Tatted lace "Phoenix" necklace

 

Tatted lace necklace from "Phoenix" pattern in dark ecru and shaded greens.

For this necklace I chose size 20 Lizbeth thread in the color number 693 "Linen Medium", and some of my hand dyed from the "Pond" batch, also size 20. 

The 3 round center beads are size 4mm, and the seed beads size 15/0. The bottom center dangle is an 8mm bead. The tatted motif measures about 6 inches (15 cm) across. This is a smaller, more delicate lace necklace than the same pattern tatted in size 10 Lizbeth (see the bottom photo for a size comparison). With size 10, larger beads are required. 

The "Phoenix" pattern is my own original, and is available for purchase as an instant download from my Etsy shop HERE. The pattern also includes a smaller, slightly simpler version as well.

A join between beads in a tatted ring.

The "Phoenix" necklace in progress.

Size comparison:
"Phoenix" necklaces (blue on top, then the orange and red) tatted in size 10 Lizbeth thread.
Bottom necklace in size 20 Lizbeth from the same pattern. 

Celtic Mardi Gras and Working on a Collar

The "Loopy" Mardi Gras items sold out immediately, but of course the pattern is still available at my Etsy shop. In the necklace shown above, I added 3 small charms using jump rings around 3 of the center front tatted chains. Seed beads on the Celtic chains weaving through the purple were strung onto the thread before tatting. These extra embellishments are not shown on the pattern, but are easy to add.

In life outside of tatting, I play the cello a bit. Well, I recently became aware of the social media buzz about "impossible arpeggios" in an amazing cello solo played by the TV character Wednesday Addams. Naturally, I searched online for the sheet music to "Paint It Black" and purchased it! 

More to the point, since this is a tatting blog, I noticed her white pointed collar and at times it's a lace collar. That excited me, so I'm in the process of designing a tatted pointed collar but with the front part mostly, finishing with necklace chain. Less work than tatting a full collar. Nothing to show yet, but will post photos when I have made progress!

Revamping My Earlier Design

Some folks familiar with my Tatted Jewelry book published in 2011 by Annie's Attic may see similar design elements to the "Newcastle" necklace in those pages. Well, 10 years have gone by, and I think I can do better. ☺ So, this week I came up with what you see here.

I like it as a high collar or choker necklace, but it's too wide to wear lower on the neck. I'm thinking that with some more changes a smaller variation could be made for a pendant style necklace. If that is successful, then I'd write up both versions to put into one pattern.

Not sure what to call the new pattern, but probably something to do with wings or flight.

Blue hand painted shuttle by Rita Richmond of Shuttle by Design
looking good with blue thread!

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!

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.

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.

In progress peek at my emerging choker design

Still tatting away, making it up as I go, although I now have one side done, so since the other side is a mirror of the first, the hardest part of the designing effort is done, I think. I've been trying it on as I go, and it seems like it will actually work as a high choker collar, so I have high hopes that it will turn out good enough to wear. Of course, this one is a prototype with a lot of cutting out and reworking, so I will just keep it for myself. Once I have it finished, I'll be able to see what I would change for a better version of the design.

The thing that inspired me was that I got asked to be a vendor at a Steampunk/Sci-fi show to be held locally in April. I got really excited about it, although I don't consider my tatted jewelry to fit into any particular style such as steampunk, they're simply my original art. But at the time of this writing, I haven't heard back from them if they've officially added me to their vendor list, so I'll wait and see.

Emerging design...or maybe not. June plans!

So far I like what's emerging from my latest experiment in progress, but I don't know if it will work in reality. What I'm trying to design is a high choker necklace inspired by the Art Nouveau style. If this one doesn't work, I'll just keep trying...or else go on to something else :-)

By the way, exciting event coming in June: Shake Rag Alley is offering 2 Tatting Classes with me as the teacher, one basic, and one intermediate with beads, on June 29, 2013. Check out the other classes on their website. It's in a beautiful, relaxing, scenic area of Wisconsin - great vacation spot!