The "Fairest" collar necklace pattern is done, includes bracelet!

 The pattern is done! Directions for the matching cuff bracelet is included along with the high collar necklace in one "Fairest" pattern. It's for sale as a PDF pattern in my Craftsy pattern store.

It's not a beginner piece - quite a challenge for an expert tatter, actually. Mostly I just design to please myself, so some of my patterns do tend to be  a little "over the top". But, I've written the instructions out and included several in-progress photos, diagrams, and links to my videos within the pattern that demonstrate the more unusual techniques.

I like the look of the bracelet laced up with ribbon, but it's hard to tie the bow by yourself. Another option is to add a toggle clasp. I put both options in the pattern.

The glamorous shuttle in the bottom photo was a gift from Lace-lovin' Librarian - Diane and she "blinged" it herself. It's a Starlit shuttle, which holds a LOT of thread, handy for a 2nd shuttle in my pattern which needs to carry 7 yards of size 10 Lizbeth thread, in order to do one side of the collar in one pass.  But I discovered that a regular Clover shuttle will hold 4 yards of size 10, that's more than I thought it would. Size 10 thread sure gets used up fast!

Tollway Tatters having fun!

 Another get-together for the Tollway Tatters! Here Lace-lovin Librarian - Diane and I are tatting, with the table loaded with Diane's latest batch of origami bags and some new tatting books.

 The group of us gathering at the table, inside the Hinsdale Oasis, Hinsdale, Illinois.

 Diane gifted each of us with an origami bag for our very own! Her colorful spinning wheel mats from Mary Konior's pattern are in this photo too, along with some of Denise's bookmarks.

 Yummy cookies! Home baked by none other than...

 ...Sue Anna - the "Scribinator"! :-)

 Carol showed us beautiful ornaments tatted by Cathy's mom. The heart with 3 buttons is a pattern by Debi Pennington. The other tatted heart is a free pattern on the Handy Hands website.

 Barbara modeled her button star pendant - fabulous!

 There seemed to be a general agreement that I should make a bracelet to match my new choker collar. What do you think?

Diane with some of her spinning wheel glass mats, in an assortment of hand dyed threads.

Everyone seemed to have a great time, I know I did! We even got some passersby interested, and they stopped to watch and ask about tatting. So, I guess we helped educate the public, too.

New original design tatted choker collar necklace

 After several weeks of tatting, picking out, re-tatting, cutting out, tatting more, cutting again...I finally have a high collar design that I'm relatively pleased with. Although I might change the top edge a bit and add picots there, I'm not sure. What do you think of it?

The designing part was hard, but the actual tatting may be easier, when I can get the pattern written up properly (not done yet). No split rings in this design at all, but it does use 2 shuttles, floating rings, and a few beads. I put metal beads along the lower edge to add some weight to prevent the collar from curling up, although I'm not sure if they're really needed.

I finished the necklace very simply, with a ribbon to tie in the back.

It's shuttle tatted in size 10 Lizbeth thread, and I used Czech Druk glass beads and some metal beads that I bought at Eclectica.

First meeting! Greater Milwaukee Tatting Guild

 We had fun! There were 6 of us that got together at the Mayfair Mall food court. That's me in the tie-dyed t-shirt, giving Judy her first tatting lesson. She got on very quickly! I think she's caught the "tatting bug" :-)

 The group around the table laden with tatting goodies included Khomi, Judy, Heather, Ana, and Shirley.

 Gift bags containing a shuttle and ball of thread were presented to each tatter at the meeting.

 Heather has been tatting since last summer, and had a lot of really beautiful work to show.

 Judy and Shirley were new beginners at tatting. They both learned fast, and had rings and chains to show before the evening was done.

 Ana worked on a tatted pendant with buttons, while Shirley practiced her first double stitches.

Khomi used to tat a lot, but hadn't done it for 20 years. At this meeting she tatted the brown butterfly in size 10 thread, I did the multicolored one in size 3.

It seemed that the 2nd Monday of the month works well for this group, so we plan on meeting again on March 11.

Mayfair Mall food court, Feb. 11, tatting meeting

Milwaukee, Wisconsin area readers, this is for you:
I've scheduled a tatting meeting for Monday, February 11 at the Mayfair Mall food court. Trying to get a friendly Milwaukee area tatting guild started, much like the "Tollway Tatters", I'll even be wearing my tie-dyed t-shirt! We don't have a tollway or oasis in Milwaukee, but the Mayfair Mall food court is a similar type of location, with tables, food and all the facilities needed. If you live nearby and would like to join us, just drop me an email and I'll send you the details.

Just a hiccup, and "Snowflake" HDT

"Snowflake" hand dyed thread, size 80

Tatting "surgery" in progress

I took a break from the elaborate choker project, to dye a new batch of thread to list on Etsy. It's the "Snowflake" batch, inspired by the lovely photos on SnowCrystals.com.

My choker project was moving along nicely, until I ran into a "hiccup" (a large problem that we shrug off as a small one). I had my original rough design all worked out, and was tatting a "good" model while writing notes, when more than halfway through, I discovered that it wasn't fitting together right. On closer inspection, it became obvious that I had started with one of the flower motifs turned wrong way around. The design just didn't work with that mistake, so, after a minute or so of being in shock and disbelief (how could I have done that?!!) I got the scissors and cut out the mistake. I think I can just re-tat that flower and connect it back in correctly...I hope.