The random number generator came up with #15 Stringy Dogs, #98 Fiona, and #60 Anne. I've sent emails to these winners,
Thanks very much to everyone who commented! I enjoyed reading them all very much. It's really encouraging to keep on blogging!
Someone mentioned that they wished I was "closer to Chicago". Well, the "Tollway Tatters" group meets at the Hinsdale Oasis in the Chicago area. Follow Lace-Lovin' Librarian's blog for announcements about the Tollway Tatters.
Snow is still in the forecast where I live, but leaf tips from springtime flowers are beginning to emerge from the ground.
Time for a giveaway!
For a chance to win a matching set of 5 sizes of hand dyed thread (Sizes 10, 20, 40, 80, and embroidery floss) plus a copy of my book "Tatted Jewelry", leave one comment on this post to be entered in the giveaway. Three winners will be chosen at random on Leap Year Day, Monday, February 29. Be sure there's a way for me to contact you if you win, either a blog I.D., or an email address, otherwise I'll just draw the next name.
Readers of this blog from outside of the U.S.A. are welcome to enter this giveaway. The package will be marked "gift".
Here's another pendant using the techniques shown in my YouTube video. The tatting technique is encapsulation, in which several threads are all used as the core inside unflipped, aka reverse stitches, in the main chain and rings thrown off from either side.
I only used 3 threads, but it looks like more because I used my hand dyed thread which gives a lot of shading. The brightest colors are from my "Brilliant Sunset" batch of hand dyed, listed in my Etsy shop.
Encapsulation technique is taught in my "Next Steps In Shuttle Tatting" course on Craftsy.
By the way, last Saturday I taught a beginning tatting class of 5 students at Midwest Beads! I made it clear to them right at the start that they would not be going home with a lovely finished pair of tatted earrings as shown in the display case, but a messy string of practice knots and knowledge of how tatting works - so that they could continue to practice and learn at home. They were advised to practice at least a few minutes each day so that they wouldn't forget everything that they had learned in class. Several of them expressed interest in the Greater Milwaukee Tatting Guild, so I hope to see them there! More tatters, yay!
Inspired by the tatted flower work of Helma Siepmann but wanting to do a jewelry piece instead of attaching the tatting to fabric, I chose to make a wire frame for a pendant.
I've shown my process in this video.
It's a fun way to tat in a free form, organic manner without any pattern, just encapsulation techniques.
I teach some encapsulation techniques in my Craftsy class, "Next Steps In Shuttle Tatting", here's my affiliate link: http://shrsl.com/qo0s
But, the wire wrapping part I do not teach, since I am only a beginner myself in that area. I recommend the following Craftsy classes for learning to work with wire (these are my affiliate links)
