A tatting SOUP bookmark from
snowflakes.
What do you do with practice pieces or tatting leftovers ?
You may remember my tatting SOUP (Sewing On / Using Pieces) where I try to put my tatting to functional or
decorative use – be it as appliqués or on ribbon bookmarks, envelopes, cards,
and so on. It was time for these vintage snowflake motifs to get working!
I’m calling it the ...
Patchwork Bookmark
update Jan 18,2017 in order to change the blogfeed photo, I am adding this single pic ...
... because it is made by piecing
together not just the snowflakes, but also filler bits, tails, tassels, all
using short lengths of leftover thread .
I chose to place them one tip
into another trough – it looked better than attaching each at 2 tips. This
results in an alternating symmetry, being 6-pointed. I sewed the adjoining
edges, weaving through stitches to reach the next joining point/picot.
Filler motifs : Yet, there was something missing – they didn’t
form a cohesive unit. (refer to the
center image in collage). That’s when the idea of fillers hit me, using a
motif from the pattern itself ! 4 bits were added, shown by arrows in pic.
With so many options for hiding
ends, I didn’t mind weaving in the tails in the filler bits (each started CTM).
Overcoming woes of 2 colours : The coloured snowflake at the
end stood out like a sore thumb (it would’ve worked better as a charm). But I
liked the tapering effect.
The tails, too, taper with
decrease in ring stitches. But it is very subtle.
Tried to bring it all together by
making 2 tails and intermixing the 2 colours. Not too happy with it, but ….
My first time trying to fray
tassels !
Frayed tassels : Aqua tassel : I tried with toothbrush and
also pin . Hardly made any dent.
Then I held the pin horizontal
and 'scraped' over the threads - it worked like a charm (pun intended ;-p) !
White tassel : this time I untwisted
each thread between fingers. Then used the pin horizontally. Much better and
quicker.
I then brushed both tassels with
the toothbrush. Beware - don't overdo it ‘coz fibers accumulate in the brush.
This is visible in the whitened tips of the aqua tassel.
I was fearful of spoiling the
tassel while blocking. But it actually helped!
I’m much more confident now, and
may fray picots in a pattern, too.
This book arrived just last week
and I won’t be able to start it till I finish reading my current book …may take
a month at least. But this bookmark goes perfectly with both the colours and
the title of the book ! A bookmark made with snowflakes for ‘Winter Garden’ by
Kristin Hannah
˜l˜happy tatting come
snow or shine ! ˜l˜
