angel but no wings yet

I have been tatting. several of my projects are private and can't be shown, but this can.

it may look like a heart and a bell, but this time it is an angel wings and skirt.
the threads are size 20 Lizbeth, in dark olive and Carousel.  The beads are 2 sizes of seed beads, 10/0 in the wings and I think 11/0 in the skirt.  The beads in the skirt were a free gift from Fire Mountain beads and didn't have any information.  and I also used tear drop beads.  I have no idea of what color these beads are called, they are multi colored iridescent.

The skirt stands up just fine see...

but, the wings aren't going to work.  there are too many beads, I will need to use the smaller size seed beads, and less tear drops.  and I think I will have to snug up the center of the heart or add some more connecting picots to give it some more stability.
the heart pattern is Small Tatted Heart by Betsy Evans. 

I was lucky to have the little face bead in my stash.  it has a large hole through it from top to bottom, so will have to come up with a wig to cover that. 

here is a look at what it would look like if the wings worked

we have had 2 major snow storms in the past 4-5 days.  Saturday night through Sunday morning, we got 9" of snow with only a little bit of wind.  Tuesday night through Wednesday (today) afternoon, we got another 9". this more then doubles the entire amount of snow that we had received in the whole rest of the winter. 
I wasn't able to get out of our yard today, so didn't get to work.  Farmguy will have to get the yard blown out tomorrow morning so I can get there. At least it is the end of February, so spring will be here soon enough.

Hope you all had a great Leap Day.

2011 Christmas present finished

Well, I have finally finished my next to last Christmas present for last year.
this one took me much longer, I had started to lose interest in doing bells, and sandwiched a few other items in between, but you haven't seen them.  as they are not for public at this time.

but despite the lateness, and despite that fact I didn't do a very good job of shaping, (I am not stiffening this, it should hole it's shape by itself.) here is my last bell

the threads are Lizbeth size 20 in Watermelon, and Mauela size 20 in gold.  the beads are delicas in red lined and gold and the tear drops in amber.  There is a lock chain with a tiny bell for a striker in the center that you can't see.  The pattern is from Tatsy but I changed the starting point and the number of stitches in the lower chains. 

the last item left to tat is similar, but will not end up as a bell. I will post that when I get it finished as well.  This will be on it's way monday in the mail. 

I am waiting for the threads that I ordered so I can start Umi & Tsuru's tat along.  since I had to finish this & a couple others first, I splurged on some really pretty threads from LadyShuttleMaker when she celebrated her Etsy anniversary with a sale.

tomorrow I will either wind a skein of Wisteria Lane HDT from Krystle onto a spool and get back to my hanky edging, or get started on my last Christmas present. Along with canning about 6 qrts of turkey and chicken. 

Have a good rest of the weekend with lots of time for tatting.

Tatting Goddess, you will be missed

Gina Brummett

click to go to her blog

 


The tatting community lost a wonderful member monday night.
Gina Brummett was know as the Tatting Goddess and truely was a goddess of tatting.
She was a remarkable tatter, able to tat the antique patterns and translate them into modern notation and techniques.
she was always willing to help anyone who needed it.

Always ready with  an encouraging comment.

I never had the pleasure of meeting her in person, but from reading her posts, I had always hoped that one day I would have the chance.

I will miss you Gina. and I am sure that many of the snowflakes that fall each winter to come will have been tatted by you.

Rest in peace dear tatter.