatmeal wrapped in skin-colored paper inside a pair of old pantyhose.  What an inventive way to display garters!  She’s going to exhibit them at this year’s Orange County and Southern California fairs.  The wedding party won’t miss them; that event isn’t for several more months.  I hope she does well with them at the fairs.  I give them top marks!

Using the same pattern as a start she also made herself earrings.

Earrings made using 'Flagged Edging' by P Melanie Vliet on wandasknottythoughts
Earrings made using ‘Flagged Edging’

Amazing, aren’t they?  I would never have thought of using the pattern like this.

Melanie has used another of my patterns, ‘Hanging Basket Edging’, to decorate an eye-glass case.  I love the colors she used.  Another great job!

Tatted glass case cover done in 'Hanging Basket Edging' on wandasknottythoughts
Tatted glass case cover done in Hanging Basket Edging

Thanks, Melanie, for letting me share your wonderful tatting here on my blog. Such a wonderful way to imagine tatting.  Good luck at the fairs!

P Melanie Vliet is a member of the Facebook group “Tatters of Lace.”  It’s a closed group but you can request to join if you are a tatter.

Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.                       Albert Einstein
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Quilting threads

I finally had a little time to try out some of the quilting thread I have recently acquired.  
The cross on the left is made with Perfect Quilter thread #085 Sunrays; the cross on the right is made with King Tut thread #922 Harem.  The crosses are similar but not quite the same – the Sunrays cross has slightly longer arms.  But the King Tut is definitely a bit smaller than the Perfect Quilter.  Both tatted very nicely but I like the Perfect Quilter better.  I made a mistake in both crosses and had to open a couple of rings in each.  The King Tut thread broke while trying to open the rings but I was able to open the rings of the Perfect Quilter without breaking it.  I also had to work with both threads while there was plenty of light because of the size of the threads.  Not surprising but it does limit when I can work with them. And probably what patterns I would try with them.  
I’m happy enough with both brands that I do plan on finding places to use them. I still have several colors that I haven’t worked with yet but still want to try out.
This has been a great experiment.

A couple of weeks ago I showed an edging I was working on.  I actually made two edgings to go on a garter for my niece who was married last Saturday.  (I got it done in time!)  If I had found Gina’s garter pattern before I started I would have used it instead, but I found it only after I’d started and had a plan.  I did use part of her idea for joining the top and bottom, but not quite like she did.  The reason the top and the bottom are not the same is because I ran out of time and had to come up with something a bit simpler.  I think it came out pretty well anyway.  The bride liked it 🙂
“Design is a plan for arranging elements in such a way as best to accomplish a particular purpose.”
Charles Eames
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