Three Crafts in one!

What I so enjoyed doing when we were away on holiday last month was to walk along the beaches and find interesting shells, stones and sea glass.  

Although at the time I did not know exactly what I would do with the bits that were collected . The sea glass amounted to a large cup full of various shapes, colours and sizes. This is what I have used the first bits for.

I  glued the glass onto the prepared wooden piece in the shape of a Christmas tree, used the  pyrography pen to mark around the edges and then tatted a  string of lights to go around the branches. 

Robin

I tatted this robin quite a few years ago, it lingered for another year or two without any legs and then the legs were finally attached to branch and again it never got finished but was put away for another Christmas. Last week I added the beak and finished the last few bits off!  There are a few more robins hanging around somewhere that must get completed!

And the pattern is here designed by my sister Jane. 

Cornelia

 Cornelia is the name of this tatted Doily by Iris Niebach, from her book Tatted Doilies.

 I took this project on holiday as I thought it would be quick to make, but it wasn’t. Fortunately I had enough patience to finish it on returning home and so pleased I did. 

I wound  two threads together, one was sparkly but sadly the photograph hides this fact. But very pleased with the result.

Butterfly Snowflake

 I tatted these before the pandemic hit the world and then forgot about them until Jane showed them on her blog a few weeks ago.   I knew as a loyal sister it was not right to post them until they had been properly launched and she had published the pattern, so held back, even though I just loved the design. My intention was to tat a lot more of them but everything changed in my life and for everyone else! 

Definitely a snowflake that I can tat for friends as Christmas approaches.  

Crochet Shawl

 So the granny square blanket that I showed you a few posts ago actually turned into a shawl and I am so pleased with the result. It is lovely to have around my shoulders now the evenings are getting chillier. 

The photograph was taken in this building, called the Cider House, where we were able to spend five days last month surrounded by amazing countryside.  

Lockdown 2 - Hearts and Crosses

So tonight All Hallows Eve, we hear that in the UK we are, before the end of the week, going into another lockdown to try and reduce Covid-19 infections. 

So possibly more tatting time?

In the meantime I tatted this heart, pattern from Martha Ess’s book ‘button jar tatting’ which I attached to a top 

And to cheer myself up I made some 'death cakes'  or 'soul cakes' which used to be given out at this time of the year to commemorate the dead.  Which is pretty apt as I spent most of yesterday in the churchyard taking funeral services. 

May be I will also find more time to write on this blog.  

Holiday Tatting

Holiday packing demands making lots of decisions especially when it comes to what clothes to take with you. So a few days on the Dorset coast in England mid October was no exception. At the last minute I threw some threads and shuttles in my tatting bag. On arrival started to tat Cornelia from Iris Niebach’s book. Just hope I will finish when I return home.

This part of the U.K. is known as the Jurassic Coast where fossils from the pre-historic age can be found. This was one of our finds.