Recycling

Before throwing things away into the bin, we are all encouraged these days to recycle, so whatever we do not want anymore can be used or recycled into something else. I'm sure we all do our bit to help the environment in this respect. Sometimes when I buy clothes I will notice the embellishments on them, particularly the buttons and think, um I could cut them off and use them for something else later. The picture shows a skirt, which I am still wearing but have decided to cut the beads off the front of the waistband, mainly because they cannot be seen when wearing a top and also they are beginning to become loose anyway. You will have to click onto the picture to enlarge it to see the tiny little things. I've used the beads for this very pretty little heart which is one of my sister's patterns. The metal insert I purchased in Hong Kong, many, many years ago when I lived there, but may be that's called hoarding, not recycling! The metal insert is not exactly the same as it doesn't have so many holes in it, but nevertheless it seems to work.
I do like following Jane's patterns, suppose I've grown up with them! This particular pattern is very clever especially the way the beads are added, its the first time I've worked this heart so even more thrilled that it turned out so well.
The flip-flops as you can see have begun to deposit little clumps of beads around the house, so they are also being cut off and used on other tatting projects.

Fuchsias

This is another bit of tatting I found in my stash, just not finding enough time to sit down and do any new tatting at the moment. Actually I made this fuchsia spray from Rosemarie Peel's book Tatting for Pleasure a long time ago, and then wanted it to put on a card for someone last month, but lost it! Now that it is found I will stick it on a card ready to send when the need arises. The instructions on the pattern just say to tie a knot in the stamens, but I think adding beads makes them look more realistic. The other picture is the first fuchsias that have flowered in my garden, so there is only a small spray at the moment just about to tumble over the hanging basket. In fact I broke one the flowers whilst holding steady the basket in the wind to take the photograph! There is a sort of resemblance to the tatted fuchsias. The flower grows wild in Ireland and is so pretty in the hedgerows. I brought a cutting back last year and it is growing well in one of my tubs, but it hasn't flowered yet. I do like Rosemarie's patterns especially her celtic ones.

Friendship Bracelets

When I was looking through my odd bits of tatting, which everyone seems to call "stash", I found this bracelet which Jane helped me to tat using four shuttles quite a few years ago now. This was my first attempt, and it's far from perfect, but I vowed to have another go sometime, famous last words! Only this piece ended up in the stash still with the safety pin on! So a few days ago I released it and finally put the findings on it. I might now be inspired to make another one!

On the lucet is another friendship bracelet, Jane and I found a lonely unloved lucet in the shop by the tip sometime ago. I have now had a few more cut out so that they can be sold at the Summer Fayre next month. In the meantime I thought I would see how easy the bracelets are to make. The Lucet is a little different from the one on Ladytats blog which she showed in May, but it's the same principle, however, I'm not interested in pursing this craft, tatting is far more fun!

Out with the "Bag Lady!"

If you have been reading my sister's blog you will know that I was in her area at the weekend, and that we went to see the man who was selling bags on the market. What she didn't tell you was that when she showed him the tatting embellishments on her bag, he very gruffly said, "you didn't buy that from here" - and then he stopped and looked at the bag and Jane explained that she had "tarted it up" or should I say "tatted it up" ! He then recognised his merchandise, smiled and smiled even more when he sold me a bag.

So here it is before and after - and Gina you had to come off the front again!

Also like Jane I didn't tat anything special for the bag, these bits were already done. Even the bell from the last blog entry stopped ringing and jumped on the bag!

(The colour of the bag looks slightly different, this is because one photo was taken inside and the other outside - but it is the same bag - honest)

Church Tower

We have just had the Weather Vane on our oldest church restored, it was previously in a very sorry state broken and rusty. A local blacksmith took it down from the tower and mended it and now it resides in all it's golden glory back on the top of the church tower, as you can see from the picture. If you look at the very first photograph on my blog and click to enlarge it you will see the weather vane before restoration. I didn't take this particular photograph, climbing up scaffolding would be too scary, but the view from the top of the tower looking over the countryside is magnificent.

This church also has two bells, not great sounding ones, but they still call the people to worship on a Sunday. The tatted bell is a design by "big sis" http://www.e.n.e.btinternet.co.uk/BellFlat.pdf and when I scanned the bell I put angel hair around it to make it a bit more mystic, not sure if it does though!

Crosses

I always have a supply of tatted crosses, and over the years I must have made hundreds, especially if you include Jane's very small cross! Having a strong connection with the church they are the ideal gifts at baptisms, confirmations and weddings. Strangely though it's not very often that people will come back and say thank you, as these handmade personal gifts are usually given when everyone is involved full on with the occasion or at the celebrations afterwards, but I hope they are kept somewhere safe and admired if not then, in the future. I've also given crosses as gifts to the sick and to friends who need cheering up. My favourite pattern, because it is so easy and I can do it off by heart is from The Complete Book of Tatting by Rebecca Jones (the green and the beige colour which includes beads), the red one also comes from the same book. The purple cross is sightly adapted from Elizabeth C. Zipay and the button cross is by Brigit Phelps.
The display here also includes all the liturgical colours of the year.
Sorry but they all decided to do a "jig" on the scanner!
Confession time - on the last post showing the purses there are five in a set, the smallest blue one fell off the table!

Russia meets China!!!

Yesterday I received a parcel from Singapore. In it were these lovely purses, as you can see they are like the Russian dolls, one inside each other. So I took a photo of the purses and my Russian Dolls, together they look so colourful sitting out in the sunshine. The gift was from my Son and his girlfriend who live in Singapore. They were a belated Mother's Day present, this is the Singapore Mother's Day and not the English Mothering Sunday which was in March.
I am absolutely delighted with them and they are going to be so useful especially to put my tatting in.