More Decoupaged Tatting Shuttles

Just finished decoupaging more shuttles from my stash. Had not realized I'd accumulated so many...and these are just the ones not attached to unfinished projects or shuttles that I want to keep in their original condition (such as, English Aeros, bone shuttle, wood shuttles). After embellishing several types of plastic shuttles, I've decided that the Sunlits are my favorite to decoupage because it's easier to cut around their pointy ends. The Clovers have a curved pointed end that is trickier to trim around neatly. And those with the metal hooks require a bit of finessing around where the plastic and the metal connect. I also decided that I prefer doing 4 coats of Mod Podge. I think it gives a really good seal around the edges to keep the paper from separating from the plastic. Of course, the real test will be as I use them over time. But it will be a snap to repair them if there are any problems.

I think this will be it for decoupaging shuttles for a while. Now I need to find other stuff to cover with origami paper and Mod Podge...

2014 NC State Fair Ribbons Awarded

For the first time ever, I entered handwork (all tatting) in the North Carolina State Fair. Of the three items I entered two won second-place red ribbons.

I entered a pillowcase edging in the Home Furnishings category:

More details at "Off the Shuttle: Tatted Edging for Pillowcase." 

I entered a handkerchief edging in the Clothing category:

More details at "Off the Shuttle: Tatted Floral Edging on Vintage Handkerchief."

This experience was so exciting that I have already started planning projects to enter in the 2015 fair.

NYC finds

My daughter and I celebrated my birthday this year with a trip to New York City. One of the joys of shopping there is the garment district with its incredible selection of notions and trims. Before I got sensorially-overloaded, I settled on these two trims at M&J Trimming. Not sure yet what I will do with them, but I couldn't resist taking them home.

One of my favorite shopping stops was at Kinokuniya, a Japanese bookstore. I went there primarily to look for Japanese tatting books, but also picked up a couple of other things.

The hedgehog is the mascot of lacemakers, primarily of bobbin lacers because of all the pins they use in their pattern prickings. But tatters should be able to adopt the cute little animals for their use, too. So I had to buy this little rubber stamp.

As if I didn't have enough origami papers for shuttle decoupaging, I bought this little pack anyway. The size is 60 cm x 60 cm, a bit more than what I'd need to do a shuttle or two.

And I added four Japanese tatting books to my library at great savings over what online tatting book sellers are charging. 

We also went to the Strand bookstore where I found this book of clothing designs. Translated from Japanese into English, it includes a packet of patterns. Can you tell that I love Japanese designs? 

All in all, a very satisfying stash enhancing experience!

Off the Shuttle: Blue Tatted Handkerchief Edging

Another tatted edging for a white cotton handkerchief from my stash. The pattern is "Edging 13" from Embellishing with Edgings, edited by Barbara Foster. The thread is Lizbeth size 80 in color #662, Light Turquoise.

Ano

Off the Needles: 3 Baby Sweaters

Knit Night is a charity knitting group that meets once a month at the Cameron Village Regional Library in Raleigh, NC. Tomorrow is the night we collect everything we've made over the year and bag it up for distribution to several local groups. While gathering up what I have ready to donate, I realized that some of the sweaters didn't get posted on my blog.

This little sweater pattern, "Vest with Garter-stitch Yoke," is a 1934 pattern reprinted in Knitting in Vogue: Patterns from the 1930s to the 1980s for Men, Women & Children, by Christina Probert (1985, pp. 94-5). The photograph below is actually the back side of the original pattern, but the updated photograph in the book shows it as the front side so that it is worn as a cardigan. 

While I like the yoke detail shown below, I agree with Probert that it makes more sense to wear it back to front, and it's easier to tie the ribbon on the open side if it's on the front of the baby.

The yarn is Phentex "Fingering Tricot Fin," an acrylic fiber in color Waterfall #52 Niagara. I bought this yarn decades ago so I'm sure it has been discontinued long ago.

*****

This second sweater is what results when you have a nice yarn, but not very much of it. The blue is a fuzzy microfiber that is very soft. It was a partial ball leftover from a friend's stash so I only had enough to do the yoke on this sweater. I finished it off with a white acrylic. No clue as to the manufacturer of either yarn. The pattern is one I've used lots of time. It's from the Leisure Arts leaflet "Knit Lace & Leaves for Baby." One of the things I love about this pattern is that the only sewing up needed is under the arms.

*****

The photograph below is the back side of a sweater (what's with these sweaters for babies that open in the back?), but I think it works better being buttoned in the front.

This little vest is another example of making do with small amounts of yarn. The pattern is "Ribbed Jacket" from Baby Love Cuddly Knits for Wee Ones, by Catherine Bouquerel ( 2009, pp. 26-7). The pattern called for long sleeves, but I changed to ribbed armhole cuffs because of not having enough yarn. At this point, I'm not sure what brand the yarn is other than it's an acrylic with a nice chunky feel.

Here's a view of the sweater front which I now designate as the sweater's back.

Off the Shuttle: Aqua Tatted Handkerchief Edging

A vintage handkerchief with hibiscus flowers from my stash. The thread is size 80 Lizbeth thread in light seagreen, color 686, which is a close match to the aqua background on the handkerchief.

The pattern is "Edging 6" in Embellishing with Edgings (pg. 13), edited by Barbara Foster.