Tatted Cotter Pin Bracelet

 Here's my first completed project in "Tatted Cotter Pin Links", a new idea which I am experimenting with. It was inspired by the wire wrapping technique "Cotter Pin Chain". I'm wearing the bracelet to see how well it holds up, and then I'll report my observations. I do plan on preparing a tutorial, soon.

Tatting Days and The Domes

15th Annual Tatting Days - that's me standing, teaching the tatted "feather" design

Another photo of the class in session

Ruth George holding her magnificent tatted mobile

 Tatting Days at the Tatting Corner was fantastic! I recognized many faces from last year, although I'm terrible at remembering names. Great food and lots of fun both days that I was there. But, I had to leave early to get back to Milwaukee in time to set up at Jewelry At The Domes!

Part of my display at my table in The Domes

Selfie at The Domes, wearing a tatted heart

Tatted necklaces displayed on my table

The Domes are always fun, and even though sales were very slow this year, I had many people show an interest in tatting! I handed out guild flyers, Craftsy cards, and was even approached by the owner of a local bead shop asking if I would teach tatting classes at her shop.

While I'm at Tatting Days

Some of my Etsy shop listings have been deactivated for the rest of this week, since I'm taking the items with me. Orders placed at my Etsy shop from November 11 - 15 will be shipped November 16.

My tatted jewelry will be put on display for sale at Jewelry at the Domes in Milwaukee on November 14.

Busy week! Hope yours goes well. Stay calm and keep tatting.

"Forest" dye batch, tatted link chain, list of exciting events coming up!

New "Forest" hand dyed thread of shaded dark greens has been added to my Etsy shop. 

I used the Forest green for the bottom link of my tatted link chain in the photo above. Link chain is a new idea that dawned on me just this morning, and since I've only started experimenting with it, not much to report yet, but so far I'm having fun! It's inspired by a wire wrapping project, which, by the way, I'm still struggling with in wire (a recently acquired side hobby), but since I've been tatting for 40 years, sometimes things just look a lot like tatting so I need to find out, "What if?"

Greater Milwaukee Tatting Guild meeting on Monday, November 9. If you're within driving distance of Milwaukee, I hope you'll come join us!

Later that same week I'll be teaching at the 15th annual Tatting Days at the Tatting Corner in Indiana!

Saturday, November 14 I have a table selling tatted jewelry at Jewelry at the Domes! Another reason to visit the great city of Milwaukee if you're able to.

Craftsy's sale and my schedule page

Craftsy is having a sale on all their online classes (900+) through November 1. Since I'm an affiliate, if you start browsing their site from my link http://www.craftsy.com/ext/MarileeRockley_holiday and then decide to sign up for any class at all (it doesn't have to be one of mine), I earn some money; not a lot, but it all helps.

My workshop schedule for 2016 is now listed on a separate page of my blog. Mostly I put it there to remind myself of where I'm going when! You can find it, and my other stand alone pages, by clicking on the tabs at the top of my blog. I'm not sure how that works on a mobile device, so for convenience, here's the link http://yarnplayertats.blogspot.com/p/workshop-scedule.html

In just 2 weeks I'll be teaching at Tatting Corner in Indiana!

I'm currently working on a pattern for teaching at Finger Lakes in April 2016, and will post that when it's decided upon.

This tatted jewelry set is going to Wyoming

These new original pieces were in my Etsy shop less than 2 days and someone liked them enough to buy the set! I'm thrilled, you betcha!

Okay, about the techniques used to make them: 

The necklace pattern is the same one I used in the steampunk gears pendant in my previous post. By the way, I need a new pattern to teach at the Finger Lakes Tatting Convention next April. Should it be this one?

Accessorizing with mixed media seems to be the key to making a design really "pop" as jewelry. I added brass links, then ribbon, a disk bead, and "tatted beads" on the ribbon. Maybe I should include "tatted beads" in the class? I've only just started experimenting with this concept so I'm sure there is a lot more to explore.

The earrings are based on my "Giddy" pattern found in the book Tatted Jewelry. However, I fancied them up with more beads, a wire wrapped dangle at the bottom, and hand formed niobium earwires. (I learned basic wire-wrapping on Craftsy from classes like this one by Aga Kruk http://www.craftsy.com/ext/MarileeRockley_62_CP (it's my affiliate link giving a discount).

The thread is a new hand dyed experiment that will make it's way into my Etsy shop eventually, probably in a few weeks. It has shades of aquamarine, teal, light green, and ecru brown...I think I'll call the colorway "Pond".