Next round

 

I'm ready for my next round of Dorset button ornaments! These are all Dorset Crosswheel buttons in size 10 Lizbeth #181 Cranberry Bush. I love this color!

On a mission

Yes, I have another mission!

I'm making coordinated Dorset button ornaments from a Lizbeth thread pack! These are from the size 10 Cranberry Spice thread pack. I'm not sure if it's still available, but I sure do like the colors. 

I like the thread packs, because the colors are matched for me. I don't have to think. I can just pick a pack and start tatting!

Plugging away

 

Tollway Tatters met via Zoom today, and I was able to accomplish part of the project I'm working on, but I'm not ready to reveal it.

I'm still working my way through Dorset Ring Buttons by Gina Barrett. This pattern is Wide Flower - traditional. I really like the look of this one.

Time to get back to my project!

Variety

 

I decided I needed a little variety, so I tatted up a bottle cap Ice Drop with Liz Metallic #324. I didn't look at any of the patterns I've written up. Instead, I tatted front and back rings of 6-6-6 and tatted chains of 12... very simple!

This is one of the simplest Dorset patterns I've tried, Small Pinwheel from Dorset Ring Buttons by Gina Barrett.

The companion pattern is Pinwheel - traditional. 

Variety is the spice of life!

Thanks, Jane!

 

Jane M suggested I combine my December 6 button ornament pattern with the Nautical - traditional pattern from Dorset Ring Buttons by Gina Barrett. Jane said that she the December 6 pattern reminded her of a ship's wheel, and I agree!

Thanks, Jane!

Nautical - traditional

 

Today was a slow crafting day. I was having too much fun watching YouTube videos!

This is a Dorset pattern that I will try again. The spacing looked fine as I was working, but when I was finished I wasn't happy with the way it looks. It may be because there are five spokes. I always find it challenging to space uneven numbered designs so that they are pleasing to my eye. Still, I'm sure that this is a challenge I will enjoy. The pattern is Nautical - traditional from Dorset Ring Buttons by Gina Barrett.

This Japanese button book arrived in the mail today. The pictures are beautiful, but figuring out the patterns is going to take some brain power. I sure hope Google Translate helps out with this one!

December 6 button ornament

 

Today I played with my December 6 button ornament pattern. This one follows the original directions.

This one has a slightly different stitch count. I'm not sure it's worth the effort to play around with this one. There just doesn't seem to be much difference other than the size of the "rings" on each spoke. I think it's time to move on!

Keeping busy

It was very humid today, a perfect day to sit inside and tat! I did go out on the porch for walks throughout the day, but otherwise I was  content to stay inside.

I'm working my way through my button ornament patterns. I'm finding that I really like some of them, and others just do nothing for me. Still, I had great fun creating them all last year. This is my December 2 pattern. I'm terrible with names, so naming them by dates kept me from getting bogged down with decision making.

The December 3 pattern is one that I can take or leave. I'm not real thrilled with the open spaces. The shuttle is one of my newest ones from Alexey Romanov.

December 4 is a pattern that just didn't seem right to me, so I decided to tweak it a little.

I changed the stitch count a little on the last round, and I think it has a much cleaner look. So now I have a December 4 variation!

December 5 is one I really like. One advantage of tatting these designs after months of ignoring them is that I have to follow my own directions. I know I had to revise several patterns because of mistakes that others found. It's funny that at the time I just couldn't see the mistakes in the patterns. Thank goodness there were tatters who asked for clarification!

Choices

 

It's hot here, too hot to do many things. However, it is not too hot to sit and do needlework. Continuing through the book Dorset Ring Buttons by Gina Barrett, this pattern is Maltese Cross - traditional.

This pattern is one that really intrigues me. It's called Yarrell - traditional. I can imagine many variations of this pattern with beads, multiple colors, and even different types of threads. This may be my ornament of choice for Christmas gift giving!

Back to school

Today was the first day of school, and it was great to see all the kids again!

I wish I had tried color with more contrast for this Woven Wheel - traditional pattern. I think it's pretty, but more contrast would show off the pattern better.

Seagreen Dk is quickly turning into a favorite color for me. I decided to stick with white buttons for the white tree, but I may have to throw in a few Ice Drops for extra sparkle!

Internet down

Our Internet was down from Monday night until mid-morning today. It's amazing to think how much of my life involves being online.

I thought I'd accomplish a lot more, but I found myself getting distracted by things I wanted to do around the house. I guess being offline is not all bad!

My Dorset button adventure continues. This pattern is Old Dorset - traditional

This one is Honeycomb - traditional. I love that I'm creating different centers for these button ornaments with a needle and thread!

I'm still making button ornaments for Christmas in the Village. Some of my color combinations seem a little strange, but I still like them. With any luck, others will like them as well!

Quick tats

This morning I realized that it's only about two months until Mean Green Goes Pink night. I'd like to have a white Christmas tree decorated with button ornaments for the auction.

I had several community members say that they would bid on a tree decorated with Seagreen Lt ornaments. For a little variety I decided that some of the ornaments should be in Butterfly Breeze.

Seagreen Lt is one of the colors in Butterfly Breeze.

Seagreen Dk is not in Butterfly Breeze, but I thought it would be a nice contrast. Luckily, these patterns tat up very quickly!

Oh, and today was curtain day!

Mite

 

The Dorset Crosswheel and Mite are basically the same pattern, but the Mite is much smaller. At first I thought I had read the pattern incorrectly, but I hadn't. I do like the way it looks!

Success!

 

I've had success on two fronts over the past several days. First, I finally finished the curtains for daughter Carol's classroom. There are eight panels. Each one is 75" long and 16" wide. Our plan is to go to school tomorrow to hang them, and then I will show pictures of the final product!

Do you ever struggle with reading patterns? I do! It took me three tries to get the Basketweave - traditional pattern correct. This is my first attempt, which is clearly a spiral.

My second attempt is pretty, but completely wrong!

Fortunately, Gina from Gina-B Silkworks patiently guided me through the pattern, and I finally managed to do it correctly! I've knit basketweave patterns. I've crocheted basketweave patterns. I even took a basketweaving class a couple of years ago. Now that I've followed this pattern correctly, I find it hard to believe that my past experience didn't help me understand the technique. 

Despite the amount of time it took me to complete this pattern, I am quite pleased with the end result, and I do believe I'll make this button again!

Lychett Basket - traditional

I spent most of the day working the curtains for daughter Carol's classroom. Tomorrow I will be making the tabs for the tops of the curtains as well as the tie-backs. The end is in sight!

Once again, I worked on Dorset buttons before going to bed. This pattern is one I've done before, Lychett Basket - traditional. The pattern can be found in Dorset Ring Buttons by Gina Barrett, and it's available at Gina-B Silkworks.

Of course it's always nice to end the day with a simple tatted piece. I've already had requests for button ornaments, so I have a feeling this may be a good fund raiser for the drama club!

 

Curtain call

I'm busy making curtains for daughter Carol's classroom, so I don't have much to show. I'll post pictures of them when they're finished.

Since the curtains are a priority (school starts next week), I only managed one Dorset button and one ornament. This pattern is Old Blandford - traditional. I actually made the Dorset buttons Monday night before going to bed. I had just bits of the light pink perle cotton left, and I decided to try and piece them together to finish the ornament. It wasn't worth the effort. I was short! So, I snipped off the tatting and moved on to the next color.

I spent the entire day working on the curtains, and then tatted the edging last night. I was too tired to finish the hanger, so that was my first chore this morning.

As soon as it's light out, I'll be back to the curtains!

More Dorset buttons

I'm really enjoying trying the patterns in Dorset Ring Buttons by Gina Barrett. This one is Blandford Cartwheel - traditional. 

Next in the book is Dorset Basket - traditional.

Although I'm enjoying making these, I really need to focus on ornaments for Christmas in the Village. So, I think I'm going to try and limit myself to no more than one each day.

That's going to be hard to do!

Going through the book

 

I've started going through my new book, Dorset Ring Buttons by Gina Barrett. At the suggestion of one of the members of the Gina-B Silkworks group on Facebook, I'm making a button for my button collection as well as a button ornament for each of the patterns I try. We'll have to see how long this lasts! ;-)

This pattern is Dorset Crosswheel Variation - traditional.

This pattern is Dorset Crosswheel Variation 2 - traditional.

I'm always looking for new things that I can use, and I found these large stitch markers on Amazon. These are slimmer than the plastic curtain rings I've been using. I hope they work!

Mission accomplished!

 

I've now tatted a Dorset Cartwheel button ornament out of each of the colors in my box of Wonderfil pastels!

It's been fun to show them in groups of three.

It's even better to see all 12 colors together!

I think it's time to try some new patterns!

3/4

 

I've now tried 3/4 of the colors in my box of Wonderfil Eleganza perle cotton.

The two shades of blue really appeal to me.

I think I'm going to have to put these beauties on a special Christmas tree!

In my quest to learn about Dorset buttons, I found these on Amazon. They're nowhere near as pretty as the patterns I've been following, but they do make pretty ornaments.

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. I hope I can find some time for tatting!