tat-tat-tatting aaalong!

[sakurasaku]

Pictorial how-to-tat (shuttle)

http://www.geocities.com/tatrasutra/how2tat1.html

After a quick scout about this page, it's really neat! Very clear, lots of written instruction to accompany the piccies. Keep clicking "next page" at the top or bottom to see the next bits. Even tells you how to wind a shuttle.

 

 

I went and bought a couple of shuttles, some size 8 perle cotton, and did my first double stitches separated by picots following the instructions in the link. I really like the way they look. I am ready to learn to do a ring!

[sonnets_and_stitches]

I think they'd be neat to sew onto crazy quilts etc too but I don't do quilting myself. Anyways, here they is...

 

 

 

I actually wanted to learn to tat in college (got as far as a shuttle) because they work so well on crazy-quilts, and that was my main craft in college. Crazy-quilters will pay good money for well-tatted motifs to incorporate into their work.

 

These pieces are so pretty! They would work very well in card-making or as "confetti" in cards. How cool!

 

~ Joy (the sonnets one, not the purring one)

[sakurasaku]

I did my very first pattern in a night, anything is possible! You can read my blog post about it here if you wish http://shell-n-jessi.blogspot.com/2006/11/learn-tatting-achieved.html and in true self-pressure style, I just HAD to do a seahorse. No little flower motif, oh no, too easy! lol So anyways, I do think a choker is possible but you sure would be stretching yourself. There are a lot of "simple" edgings which would look really nice with just a metal charm in the middle (or a bow, flower, or even nothing lol)

 

Here are a couple of edgings I have done http://shell-n-jessi.blogspot.com/2006/11/tatted-edgings.html the white is particularly easy. i kept stuffing up the stitch counts on the others!!

 

So, I have a question or two for Shell and other experts! I have now learned the very basics - chains, picots, rings and joins. I made a couple of clover leaves as practice, similar to the white edging in Shell's link above.

 

But I noticed that my thread was starting to fray a bit. I try to be careful when flipping and sliding knots to minimize this, but is there a particularly good thread to avoid it? I think I read somewhere once that perle cotton is made for embroidery and such, so it's not great for items that go through lots of wear and tear, like wearables.

 

Another question: what is your favorite type of shuttles? I don't like my DMC metal shuttle. The edges are quite sharp, and the bobbin does not turn very easily, leading again to fraying thread. I was so frustrated with it that I made the second clover leaf without the shuttles.

 

Thanks for your suggestions!

[Shell]

I actually wanted to learn to tat in college (got as far as a shuttle) because they work so well on crazy-quilts, and that was my main craft in college. Crazy-quilters will pay good money for well-tatted motifs to incorporate into their work.

 

These pieces are so pretty! They would work very well in card-making or as "confetti" in cards. How cool!

 

~ Joy (the sonnets one, not the purring one)

Thank you Joy So it sounds like you never actually learned to tat? You should try again! Especially if you're still making quilts. I love the crazy quilts but I don't think I will become a quilter. I have too many things on the go now Might be interesting to try selling completed pieces on Ebay or something. I was thinking of making up little motifs like those above to sell as scrapbooking or card making embellishments (would have to be my own designs though cos of copyright)

 

So, I have a question or two for Shell and other experts! I have now learned the very basics - chains, picots, rings and joins. I made a couple of clover leaves as practice, similar to the white edging in Shell's link above.

 

But I noticed that my thread was starting to fray a bit. I try to be careful when flipping and sliding knots to minimize this, but is there a particularly good thread to avoid it? I think I read somewhere once that perle cotton is made for embroidery and such, so it's not great for items that go through lots of wear and tear, like wearables.

 

Another question: what is your favorite type of shuttles? I don't like my DMC metal shuttle. The edges are quite sharp, and the bobbin does not turn very easily, leading again to fraying thread. I was so frustrated with it that I made the second clover leaf without the shuttles.

 

Thanks for your suggestions!

I'm not sure Perle cotton of any size would be great, for the reason you stated. It splits as it's not very twisted. I'd suggest #20 crochet cotton, though I am partial to using strands of embroidery floss such as DMC. It's tedious to separate one strand at a time from 8m of floss but the colours are gorgeous and such a selection and I really like how it feels to work with. I think from experience you need something with a tight twist or no twist. Something inbetween is just irritating. I find too I need to be careful with the picks on the shuttles as I often accidently stab it through the cotton which only causes the same fraying probs. The white edging that I made you like was done in DMC Cebelia #10 cotton.

 

My favourite type of shuttle would be the little plastic Clover ones, I usually buy them in a 2pk. I like their size as I have some of the Birch bobbin shuttles (they're like the plastic Boye ones) but they're thicker and I don't like the feel of it in my hand. The Clover plastic ones do unwind a lil too easy sometimes. I was RAOK'd 2 wooden Georgia Seitz shuttle which I like but they're only good for fine threads, and the metal Boye bobbin is nice too. I think it is all a matter of personal preference, but something that unwinds how you like is best! It's too frustrating (and hard) to put things down to unwind a shuttle.

[Shell]

I should add that the bobbin shuttles are probably best when using thick thread (size 20, 10, 8, 5) as otherwise they might stretch the smaller bobbins which means when you use a finer thread in them they wont stay wound.

[sakurasaku]

Thanks, Shell! I will try it with size 10 or 20 mercerized cotton crochet thread. Being a novice, I think size 10 might be easier to see...

 

I might look into getting Clover plastic shuttles. I was looking at shuttles at http://www.hhtatting.com and saw that they are at least 1/2 inch smaller than others. I have very small hands and a large shuttle is awkward to manipulate between threads and through rings. I wonder if it's because Clover is a Japanese company that it's smaller? I am Japanese and I am about the size of a 11-year old.

[sonnets_and_stitches]

I found tatting really easy to learn. My China Painting teacher and I were talking one lesson about other hobbies and I mentioned I had always wanted to learn tatting. She just said the magic words " just think macrame"

 

If only I had ever done macrame, then perhaps this would be helpful!

 

~ Joy (the sonnets one)

[Carousel]

This is the butterfly that I attempted on Wednesday. You can't tell but there are 2 wings each at the bottom as well. This was done with #8 pearl cotton in ombre pink. Thanks for looking

[sakurasaku]

Pauline, that is so dainty and pretty! I love the colors and the 3-D effect.

[Shell]

I was watching a movie just now but I decided I needed something to keep my hands busy. Why is it like that? We can't just sit and watch tv or even talk to friends without feeling like something is missing unless our hands are busy ? Anyways.. I wanted something easy but using split rings as they're the new technique I've not really played with since learning. I was tatting the large seahorse by Jane Eborall but I realised my threads were different sizes! (I was using shuttles that were previously wound). I remembered downloading a whole alphabet pattern recently by Teri Dusenbury and decided to have a look and see how tricky it would be. You can find the pattern via http://www.esnips.com/profile/ba713223-88d5-4fb3-bae5-8105546f85b5 and she also has a nice blog http://theloversknot.blogspot.com

 

It was a really easy pattern! She's dated the top of the PDF as 1992, and considering that she uses a split ring technique throughout I couldn't work out why it said in her intro that each piece is worked in sections and that you'd have no less than 8 ends to weave in Ends...8 ends.. YUCK! I don't like ends at all! So I worked the butterfly with split rings too So I only had the beginning and end threads to hide, yay! I did a J as it looked easy enough to not need to focus too hard while watching a video and my daughter of course being Jessica. Not sure that all the letters would be workable as one piece but this sure was. It is soooo small! And made with size 20 thread so I am finding it hard to imagine if it was size 80 or something.. As it stands it's about 4cm/1.5"!! It will probably end up on a scrapbook page but for now it is just pinned to some tissue paper on a cardboard box I have been working on small motifs and such in the mean time but nothing to show off.

 

 

Pauline I love the butterfly!

[Carousel]

:cheerWOW! Shell I love your letter J. Size #80 thread would be so tiny even for a hanky I think.

I'm off to finish some housework and hopefully finish my Mignonette doily. This style is so simple and yet so pretty.

I tried split rings in this doily to begin with (never done them before or heard of them till this week) (My books are all from the old school of tatting. ) I decided to start again the split ring needs more practice, I figured it out and it's great just my tension that was a bit wonky. I don't mind ends get use to them after awhile.

[Shell]

I can't wait to see your doily Pauline. The name is very French! (I think..)

 

I too am still having trouble with the tension on the second half ofa split ring. I don't seem to pull it as tight as the other side and I think it's cos if I pull too tight it creates a flip and I can't flip that side. Is getting there though. I have a nice little collection of old school patterns too but even some of those use a split ring, it may only be a couple but they're still there. I have another alphabet in a book somewhere... hmm.. they'd be great on cards huh! ooooooh!! Brooch?? Would have to find a great stiffener which I've had no luck with so far but yeah, I think in a smaller thread you could make 5-7 letter name brooches.

[Shell]

Curiosity got the better of me, I had to try out a smaller thread. I didn't like it either as it was so small. Plus I seem to snap the size 70 very easy so I was constantly worried about doing that. Anyways, P for Pauline

I think I'm not doing something right as those in the pattern look more spacious than mine Ahh well, they're still super cute patterns

[Carousel]

Shell, Your letter P is great!

and your split rings are looking good too. I have some #80 thread from years ago. Might give it a try. Off to find some little patterns.

My doily is still not finished, DH wanted to go out and after 5 hours I begged to go home. Now I have dinner cooking but hopefully after that.

See you all tomorrow.

[sonnets_and_stitches]

Wow, how beautiful are those letters!

[Shell]

thanks Joy

[tempestuous_kitten]

Now I want to pull out my tatting. I taught myself when I found a shuttle in my late grandmother's things. Though all of my projects tend to small because tatting goes so much slower and I lose patience. I do a lot of Christmas ornaments.

[Shell]

Now I want to pull out my tatting. I taught myself when I found a shuttle in my late grandmother's things. Though all of my projects tend to small because tatting goes so much slower and I lose patience. I do a lot of Christmas ornaments.

Yup.. off you go now... pull it out! If you start now you wont have a late rush at xmas We'd love to see what you make!

[tempestuous_kitten]

Yup.. off you go now... pull it out! If you start now you wont have a late rush at xmas We'd love to see what you make!

I pulled it out and found the following:

 

My first project - a tatted bag.

 

A couple of motifs - I think the pink one is the start of a bookmark.

[sonnets_and_stitches]

Oh, how lovely!

[Shell]

your first project was a bag? sheesh... the pink looks like a bookmark I have seen but it could also be an edging or a doily if you joined enough motifs. the red motif is a lil hard to see but looks nice too

[sakurasaku]

I pulled it out and found the following:

 

My first project - a tatted bag.

 

A couple of motifs - I think the pink one is the start of a bookmark.

 

Those are so lovely...I just started tatting and I'm so slow I can't imagine how long it would take to tat a bag!

[tempestuous_kitten]

Those are so lovely...I just started tatting and I'm so slow I can't imagine how long it would take to tat a bag!

It did take about a year - but then I have a tendency to put down projects for periods of time.

[sakurasaku]

Help! I made a mistake and couldn't pick it out all the way back, so I had to cut the thread. Now, what is the best way to join the new piece of thread? I looked through some techniques pages, but I didn't find exactly what I was looking for.

 

Thanks!

[Shell]

Help! I made a mistake and couldn't pick it out all the way back, so I had to cut the thread. Now, what is the best way to join the new piece of thread? I looked through some techniques pages, but I didn't find exactly what I was looking for.

 

Thanks!

did you cut both threads? i find rings very difficult to unpick. i tend to start the pattern from where I left off and sew the pieces together again when finished. I am sure there is a better way..

 

If I cut only one threadit depends which is cut but just hold the tail near to where you worked last and use it as normal. just an odd end to sew in when done.

 

I will see if I can find something more useful than my mumble