Preparations

Aside from making an abysmal mess of string I haven't felt very productive lately as far as actual tatting goes. So today I spent some time just tatting up some little things to sell when I get my Etsy back up and running. It was good to just mindlessly tat for once. But as usual my overactive imagination took over, and now my head is bursting full of ideas. More ideas than I have time to try. Oh well. Look for more new things in the future I guess. It's better to over-inspired than under.

Dreams of Insanity

I have proof that I must be going crazy. I had a dream that I was tatting a wedding dress. And now I'm actually considering attempting it. Not a dress embellished with tatting. Oh no. That would be to easy. A dress made entirely of tatted lace.

I actually spent most of my work day thinking over what sort of thread I would use, what shape and stye of dress, what kind of pattern I would need for the tatting, whether to bead or not, etc. If I were to start this project it would probably take me a number of years to complete. YEARS. And we all now how horrible I am with time management. What am I thinking?

Ideally, I'd like the overall look to be something like this dress by Claire Pettibone.

It would require a kind of ingenuity I've never before attempted. A real challenge. I think that's the reason the whole idea has such an attraction for me. It would definitely take tatting to a whole new level.

Yup. I must be crazy. I think I'll try it.

Moving forward

Amazingly, now that I have less time I am getting more done. Or at least it seems that way. The good news is that I think I have solved the issue I was having with the images for the Beginner's Handbook. If all goes well I will have these ready for purchase [both hard copies and download] by next month.

Along with the completion of the Beginner's Handbook, I will begin offering beginner's kits for shuttle tatting that will contain everything a beginner needs to get started, including the Handbook. And along the same lines, I will soon be selling patterns, lessons, and bits of tatting in my soon-to-be-revamped Etsy shop.

Exciting stuff! Hopefully this productivity will continue. :D

Flutterflakes

Butterflies and snow flakes; winter and spring. That's what the weather here is like, so this edging pattern is appropriate.

Flutter Flake

R: 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 [5 picots]

*Ch: 4 - 2

R: 4 + 2 - 4

Ch: 3 - 2

R: 3 + 4 - 4 - 3

Ch: 4

R: 3 + 6 - 6 - 3

Ch: 3

R [shuttle 2]: 4 + 3 - 3 - 4

Ch: 3

R: 3 + 6 - 6 - 3

Ch: 4

R: 3 + 4 - 4 - 3

Ch: 2 + 3

R: 4 + 2 - 4

Ch: 4 - 2

R: 4 + 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 [4 picots]

Ch: 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 [4 picots] + 4

R: 4 + 4 - 2

R: 3 + 4 - 4 - 4 - 3

R: 4 + 4 - 2

Ch: 4

R: 4 + 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 [4 picots]

Ch: 4 + 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 [3 picots]

Repeat from *