a no glass ceiling

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This is something I pulled out from my art archives, LOL. Made around the turn of the century and lying unused in a box in my now almost defunct yet stuffed art closet. 

I needed something for the Small Decorations game organised by splocik and for the last 11 months I've submitted various specimens of tatted lace. For this final month, too, I had a few small pieces and a to-tat list of a few more, which I was going to put together as tree decorations to hang as simple ornaments, to cover baubles, etc. However, this value addition didn't happen when I suddenly remembered I'd never blogged about this project. Had to look through several of my containers to finally locate them, but the search did throw up so many forgotten memories!

 

These are mostly leftover glass paints on transparency sheets cut into rectangles for bookmarks. All are freehand, free-style, painting outlines directly over the bookmark and then filling with colour.

 

The black outline is not fine and even in many of them because the nozzle wasn't cooperating ...perhaps because the squeeze bottle was running low on the colour. Yet I enjoyed giving myself a free hand, LOL.

 

These bookmarks remain unused because at times the paint tends to stick to the page especially in the hot summers we have here. Would a coat of varnish help? While I didn't try varnish, I did try to cover up the painted side with cling wrap. Nah, unless laminated, the wrap just spoils the look.

A failed idea and experiment.

The box contained another painting on an A4 transparency sheet - lot more detailed and fine, but the paint has peeled off in several places. Another one has remained fine, though. My largest glass painting (a Medusa), this one on glass was framed and adorned the study for several years. Now it is wrapped up and closeted.

Would the newer generations remember what a transparency sheet is? Are they still being used for presentations or put to some other use? 

I could've punched a hole at the top and tied a satin ribbon for a tail. But I was just plain lazy to collect the materials and put in those few extra minutes and effort. Part of the reason is that these are not going to be used as bookmarks and are too long to stand in for tree decorations. Hmmm, I could cut around the outline of a few of them, though! Now that's something for next year.

So these bookmarks are my submission for December. You can scroll through the beautiful range of  November submissions here - https://splocik2.blogspot.com/2024/12/male-dekoracje-2024-galeria-listopadowa.html

As requested by splocik, above is a collage of all my submissions for the entire year (there were two submissions in October).

I had tremendous fun thinking of what to present each month! And I didn't always have to make something special, though the game was instrumental in several. Glad I could complete the game!

Many many thanks, splocik, for organising such a fun event in a supportive and creative way. So much talent was on display through all the submissions!

Happy holidays to one and all!

fulgent and folly

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This month Ninetta has hosted the Bead Me Endrucks game in the Endrucks 1920 Project FB group. Simple and single rule - to choose any pattern from the original or derivatives and bling it with beads. Here's my fulgent attempt...

I extracted a motif from Endrucks' pattern #10 and worked it into a complete circle. Since I haven't decided what to use it for - so many possibilities - it's a medallion for now.

I used Wally Sosa's version (page 4) in the reworked pattern presentation by Ninetta Caruso here - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YFBYqbgssthqDKYi8YkTX-fvAPmIYbm-/view. After taking the length of bugle bead into account, I doubled the stitch count in the rings. Since the bugle bead covers the chain length, there are only 2ds on the ringside and 1ds, p, 1ds, bead, 1ds, p, 1ds on the inner side. See TIP below.

Materials - This is a pic after I gathered all the supplies needed. I chose to go with a ball and shuttle instead of 2 shuttles. Red Heart metallic thread size 40; yellow seed beads size 16/0; red beads size 5/0; twist bugle beads #4. And beading needles and crochet hook #11. I selected beads from my stash, though I do need to buy more in different sizes.

As per my visualisation, I pre-strung the bugles on ball thread and the red and yellow beads on the shuttle. However, the shuttle beads didn't work out the way I had hoped. Hence all the beads were removed and re-strung differently. One yellow bead between a pair of bugles on the ball thread and alternating 1 red and 2 yellow beads on the shuttle.

This is how I ended up doing the effect I had in mind. On the ring, a long picot holding 14 yellows...

I loaded the beads using sewing thread and size 28 tapestry needle as seen in the background. 

Followed by 1ds, red, 1ds, join to the beaded picot, continue. This centered all the beads beautifully.

Can't say how much of the brilliance and shine the camera caught, but in real it is quite the shining medallion!

Folly - not one but many! If you look closely, most are easy to spot.

• I should've used pure metallic thread instead of this single metallic strand twisted around perle cotton, size 40. Tons of trouble with the metallic strand breaking while closing the large ring even after I started working the stitches loose. Had to start afresh many times! Took the shortcut but tying a slip knot and tatting over both tails. The number of rings you see in the final medallion are only half the rings I tatted, LOL. 
• Once I forgot to work the twin ring and had to cut off two repeats. 
• Not making a lock stitch at the end of the bugle bead to avoid the core thread from being pulled too tight. Did it for the last few beads. 

TIP: If the bugle bead is not on the core thread, it may be a good idea to add an unflipped stitch at the end before continuing, so as to lock in the core thread and bead.

• Noticed the difference in bugle bead size in one arm only in the pics, LOL, though I kept wondering why it wouldn't stay even. And not to mention the space between two rings where the thread got pulled while closing the ring and I didn't notice in time. Dr Downplay at work here, though lessons learned for future.

It measures a wee bit over 7cms across. 

Mr Meticulous is not happy at all, but Dr Downplay rules the day. What's your verdict?

Many thanks to Ninetta and Wally for their work on the main pattern and thanks for organising the game, Nin!

incomplete

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Suddenly the month is slipping away fast and I have ton of tatting to do. I hadn't been able to tat for almost a month due to life interruptions which put me back a whole lot. Prioritizing is the need of the hour or what's remaining of this month. 

This is the Vandkye Border in Tatting by Mrs. Ollie Romesha which I had hoped to complete before showing. I've decided to postpone it's completion hence sharing the WIP pic. It was published in Needlecraft Vol. VII, No. 8, April 1916 and the PDF can be downloaded here -https://www.antiquepatternlibrary.org/html/warm/tatting.htm   

Vandyke formations are inspired by portraits painted by 17th century Flemish artist Anthony van Dyck and refer to the distinct peaks or points like in the V-shaped chevron strips. I decided to go with this edging despite the bare thread space that kind of terrifies me. Then there was the headache-inducing task of transcribing the old text into short notations or diagrams. I took the plunge! 

However I tatted the flower medallions first unlike what the instructions stated. Decided it would be more comfortable when joining. 

There is one minor omission in the written pattern (part of the pattern is missing). The image of the tatted model was of great help.

The sewing side consists of single shuttle work with lots of bare thread. I started at the right to gauge the length of bare thread. It turned out to be a wee bit tight when the final row is tatted above. Started afresh at the left end, but have left it for the present. Once my other time-bound commitments for this month are done, I'll get back to this and share more details. 

Worked in Anchor size 40.

I am submitting this for Natalie Rogers' PICOT Bingo game, striking off the block - Tat an Edging. Now this game is another project I probably won't be able to complete despite starting in January itself. At least not in the way I wanted to. But never say die, LOL.