Friday, April 18, 2008

Motif Twenty-One

As promised, here is the butterfly from Rozella Linden's book, "Tatted Butterfly Garden." I had a very difficult time with the body. I did get it to work correctly - I think - but it came out a little too small for these wings. The head doesn't lay flat either and that bothers me.


I am very pleased with the wings themselves, though. I love the pattern - very realistic. The book suggested planning out the wings when using a variegated thread so that they would be mirror images of each other not only in the pattern but in color as well. I hadn't ever tried to do that before but it wasn't difficult and the effect is nice.

I think what I will do to "fix" this is sew it onto a filigree piece and sew beads over the body so it looks larger. Maybe I will post it again once I do that.

I will be sharing an antique pattern available on the web in my next post so watch for that.

13 comments:

Lace-lovin' Librarian ~ Diane said...

Elizabeth, I think the butterfly is beautiful! I looked at the picture close up, and I can't tell that the head doesn't lie flat. Maybe it's really a 3-D design element! I love the way the wings turned out. I'll have to play with that idea!

Marilee Rockley said...

It looks perfect to me!

Unknown said...

That butterfly is just exquisite. You have perfect stitches and the colors look great!

Tatskool said...

Your colour matching is perfect and the result impeccable as usual. You really are a first class tatter.

Lovely butterfly, lovely pattern.

Tattycat said...

This is beautiful Elizabeth. I can't tell that anything needs to be changed. You did a great job of matching up the colors. I tried that for the first time recently and it is rewarding to make it come out right.

Tat-a-Renda said...

I like the colours that you picked for this butterfly. Beautiful!

Elizabeth said...

Thanks so much everyone! As far as having perfect stitches, I have been tatting a long time, and I tat at least 4 hours a day most days - so that = a lot of practice. I admit to being a *bit* of a perfectionist as well-LOL.

The wings are one of Yarnplayer's threads - Watermelon Tourmaline - it has been VERY popular with my customers this year so far. I just love it.

Etha said...

Oh but this is gorgeous! I love the colors that you used!

Etha said...

How many patterns are in this book? It doesn't say on her website.

OmonSan said...

You have such wonderful tattings on your blog! It is eye cany at it's very best.

LadyShuttleMaker aka MadMadPotter said...

I am going to have to try this one! You did a great job and the HDT thread really makes is extra special.

Carol Schockling Lawecki said...

Your tatted butterly is sooo pretty! The design is lovely and the theads are evenly mathced perfectly on the wings. Nice job!

Elizabeth said...

Hmmm - as far as number of patterns - well, although there are about 2 dozen photos of items, including flowers, butterflies, and a ladybug on the outside of the book, I would say the book is more about techniques. These include the magic butterfly body I used, hanging cluny, beaded double core reverse ring (used for flowers and butterfly bodies) - and so there are probably 10 or so actual diagrammed patterns in the book (not all butterflies), with the idea that you can use these techniques to come up with more of your own wing patterns. The wing pattern I used is in the book.