"Grayscale" is back, some UFO's finished

 A new batch of hand dyed "Grayscale" thread has been added to my Etsy shop. I put brightly colored flowers in the picture to show that it's not a black and white photo.

This week I also managed to finish a few "UFO's" (unfinished objects) that I found stashed in bags! This "Cool Circles" necklace in hand dyed "Pond" thread with size 8/0 glass seed beads in aqua with Swarovski pearls is now done, and I'm pleased with the result.

Of course I don't have the pattern memorized :)  So I followed the directions in my book that Annie's published (Tatting With Beads Jewelry) but noticed that under "First Upper Side" although they put in "repeat from * to * " correctly, they didn't make the second * all that obvious to find. It's my own pattern, and even I had to look carefully to figure out where to stop! Ah well, just letting y'all know, the second * is found on the upper right of page 13, just after "LJ to vsp". Then, go back to where you were under "First Upper Side" to continue.

 I also finished a pair of earrings in size 20, same color thread, slightly different beads, although they do coordinate very nicely with the necklace should anyone want the set.

Some beads in my stash

Here's a comparison of some types of beads I often use. 

Bead size is written at the left, with 3 examples of that size in each row (round, faceted, and bicone shapes). 

Seed beads are between the lines at the bottom of the picture.

Size 20 thread and finer can fit through the hole of any of these beads. 

Size 10 Lizbeth thread is thicker, so the 3 mm beads and some 11/0 seed beads won't fit. I've taken to using Toho Takumi large hole beads when I want an 11/0 seed bead with size 10 thread, since they fit easily. Delicas (a brand of Japanese cylinder beads) will also fit on size 10 thread. They really are shaped like tiny cylinders.

Not on the list are a new arrival called "demi" seed beads. They're half the width of regular seed beads. I tried them on some dainty snowflake earrings in size 40 thread, and liked the delicate effect in the picots combined with a regular 11/0 seed bead on the core thread.

In hand dyed "Candy Mint" size 40.

Lizbeth size 40 in white.

The snowflake pattern is mine, "tweaked" and "upgraded" from a simpler original I blogged about in 2008, Quickie Snowflake Earrings.

Wired and tatted

 All mixed up!

This pendant is my latest experiment of combining wire-wrapping and tatting. I started with a wire weave that I learned in Aga Kruk's 2nd Craftsy Class, Wire-Wrapped Stones, Designer Techniques, and captured some random tatting into it as I wove the wire.
The woven bail technique I learned in a class by Dawn Horner, called Start Wire Weaving Cabochon Pendants.

Woven wire earrings from instructions in Aga's class.

Woven Cubes FLW wallpaper
 Bradbury & Bradbury

 Home improvement projects have taken up much of my time lately. The dining room area in my 1920s era house needed new wallpaper in the wood framed panels, so when I discovered that Frank Lloyd Wright wallpaper designs were available to order online, I jumped right on it! Several patterns are available from Bradbury & Bradbury Art Wallpapers. I chose Woven Cubes.

Leaving you with a pretty autumn view of Miller Park baseball stadium, which is not very far from my house in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The new book

 So now at last I have my own printed copy of the new book to hold in my hands! Tatting With Beads Jewelry is a beautiful, professionally published 28 page book containing patterns for 4 tatted jewelry sets, all designed by me. Indeed, it is gratifying to see my name on the cover :)

I've listed some in my Etsy Shop, so if you want the book signed by me, buy it there. If you want it as a PDF file, you need to buy that from the publisher Annie's. 

The "Beatrice" necklace is the most advanced pattern in the book. It uses the technique of pearl tatting. The easiest pattern in the book is "Beaded Path", which is only tatted chains. I've enjoyed designing all 4 sets, so I hope you'll have fun tatting them!

Free easy tatted star and snowflake pattern

Download the pattern as a PDF file by clicking HERE.

This is a very simple pattern that I've written up and used in teaching beginner tatting classes. Feel free to use it to teach others! Only the basic techniques of tatting are used: ring, chain, picot, join, and a little about sewing in ends.

Celtic Triangle

 This project is essentially the same as the Celtic Triangle that I teach in my Next Steps In Shuttle Tatting class on Craftsy. In this one I replaced some of the double stitches with beads on the core thread. The green is my own hand dyed "Leafy" and the brown is Lizbeth Fudge Dark, both size 10.

The pendant looks different on either side, so you can choose whichever side you're in the mood for to show. I finished the pendant with a wire bail that I formed myself, and a lovely silk ribbon from Quintess on Etsy.