Brooch for a new coat

I bought a new coat in November in preparation for a cold Winter, but I would have been better off buying a waterproof jacket instead,  as it has done nothing but rain for months. So much so that I have only worn the new coat on two occasions.   It is duffle coat just like Paddington Bear wears, in  a lovely shade of blue and so this brooch looks really smart pinned on it.  The pattern can be found  here

My friend has knitted a cardigan for a baby and the pattern showed some crochet flowers and she asked if I could make them.  The flowers seemed a bit plain ...................   

So I put a button in the middle of each one

Now unsure which looks best!

Shuttle Disaster

Over the last few years I have accidentally broken two Aero Shuttles and I could cry, honestly I  just love these shuttles.  So on a tatting facebook site  (can't remember which), the suggestion was that Gorilla Glue will solve the problem and make the shuttles whole again.  Well being a very cynical person and knowing the strain on these shuttles, as the plastic takes quite a bit of battering when the bobbin is moved in and out, I can't see it working.   But never giving up hope I noticed the glue was on sale in B & Q a huge DIY store which is very local to us.   So here are the two shuttles waiting for repair.  I hasten to add not by me, I can't cope with the delicate and safe way of applying this type of glue. My experience is slap it everywhere, so I know that if I used it, many other things would be glued together, not just the shuttles!

You will also see in the picture another Aero Shuttle (not broken)  which I won on e.bay not so long ago,  but it has a slight purple tinge to it, different from the grey of the other two.   I found this very strange and wondered if at the time of manufacturer the dye had been different, but at least I am able to distinguish it from the others!

I am still making Celtic snowflakes using so many thread combinations

Jane's Heart

Yesterday Jane posted a new heart pattern in time for Valentine's Day!  When she first designed the pattern (and promptly did three different versions) she asked which one was my favourite, I think I changed my mind a couple of times until I decided on this one. The pattern can be found here.      The colours I have tatted them in are not very inspiring though.

The top heart was made in my least favourite colourway, it was one of the first Lizbeth balls I bought, and yet when I tatted with it I was so disappointed with the way the colours came out.  The last bit of the ball has been used up with this heart.  The thread is called Jewels and I will never buy it again!

What I have found to be the most useful addition to my tatting paraphernalia over the past 12 months is this bead mat, it is sticky which means that the beads do not roll off. I have even washed it and it still remains sticky. 

Wood and Tatting

My Christmas present was finished yesterday, well my second Christmas present as the first was taken away to London by my son!  This wooden lego man stands 45 cm tall and is quite heavy.

Here he is wearing a tatted necklace

A closer view of the necklace

I am very pleased with the way the necklace turned out and will be making more when I can find the pattern that I very quickly wrote out.

A New Start

Well it seems like a fresh new page as I start my first blog post of the year.  I have made my usual resolution and that is to be tidier, so far it is working, well to a degree.   After looking through many patterns I found this Celtic Snowflake.   I remember years ago tatting the design when it went around a CD and that is how I learnt to do SCMRs (correction I mean SRs - thanks Jane)   Here are two that are fresh from my tatting shuttles, but I plan to make many more ready for Christmas only 299 days away!

Oh and before I forget this is the link to the pattern