Test Tatting a Joy, Pleasure and Honour

I was asked two weeks ago to test tat a pattern for a fellow tatter and I must say that it has made me feel a few things joy, pleasure and honour. To be asked to test tat a pattern is a honour for me, as I know what a big thing it is to ask a fellow tatter to test tat a pattern. The designer has worked hard to develop a new pattern and now they are sending it out to a fellow tatter to test. To see if it makes sense, is interesting and/or challenging enough to interest other tatters and to see what the finished project looks like when made by a fellow tatter. ( This is kind of scary. I know as I have done it myself. ) It is a honour to be asked as you are being shown by the designer that they value your opinion as a tatter and also value your skills and tatting knowledge. It brings me joy in kind of a selfish way in knowing that I am the first person to tat this pattern besides this designer. It makes me feel special. Lastly and maybe most importantly it brings me great pleasure to know that I have helped out a fellow tatter and because of that I feel a little better about myself today and am just that much more grateful that I am a Tatter.

Mosaic Sculpture

Just for something completely different and something that you will not see anywhere else. My partner has spent the past month planting this giant mosaic sculpture ( 3D plant sculpture) You start off with a metal frame, cover it in landscape fabric, stuff with soil, poke holes in it and plant thousands and thousands of plants. This turtle measures 27 feet from the head to the tip of the tail and is 13 feet wide across the middle of the shell. To maintain this sculpture it needs to be trimmed by hand once a week till the winter at which time it is taken all apart till next year.

Tatting and Community

I don't know about all the other tatters in the world but I feel blessed to belong to a group who is not only carrying on a great tradition but also developing it into even a greater form of art. Before I found tatting on the Internet and specifically tatting groups I thought tatting consisted solely of rings, chains and picots. After finding tatting on the Internet I was introduced to a host of new tatting techniques such as split rings and chains, double rings, block tatting and a list of others. Not only was I introduced but fellow tatters where kind enough to post pictures and videos to show and explain how to accomplish these new ideas.

In this day and age of the me generation where people are only concerned about themselves or what they can get out of a situation, where there really is no sense of community or helping others I am happy to say that I belong to the tatting community which is nothing like this.

I find the tatting community to be a refreshing change from the every day life as here is a group that goes out of its way to make you feel welcome, showers you with praise about what you are able to do no matter what level of tatter you may be and is always there to answer any question you may have no matter how great or small. All members appreciate the effort you put into the piece of tatting you have accomplished and all members are there to support you when times are going rough.

Yes the tatting community holds a special place in my heart as it is always a place I can turn to for a little sunshine on a grey day. I challenge each member of the tatting community to not only share the art of tatting with others but to try and share a bit of the tatting community sunshine as well if possible. Just think of how much better the world would be.

Clyde

a proud member of the tatting community.

Heirloom Doily

I was asked by a fellow tatter if I could take a picture of the doily with a common item to give a better perspective as to the size of the doily. I am happy to oblige. The pencil in the picture is a new , standard soft lead pencil and I hope this gives everyone a better perspective as to how big the doily is. My daughter is down to visit for a week and she got her first look at the doily and she is very pleased with it. Now she just has to wait for it to be passed down to her.

Heirloom Doily

Following some helpful advice from Sharon I have taken a new photo of the doily that gives it much better representation. I don't know why I didn't think to photograph it on a white background, it sure makes a big difference. Now you can see the true colours of the thread and better detail.

The Making of a Heirloom

I am a firm believer in the value of the strengths that we need to pass on to our children to help them grow up to be well rounded adults. One of those strengths is that they know that they are loved and are reminded of it often. This is the reason that I wanted to make this heirloom doily for my daughter so that when I am no longer around she will have a reminder that her Dad loves her.

This doily is made from the pattern available from the online classroom here and is made with YarnPlayers Fern Hand Dyed Thread size 80. The doily is 17 inches across and took 11 skeins of HDT to make. It was a big project to work on but after seeing it done, it was well worth it. My daughter is coming home for a visit this weekend and I can't wait for her to see the doily. Now my son has asked when I am making one for him but he wants a rectangle shape.