Tatting article in Bead&Button Magazine

 Pages 24 through 26 of the April 2012 issue has a tatted jewelry article written by me! (Doin' the happy dance!)

There are tatting basics plus instructions there for a pair of simple earrings, and photos of some of my other work. Some people may be curious about the green and black pendant. It's essentially the same pattern as 5 Petal Pendant from the Up and Tat 'Em book, with a change to the outer round. I strung seed beads on the shuttle thread, then tatted Ch 2, slide a bead into place, Ch 2, 4 times for each section.

The winner!

The lucky winner of the Extremely Very Early Spring Giveaway is Kelly of Tatfully Yours. Congratulations to Kelly, and thank you to everyone who left a comment on the giveaway post. I enjoyed reading them all!

Extremely Very Early Spring Giveaway!

Giveaway time!!!!!!!
The prize is a Celtic tatted shamrock necklace, plus matching bracelet!!!
PLUS hand dyed thread samples!

To be entered into the drawing to win, please leave a comment on this blog post, including a way for me to contact you if you win (if you have an active blog I can leave a comment there if you win, otherwise please leave an email address). I've learned from past experience that people don't check back here to see if they've won, so if there isn't a way to contact you, another name will be drawn.

I'll use a random number generator to pick the winner on Monday, February 27.

Burgundy necklace finished

It's finished, and I learned a few things during the process. By trying to add the neck cord to each side separately, I made more trouble that I hadn't foreseen: some beaded rings needed to be tatted "upside down" - not fun! The photo to the left shows that part in progress, along with the extra ends that needed sewing in. It seems that if the neck cord was worked in one piece, it would avoid trouble. So, since I now know how many split rings will give me the length that I want, I'll do it that way next time...if there is one.

I think at some point I will get the main medallion written up since it would make a very nice pendant, and even without beads would be a pretty motif. But, first, I need a break! This was a very time-consuming project. I need to dye some more thread for my Etsy shop, probably the "Blackbird" colorway since folks have been asking about it. Then, time for shamrocks!

Burgundy necklace in progress

The centers of all the motifs in this necklace start with the same mock ring with bead in center described in Monday's post. This photo shows that each motif was tatted separately, and now I am joining them together to make the necklace. The early morning light I took this photo by doesn't show the color well, but the thread I'm using is Lizbeth size 20 in Burgundy.

I also finished a pair of turquoise and black earrings in the "Carnival" pattern. I used Lizbeth thread size 20 in Country Turquoise.

We miss you, Gina

June, 2009. From left to right: Diane, Marilee, Barbara, Gina, Linda

June, 2011. From left to right: Sue Anna, Diane, Barbara, Marilee, Gina

Gina, aka Tatting Goddess, passed away on February 13, 2012. Her blog inspired many with her boundless creativity. I had the privilege of meeting this warm, sweet, talented lady in person at least twice. Now the angels get to enjoy her company.

Tatting a mock ring with bead in center

A self-closing mock ring (often abbreviated as SCMR) is actually a tatted chain with a loop left at the beginning. To add a bead in the center, tat to reach halfway around the bead, then slip the bead onto the loop. Here I've put the bead onto a small crochet hook and I'll use the hook to pull the loop through the bead, but there are other ways to do it, too.

After the bead is placed onto the loop of thread, put the shuttle though the loop. A trick I like to use is to leave a paper clip in as a space saver, to make the final join easier. The paper clip is hanging between the start of the tatting and the bead, so it's sort of like holding a small picot temporarily.

Continue by tightening the core (shuttle thread) around the bead.

Here the bead is in place. Continue tatting the rest of the way around the bead.

Now the paper clip is removed, showing the space it had been saving. This is where the crochet hook is inserted to pull the shuttle thread through.

Finish with a lock join.

Bead in center of completed mock ring.

This is a technique I use often in my tatted jewelry.
 The pattern for the above example uses one shuttle and ball thread.

Supplies: size 20 Lizbeth thread, an 8mm round bead, and 24 size 11 seed beads. (To use a different size thread or beads, the stitch counts will need to be adjusted to fit). 

String the 24 seed beads onto the ball thread, then wind just a small amount of thread onto the shuttle. The beads remain on the ball thread.


SCMR 2, (bead picot with 3 beads, 2-2) 3 times, bead picot with 3 beads, 2.
Place the round bead onto the loop that was left at the beginning, put the shuttle through the loop, and tighten around bead.

Continue the SCMR with a picot at the end of the round bead, 2, (bead picot with 3 beads, 2-2) 3 times, bead picot with 3 beads, 2.
Tighten, then lock join to base of round bead.

This is how much I have shown in the photos. I hope this will give you an idea that you will enjoy using.

Turquoise tatted set with black beads

Another new necklace experiment. The thread is size 20 Lizbeth in Country Turquoise Medium. I used 8mm Swarovski crystal pearls for the centers of the motifs and earrings, and size 4mm Swarovski Crystal bicones for the light colored sparkly beads. Embellished all around with size 11/0 seed beads.

 I made separate medallions first, then connected them with tatted rings and chains. The neck cord ended with beaded split rings with beads between.

This necklace measures about 18 inches long. I would have preferred it a bit shorter, but since I started at one end and worked around to the other end, it was hard to estimate how many split rings would be needed. I think next time I'll start somewhere in the middle and make each side separately, then stop when it's long enough.