Leap day wishing for Peace

 

Peace symbol in wire wrapping + tatting

Wishing for peace everywhere to everyone. ☮ 

The wire frame before tatting is described on my previous post.

For the center tatting I used 2 multicolored threads plus a green thread, in the encapsulation technique (unflipped double stitches over a multiple thread core). I have a short video on that here, but for this project I kept the flowers small, only 1 "petal" each.

The tiny "flowers" are Josephine rings tatted using the same half stitch repeated, along with an occasional normal ring.

I used only 2 threads, normal tatting in green for the "vine" around the edge. 8 Victorian sets of 2/2 between each Josephine ring. I usually use about 9 half stitches for each ring. 

For the outside edge I generally used the modified soumak weave with 28 gauge wire, changing to simple coiling when the base wires overlapped. I arranged the tatted "vine" around the edge and caught it in the wire occasionally. Some 2mm beads were also included for added texture.

 

This was quite a challenging project for me! More difficult than the usual wire-wrapped + tatting pendants that I've made before, because of the smaller spaces to work the wire into and trying to keep the symbol clear enough to be recognizable. But, I'm happy to have one done that I can wear, and to get more ideas from!

Sea green Victory and beginning a peace symbol

 

Done! This "Victory" necklace in my own hand dyed sea green (the darker color) and Lizbeth number 686 Seagreen Lt. My finished necklace is listed in my Etsy shop here and the pattern is there.

Something I learned is to measure the round beads! Just because it says "6mm" on the package doesn't mean that the beads actually measure 6mm! The quartzite stone beads were a little larger, which explains why the tatted ring around the focal bead at lower center didn't quite fit, and it took less beads to make the neck cord the correct length.

So then, I came up with earrings to match, sort of. The last join on these is a rather tricky folded join, but otherwise they're fairly simple. I might write this up as a free pattern someday.

The earrings in progress

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New experiment combining tatting and wire-wrapping is in progress! 

I'm trying to make a peace symbol, the iconic 1960s peace symbol, out of wire and adding tatted "flowers" on it in a way similar to my other wire with tatting pendants. We will soon see if this works! 

To form the wire shape I followed the DIY Peace Sign Earrings video demonstration by Heather Boyd Wire on YouTube. Changes I made include continuing the wire up over the top (to form a bail later) and I added a 2nd circle of wire around the outside to make a doubled edge, which makes a wider border and will keep the tatting facing front.

My concern is to keep the peace symbol recognizable while being covered with the tatted "flowers". A work in progress....

Published in Belle Armoire Jewelry!

 In today's mail I received a lovely surprise! The issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry magazine with my own wire-wrapped tatted pendant article in it!

The issue is Summer 2023. It will arrive on news stands around June 1, 2023. 

Because I'm a subscriber to the magazine, I received 2 copies in the mail: my subscription plus a complimentary copy for being published. So, I have 1 copy to give away!

Giveaway!!! Open to residents of the USA only (because of shipping costs).

To be entered in the giveaway, leave a comment on this blog post before May 20, 2023.

I'll choose one winner on Saturday, May 20th and contact the winner (so please leave some contact info in your comment). This giveaway includes some hand dyed thread samples along with the magazine. ☺

700 words later

 

Tatting and wire pendant

In times past, I would have saved the following announcement as a surprise, but oh well, you wonderful blog readers will find out early! My pendant will be featured in the June 2023 issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry! 

I submitted my pendant in January, according to the instructions that appear in the back pages of each issue. A few days ago I received a notice from their senior managing editor saying that my piece has been chosen for a spotlight in the June issue. That includes a full page photo of the jewelry along with a one page article. So I was asked to write an article about my technique and materials in general (not a detailed step-by-step) for which I'll receive a monetary compensation.

Okay, so I just finished writing about 700 words! 

Well, that's enough writing for today - just wanted to share the excitement!

"Autumn Glow" pendant

 

The mixed media pendant that I had started last week is done! I'm really pleased with this one, so much so that I've started another, though of course each one is always different. Some years back I posted a quick demo on YouTube showing my basic process in making these. I really should do another tutorial showing more detail of the tatting techniques I'm using in these, including hiding the tail ends without sewing. Would anyone be interested?

The silk ribbon that I like to include with these pendants is hand dyed by Quintess. She has a stunningly beautiful selection of ribbons, and scarves, too.

Started an Autumn Pendant

 

From my stash of hand dyed thread, I chose warm autumn colors of red, gold, and shaded greens in a mix of 10 and 20 (but that dark red seems a bit finer, so I'm not sure). Having completed the tatting of josephine rings and encapsulated chains, I'm in the process of wire wrapping it onto the frame. 

I found a pretty orange topaz colored glass briolette focal bead purchased from BastetsBeads on Etsy, planning to suspend it in the center, although that depends on if there's still room for it when I get that far! I don't plan ahead much, I just trust the process. 

Nectarine and wire projects

 

New this week in my Etsy shop is a fresh batch of "Nectarine" hand dyed thread. Of course, the nectarine in the photo was promptly eaten after the photo was taken! I only use Procion MX fiber reactive chemical dyes for my hand dyed thread. (^◡^ )

Tatted earrings, my own Celtic triangle design, with handmade wire-wrapped niobium ear wires and glass teardrop beads. The pattern varies slightly from the Celtic triangle taught in my Next Steps In Shuttle Tatting class on Craftsy, but it's made using the same techniques. The thread used was size 20, 3 colors of hand dyed, one of which is from the "Stardate" batch.

Earlier this month I finished another wire-wrapped pendant with tatting:

The thread used was sizes 10 and 20 of "Stardate" along with a light blue. The teardrop is an Amazonite stone, purchased from TerraFinds. The wire is non-tarnish Parawire in "Titanium" color, 18 gauge for the frame, 28 gauge for the weaving. The half drilled stone was wrapped in 24 gauge.

I'm really pleased with how well the hand dyed silk ribbon purchased from Quintess looks with the pendant!

Mixed media jewelry with tatting

 

What I usually do is pick the colors first! 

The hand dyed thread I chose for the tatted "flowers" is from the Misty Morning batch, along with some from Blue Skies, both size 10, as well as some size 20 Lizbeth in a solid light blue. 

The teardrop focal bead is Czech glass from BastetsBeads. 

The bronze colored non-tarnish wire is from Bello Modo. I used 16 gauge for the frame, 20 gauge for wrapping the focal bead, and 28 gauge for wrapping the tatting onto the frame. When wire wrapping tatting, I always wrap over the tatted double stitches, avoiding placing wire over a single thread, in order to keep the result as durable as possible. 

The tatting is a random arrangement of Josephine rings and chains of encapsulation technique, with the extra threads carried inside the chains until needed.

While wrapping the tatting onto the frame, tiny beads can be added where desired by stringing the beads onto the wrapping wire.

For macramé I like to use nylon cord in 0.5mm diameter. I appreciate the convenience that the many tails left over from macramé can be cut and melted with a lighter to secure them. The tatting knot can be done in macramé, too!

Wire wrapped touches can look very nice added to tatted lace earrings, too. This design is a variation on my simpler "Giddy" pattern which is published in the book Tatted Jewelry. 

(By the way, I no longer receive any royalties from that book, but I'm still pleased that my name is on the cover.)

Wire Mood

 

The wire has been brought out of the cupboard again, after several months of waiting while I attended to other projects. Always I feel as though I'm "breaking the rules" (rules? It's art!) and I guess that's why I enjoy it so much, LOL. 

Actually, I do follow a few basic rules (discovered through trial and error) to create a piece that will be beautiful for a long time. The most important: non tarnish wire! These pieces with fiber tatting wrapped in are not suitable for the usual wire jewelry finishing techniques of oxidation and/or polishing. I used to use Argentium silver sometimes, but no, no, it tarnishes to a horrible color, not the attractive dark gray of "antiqued" silver. It can be polished carefully with a cloth embedded with silver polish, but really that is no fun at all! I gave all my silver wire away. 

My basic process for my wire + tatting pendants is shown in this YouTube video I made https://youtu.be/eHRmMAvf1gU 

Each one always comes out different!

My 2020 Tatting (and Weaving and Micro Macramé and Wire Wrapping)

In spite of the relentless chaos of the past year, joy was found in staying creative. Some of my favorite projects of 2020:

My design "Flutterby Heart"

My design "Petal Portal"

Zipper pull gifts

Handwoven towels all from the same warp

From a tutorial by Macramé Tita

From a tutorial by Macramé Tita

From a tutorial by Macramé Tita

My design "Flat Carnation"

My design Double Flower Celtic

Same vintage pattern tatted 40 years apart

Designing the "Daylily Dance" pattern in progress

My design, "Daylily Dance"

My jacket with tatting, still a work in progress

My design "Dissent" collar, inspired by a collar worn by Ruth Bader Ginsburg

An example of wire wrapping combined with tatting

My last tatted project of 2020

More Wire and Tatting Pendants

 

Vintaj® natural brass colored ParaWire, with floral style tatting of my own hand dyed thread. 

A burst of creativity resulted in 5 new necklaces added to my Etsy shop. I've decided that non-tarnish coated wire is the best choice for combining my tatting with wire-wrapping. It comes in a variety of permanent colors (obviously I love colors!) and no worries about tarnishing. Even Argentium silver eventually does tarnish and of course the silver is more expensive, so I won't likely be using it anymore. 

Bronze colored wire with hand dyed thread and nylon micro-macramé

Micro-macramé, or even a simple braided cord makes a nice color-coordinating finish for these projects and the sliding knot enables the necklace to be adjustable to any length. I like that the nylon cord is shiny and smooth, and tail ends can be melted with a lighter. 

Recently I've learned to be very careful with the lighter, as I had to re-do one neck cord because I accidently burned the wrong part. Didn't set myself on fire, though! ^_^

Titanium colored non-tarnish coated wire with hand dyed, white thread, and seed pearls.

2 colors of wire and 2 colors of cord

Tiny beads added during the wire wrapping. On the large focal bead I used a filigree bead cap from a "goodies bag" acquired at a long ago Tollway Tatters meeting.