Monday, July 30, 2012

Miranda’s Challenge!

Check out Tatting Fool, for Saturday, July 28!  Miranda has offered a challenging exercise in design – not exactly a doily, but an illustration of one.  The illustration is part of an all-over print on some fabric she happened to run across while shopping at Jo-Ann’s.  She included a couple of pictures of the fabric, and anyone familiar with the construction of tatted lace will recognize it for a tatted doily.

But – it’s more of a sketch of a doily, than an actual doily….and therein lies the challenge!  Can you construct a reasonable facsimile of the doily, with no pattern, no stitch count, no nothing?

I don’t always participate in these challenges – time is one reason, then there is the frustration level when what I think should work, doesn’t.  But – with only three rounds, why not try?

Here is my test piece – rounds 1 and 2 complete, and round 3 in progress.  By the time I get all the way back around to the beginning, I think I’ll have a pretty good idea of the stitch count that works for me (yes, I am making notes as I go).  I’m tatting this one with what is left on several shuttles, so it should be >ahem< quite colorful when it’s done!  I’ll tat it again, from my notes, in two colors and without cutting at the end of each round as I’ve done here.  Since it’s an experimental piece, I didn’t even hide my ends – I tied and clipped! 

11 comments:

  1. I really like your chains on the third round. They add so much texture!

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    1. It was either that, or bare thread space - and I am really lousy at Hen-and-Chicks!

      It's definitely going to need tweaking - but this is just the first model. By the weekend, I hope I'll have a better, more finished doily.

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  2. I like your rendition Sharren, that is going to be a very nice doily when all is said and done.

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    1. It'll be a small one, though - in size 20 thread, about 5" across. It tats up fairly quickly, though!

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  3. I like this Sharren - it looks terrific!

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  4. I'm not doing the challenge, but that third round on the printed fabric is more like a sketch! There are vague connections and 'gaps'. So it will be interesting to see your interpretation of it! I'm amazed how quickly you're moving along on this!

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    1. I really think that's what drew my attention it it - many times, when I'm designing, I'll do a rough sketch very much like the "doily" printed on the fabric. I figured that if I can make sense of my own chicken scratches, maybe I can make sense of someone else's!

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  5. Pretty neat!! I like the different colors too!! :)

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    1. Thanks! The two colors (today there are four) are just what was left over on some of my shuttles. The next tat through will be with one color on one shuttle, and a different color on the other shuttle. Jane Eborall recommended this to me several years ago - it's such an easy way to see what each shuttle is making!

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  6. Really pretty! I like the colours.
    Fox : )

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