*insert clever line here*

So, I've had a messed up weekend--I won't go into it, since it's more than just a pain in the biscuits and this is a happy blog --> so on with the happiness:

I have been a busy little tatting bee. Aside from the previous white doily I posted, I have also been working on one for my sister over in sunny California =D BEHOLD!!!:

Though this is an authentic handmade 2012 Karla Barraza tatted doily-thingamabobber --> the picture is fuzzy.

*sigh* yes, I know. I'm still working out the kinks in my camera--so bear with me =D

Anywho, here it's at 4 rounds. I'm thinking of adding some on, but I'm not sure about the time frame since my dad's going to Cali to see her in about a week and a half =S And I's gots schools and stuff... hmph.


Also, a few nights ago, I got it into my head that it would be a fantastic idea to look up how to do sewings in bobbin lace.

My only problem is that I know diddly squat about sewings... now wait, correction:

I don't even know diddly squat about sewings.

So, here I am, in the middle of a real thinker... how can I practice sewings... if I don't even know how to do them????

Funny thing: there's such a thing as google O.O

You: NO. WAY.

Me: Right?

Eventually after about two seconds of massive googling effort, I find this nifty link to a bobbin lace wiki       >_<       So, I gave it a shot, and the result was that charming yellow-red rectangle you see above. I didn't really like the method a whole lot, and you can see where I tried doing the sewing with a passive pair instead of a worker--but hey, that's what practices are for, right?

Neeext, I remembered a certain video I saw on YouTube, and even though that was for bars, I figured I'd try it out and I found the I liked it a lot better (for this practice, anyway) than the other method aaaaaaaaaaand that's what I did on the skinny practice. Pretty neat, huh?

I was kinda worried about the space left between the pieces, though, but I asked around on the forum on laceIOLI, and it seems to be normal, so........... yeah. Also, the subject is apparently more complicated than I had previous thought. Therefore, now I just have to find the time to do all those fancy practices =D =D =D

Also, on Saturday I got a little bored.... Does anyone remember when I was convinced that I was going to whittle out an entire set of bobbins? If not, do see here.

Aaaannnyywho, I got bored, right? So, of course, the typical happens:

I cranked out four of those bad boys until I remembered that I like to be able to move my fingers without wincing. They are pretty neat, though =D 

^_^ 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey! Check out the new look =D Pretty sweet huh? Got it off of: http://thecutestblogontheblock.com/

Tipsy tips =D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLxMMDEx4KM&feature=g-all-u

So, I found this super nifty way of figuring out which size thread to use. Superdeeduper simple!

It's in Spanish, but the great thing is that there's such a thing as Google translate! ^_^

Yay =)

So, today, I received a rather pleasant surprise.

Firstly, my dad is visiting some family next week, and knowing that he was going I decided to make a few things for some of my relatives--given that I haven't seen them in a while.

Soooo.... I start tatting away like I was getting paid for it and I came up with this funky looking (but still totally kick ass--whoops, I mean ash, kick ash) 2-round doily--which is as far as I got for the following reason:

The little piece of biscuit wouldn't lie flat.

So there I am--having put so much hope that this little doily would make it, that it would live to serve its puprose... and no matter what I freaking do, it wouldn't lie flat.

Anywho, that was about.... a week and a half ago. Since then, I'd stored it in between the pages of this big notepad that I had, and kind of forgot about it.

And guess what? I go after it today, fully intending to re-tat that last round (which was the source of all of my mind blowing misery) and find that AT FRIGGIDY FRACKIN' LAST!

She lies flat! (no pun intended):

You can't tell that well in the picture, but it's flat. I'm telling you, it's friggidy frackin' flat.









Muahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
That literally made my morning =D =D


^_^

Leafy leaf =D

So, I forgot to add this in my previous update:

I decided to take a shot at a little free form lace, and tried out this bad boy from The Lace Guild: http://www.laceguild.demon.co.uk/ylm/versInstr.html

I think I made the pricking a wee bit to big, but here check it ooooooooooouuut:

So, as you can see here, this is the pricking, it's about 9cm x 3cm and you can see me trying to get fancy with the sharpie =D

I don't have a cookie pillow (but am in the works to make one!), but I know that sometimes part lace is worked on a bolster (albeit a bigger one) so I pinned it to Camille and went on my merry way =D

 Here, I'm almost halfway through and have added all the bobbins I need to add--adding bobbins is weird! It took me a while to get used to it. It was kinda fun working this. I thought it would be harder, but it was freeing in away, not having to stick to a grid. =D =D

Voila! She is finished! At first, I was worried that the gap in the middle wouldn't work, but it did! Though, you can't see the gap in the stitches at the edges as well as I'd like =(

Muahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!! VICTORY!


I give you my very first piece of part lace (even though it doesn't have any parts aside from the one). Nifty, idn't?



^_^

Reality Checks are a B****

Soooo... this one's been a long time coming, as you may have noticed, progress on a certain masterpiece has been a bit... let's say "delayed".

I know I've been really freaking busy with school, but these past few weeks I've come to understand that there was also another aspect to take into consideration.

For those of you who have read "the backstory" <--- (subtle hint to go read it if you haven't), you will know what I mean when I say that I am really freaking blind--not legally blind, but I couldn't see biscuits on fire at night if you had a spotlight on 'em. (fyi, I'm trying not to swear, so from now on, if I say "biscuits" or "friggidy frack" it stands for something else.... 0.o)

Anywho, my point is that I am really friggidy frackin' blind, and I only just turned 18!

Now, here's the thing, I kinda need my eyes to work for a little while longer until I can afford to get them fixed, so... I've decided not to focus primarily on needle lace anymore--maybe not even do it at all.

I've been avoiding working on my projects because I get headaches under artificial light because of the detail and don't have a lot of daylight to lace away because of school =(. I'll still do a little every once in a while--but I wanna major in CompSci, so there's already gonna be a lot of strain on my peepers!

It's with a heavy heart that I say all this--but the good news is that tatting is friggidy frackin awesome, and so's bobbin lace!

^_^

Here's the last piece of needle lace I made. It's small, about 3cm across, and it was a practice with wheels so I kept the design simple:

So me's made a boo-boo =8)--but I won't tell you were it is =P muahahahahahahaha

Anywho, it's this really pretty blue/purple color that doesn't show that well on the camera, and I used gutermann size 50 polyester--insert cringe by pro-lacemaker people.

I also must announce that I have a new favorite thread brand. I used to favor gutermann because they had the thinnest size around these here parts (yes, I just said that. I'm feeling a little western, so sue me.) buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut I ran into a little brand called Duets--ring any bells anyone??? It's still polyester, though, but it's not as wiry and it's the right thickness.

However, as I am no longer a needle lace major, I shall use it with my bobbinery and such.

I also must let you in on a little secret... I have a problem (yes, another one), one that involves me liking to make my life miserable by trying to run before I can walk. Soooo... I may have started designing my own tatting patterns and trying to make enormous doilies... I must say, you tatters out there have a lot of patience. I cringe every time I make a mistake and have to undo my stitches, and I nearly cried the last time.

I have pics though! and I'll post patterns as soon as I test tat them =D =D

^_^

It's official

I have officially fallen in love with Duchesse Lace. Hands down. No doubt--now I just have to learn how to make it, but such technicalities can be overcome =D

Check it ooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut:

Encaje Duquesa
Catherine Herve
Bistra Pisancheva (According to the note on the sidebar, it's Brussels lace--which I'm think (underline on the think) is the same thing as Duchesse--but either way it's still pretty freaking awesome)