Lilydale Spring Show Entries

Lilydale Spring Show was held this week-end and these are my entries:

In the section "Any article of tatting" I entered a Stawasz doiley

It was awarded third prize

In the section "Any article decorated by tatting", I entered a doll in folk costume
which was awarded first prize

Mrs Petersen's Dinner Setting

I had the honour recently to complete a setting (Adrienne by Semco) which was begun by the late mother of a childhood friend.  She had completed eight plate mats and coasters, and six rounds of the centre.  I did the remaining rounds. 

It was this lady's tatting that inspired me to learn to tat.  I saw some of her work when about 11 yrs., but its beauty stayed with me, and many years later, I finally found a class.  I have been gifted her shuttles and books, and it is very satisfying to see the completed setting on the table.  Many thanks to her daughter for these lovely photos.

Bride Doll

Haven't posted for ages, but have most certainly been tatting!!  Obsessed!!  I am not a good photographer though, and get disappointed with the results of photos, so do not post.  However for the purposes of record, I will post photos of my entry for this year's Lilydale Show ( successful).  Being white on white, it of course, doesn't show up well, so I will describe it. 

The doll itself is 2nd hand from ebay, and came dressed in blue as Cinderella.  I wanted a large doll so the tatting could be seen, so I spent ages on ebay looking for one, but eventually I found her.  I began by making her underwear, all decorated with tatting.

The dress itself is crystal organza over satin.  I began with grandiose ideas of making a strapless one, as the doll has a nice bustline, but time and my lack of sewing expertise resulted in it ending up as a basic sleeveless, boat neckline.

The tatting on the dress consists of a double-row edging at the hemline (don't know the designer - saw it on Pinterest), then two spaced rows of small hearts (Irene Wu's Butterfly Heart pattern).  Midway up the skirt I then did five large hearts (Teri Dusenbury's Pattern).  The veil was edged with a simple clover-chain-ring edging. The neckline was also decorated with the small hearts.

All tatting was outlined and secured to the fabric using tiny pearl seed beads, and both the small and large hearts were highlighted at the centre with Swarovsky crystals.  She also had a lucky bridal horseshoe outlined with tatting, and encrusted with small fabric flowers and crystals.  I ran out of time and oomph when it came to tatting the tiara and bouquet, and she had bought ones!

I think that just about covers it.  I will now add the photos - just for the record.

Jan Stawasz Doily X from Tatted Treasures

I have just completed the Doily X from Jan Stawasz's book "Tatted Treasures".  It is 54 cm across and was worked in natural, ecru, and medium brown.

Spanish Doll

The dressing, tatting and assembly ot this doll has taken me twelve months.  The object of the exercise is to
show how tatting can be used to decorate an item.  I have also done a fan for her, but haven't attached it
to her hand yet.  The picture doesn't show how her dress sweeps into a short train at the back, and also
the work on the mantilla doesn't show.  I have lost count of how many metres of black lace I tatted. 
It is satisfying to be finished, but also a relief.  Now I can get on with Christmas Tatting.

Caribbean & Lilac Mat

This is the mat I have just completed from Adelheid Dangela's Book "Occhi-Patchwork" which I borrowed from the Guild Library. I want my own copy of this book, because all of the designs in the book are wonderful, and will integrate with each other to form a patchwork effect. The possibilities are endless. All the designs are named after towns, and this one is called "Detmold". I have worked it in Lizbeth 40 Caribbean for the chains and thrown-off rings, and Lilac, Dark for the main rings

Lots of Heart

We have had a feast of sport in January, both test cricket and the Australian Open Tennis Championship, so it was a good opportunity to empty some of the many shuttles with bits of thread on them. I took my Hearts file, and tatted away. I quite surprised myself how many I managed to do. With Valentines' Day coming up, they will probably all find a home among my card making, quilting and scrapbooking friends.

Mat from Practical Tatting

When the temperature is as high as it was for a couple of days last week, I need something simple to tat, and this little mat from Phyllis Sparks' book "Practical Tatting" was just the thing. It is done in Lizbeth 40 Butterfly Breeze, though the camera flash seems to have washed out the colour, which is a delightful pastel, summery colour.

Tatted Hanky Gift

This is a hanky I have tatted for a gift, and oops, now I have taken a photo, I can see a mistake!

Bride Doll at Lilydale Show

This is the bride doll that I entered in the Lilydale Show last week, in the section "Item or Garment decorated with handmade lace or tatting". She won first prize.

Her veil and her underskirt were edged with "hen and chicks", the veil also being highlighted with seed pearls. The bodice was covered in one of the background patterns from the DMC book of tatting, and the hem of the dress was decorated with Mark Myers' Pointed and Scalloped Edging. When I lay the edging against the white dress, it "disappeared", so when sewing it on, I highlighted the outer edge picots with seed pearls, which gave the pattern more definition. I was going to tat the flowers for her bouquet too, but I ran out of time, so she had to have silk ones!

The tiara was two rows of rings and chain, the rings of the two rows joined by swarovski crystals. The rings all had silver seed beads instead of picots.

All the tatting on the dress and veil was done in 80, and the tiara in 40. The dress itself was organza over taffeta.

Doyley and Runner

It has been a long time since I posted, but I have been tatting during that time - just not the time or the opportunity or the organisation to take photos. The doily was tatted from a pattern in the antique archives. The colours include Lizbeth 40 Vineyard Harvest, Azalea, Leaf Green, and one of the purple shades. Can't help wondering if it would have looked better in cream.

The runner is 97cm (approx 38 ins) long by 35 cm (approx 13-1/2 ins) wide and is done in 40 Lizbeth Seashells. I have done it from a picture on the net, the site for which has now gone and with my own stitch counts. It is a simple motif of six clovers separated by chains, but the motifs are joined diagonally instead of side by side, thus eliminating the need for a "fill in" motif. This results in the ends being scalloped. I chose not to put an edging on it, as I like the scalloped effect, and I couldn't think of an edging that would enhance this.

Necklaces

I haven't added anything to my blog in 2011, not because I haven't been tatting - more because I am disappointed that my photography doesn't show things up well. I have done a lot of tatting, but haven't photographed it, and these necklaces also don't show up all that well. The floral one is done to Lyn Morton's pattern in her jewellery book, and the black one is just my own invention. I started with a length of split chains, and I think I overdid the pearl embellishments. But I had fun doing it!

Animal Motifs

I have recently tatted seven animal motifs, but these are my favourites. The frog is from Tatted Treats by Pam Palmer and the snail is from Tatted Animals by Inga Madsen.

Good Luck Wedding Horseshoe

I quickly snapped this horshoe I tatted for a wedding my daughter was attending yesterday afternoon. It was a glorious Spring Day and the wedding was in the outdoors. Nanny and Poppy babysat little 1 year-old Jackson, who is absolutely gorgeous! The horseshoe was designedby a member of our Guild, Kath Montague, and is on the perpetual calendar which the Victorian Guild released earlier this year.

Russian Doyley

The colour combination is what attracted me to this doyley which I tatted in Lizbeth 20. The colours are Natural, Harvest Orange, and Mocha Brown . I did altter it a little . It was worked from a diagram, and as I cannot read Russian, I cannot give the name of the book, or attribute the designer

Lizbeth Hearts

The beautiful colours of Lizbeth threads have stolen my heart, so I have done the heart pattern for February 2010 in the Ring of Tatters Pattern of the Month Club, to see how some of the colours look in a motif. Some are done in 20, and some in 40. Matching plain colours are suggested for each of the variegated colours on the list, and set the creative ideas flowing.

Siobahn Centrepiece

This is the Siobahn Centrepiece designed by Judith Connors from her book "Creative Tatting
with beads, shuttle & needle". It was worked in Lizbeth 40 Shade 626 Shell Pink Lt.