"Lacy Treasure" pendants for classes

"Beaded Tatting" class is on the calendar, yippee! I've been penciled in on Oct. 7 as one starting date for a 3 session class, and October 30 as the other starting date.

The pendants in the photo are the class project. Students will have their choice of color. The design (my own) uses just 1 shuttle, rings and chains, lock joins, normal (or picot) join to the jump ring finding, beads on chains, and sewing in ends. A lot to cover in 3 two-hour sessions, but the class size is limited to 5 students, and I will have them learn on heavy "practice thread" before they start the project with their "good" thread. Students will be reminded to practice between sessions! If some catch on quickly and finish first, I'll just work with them on additional techniques or projects; whatever I'm able to help with.

Students will be getting a kit of supplies as shown in the lower photo. The kit does not include beads or findings (the class takes place in a bead shop). They will have the information about the bead sizes needed, so they will have the opportunity to buy their choice of beads at the shop, or can bring some from their own stash.

The shop I will be teaching at is called "Bead Needs" and has a website here.
This will be fun!

A colorful polymer clay heart

Ok, I know it's not tatting, but tatting could be attached. The holes are there. - a whole bunch! A ring and chain edging would work. The rings don't need to be joined, because the stiffness of the heart form would keep 'em in place...er, that's the theory, anyhow. I've got a couple of polymer clay heart necklaces in my Flickr album.

They're old scans, so they're a little blurry.

I haven't forgotten about the beaded project for the class I'm preparing for the bead shop, just needed to take a little break from it! That's how I work - disorganized! (grin)

Vibrato, Magenta, and Cerulean

"Vibrato" is the name I finally decided upon for this colorway, which includes both magenta and cerulean blue, shading from dark to light in both colors.

Vibrato, as a musical term, means a rapid fluctuation of pitch, slightly above or below the main pitch. This gives a singing effect.

The colors in this hand dyed thread seem to vibrate back and forth, so it seemed that "Vibrato" would be a good name. I did only a small batch as a first experiment, to work out the dye amounts, etc., to get these particular shades. I like it! So, if other folks do too, more will come.

I also did a few skeins as solids in magenta and cerulean, attempting to get the colors as rich and "jewel tone" as possible.

These will be 2 of the thread colors that I am planning to put into kits for the beaded tatting class that I am planning. I think the other 2 will be "Peace" and "Tigereye". Then there will be 2 jewel tone solids, 1 variegated pastel, and 1 variegated earth tones for the students to choose from.

A polymer clay heart

This heart is ready for a tatted edging. Joins can be made through the holes, just like a normal (picot) join. I don't have time to make it into a necklace or pin myself, so I'm offering it at my Etsy shop in case anyone would enjoy playing with it as a design element.

I need to dye some more thread in the colors suggested by the bead shop owner, for inclusion in the kits she will offer at her shop in connection with my classes. I'm working on the tatted pendant design that I will teach in the class, and I'll show it when I have some finished examples.

Teaching beaded tatting this fall, and bright solids

So I walked into this new bead shop wearing my red "Dream" necklace, and the first thing the shop owner said was, "My, what a beautiful necklace! Is that...is that tatting? Do you ever teach beaded tatting? Oh, I'd love for you to teach classes here!"

Sounds too good to be true, but it is! The shop is called "Bead Needs" and is only one mile from my house. Just too exciting! The owner is an artist herself, and encourages creativity, experimentation, self-expression, and using quality materials.

So here is another opportunity to get more people started in tatting!
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Someone requested bright solids.

I did a few in sizes 10 and 20.

"Snowflake" and "Fortune" HDT, and maybe a book title

"Fortune" is another gold, subtly shaded. A darker gold than either of my batches "Golden Glow" or "Golden Fleece". Similar to "Tigereye" but without the dark brown.

"Snowflake" is an idea I want to credit Tatty Patty, one of my Etsy buyers with. She asked if I could dye some thread with color inspiration coming from this snowflake photo site.
I did my best to come up with something that would give give an impression of being "cool like ice".

As far as progress on my book goes, I think I may have come up with a title!
How's "Boutique Tatting" sound to you? It's all small items that would make good gifts, things you'd be delighted to find in a boutique. Some is jewelry, but there will be other treasures as well. Not all items will require beads. Of course I will feature my own HDT in the photos, but they would also look lovely tatted in white.

I am finishing up the 5th pattern so far. It's the most challenging that will appear in it, and takes up a whopping 5 pages of instruction in itself. I'm still tatting the model for the photo. I'm making it as a necklace, but the neck cord could be left off for a motif suitable for framing, sewing to a garment, etc. Most of the other patterns will need only one page. I am including my own hints on how I work with beads. So, some progress is slowly being made!

Just a peak, an award, and a tag

First of all I want to thank TattingChic for thinking of me for an award, and Barbara for including me in her friendly game of tag.

As much as I appreciate the thought, I'm going to have to take the disclaimer clause as a way out of both of these honors. I really am working hard, trying to get my pattern book done! Photo above is just a peak at a detail from a pattern I will be including.

I also have a couple of interesting colorways for HDT that were custom ordered, so I am getting those underway as well - you'll be seeing those soon. Just a hint...one of them will make you feel cooler, and the other will make you feel rich!

Starting from the top

This is a peak at something that I hope to add to the little pattern book that I'm working on. I wanted the threads to come out of the top of the item. Starting with a chain simulates half of a ring in the photo. When I come around back to that area, I'll tat another chain coming out, to simulate the other half of a ring. That way, all the threads will end up at the same spot, and can be left out as a tassel or tail, for use as a bookmark. No ends to hide!

Progress on the book: 2 patterns finished and tested, 3 more started and partially typed. I hope to put at least 10 patterns in the book - so I am getting there!