The last time I was here was April?????? Boy I've been busy. Between my fair tatting and the project I've been doing at work, I've been swamped. To top it off, I haven't done any work towards completing my challenge. I think I have 1 or 2 to go before I have my 25.

I'm going to post 10 of my completed motifs with their descriptions so this doesn't get too long. I'll leave out all the rest of the stuff from my other blog, just comment on the thread, pattern and who sent it.

For those just finding this blog:

My challenge is an extension of the thread exchange that I run a couple of times a year. What I have been doing with the threads I receive is tat them into little motif's and put them in a sample book. I started with Patty Duff's minitats. When I filled that book up, I started to make a sample of my own, first using patterns from all the Workbasket Magazines that I own, when I run out of them, work patterns from other pattern books.

Currently my sample book is in a binder. I think I will continue the pattern from what I do in my binder here. What I will record is the Month and Year of the Workbasket Magazine. The type of thread I used, who gave me the thread, and where they are from (City, State, Country). In my binder, I also print a picture of what the motif is supposed to look like from Workbasket, but I won't do that here.

Motif 1.

The thread was given to me by Angie Pearson of Stantonville, TN. It is Lion Brane Lame metallic yarn, multi #960. The pattern is from the October 1976 workbasket. This was an intresting thread to tat with. For a metallic, it was fairly strong, but very rough. I tried one standard ring with it but was afraid of breaking the thread while I was pulling the ring closed. I switched to self closing mock rings for the rest of the pattern and it worked out quite well.

Motif 2.

This thread was sent to me by Rev. Doug Marlow of Watertown NY. It is vintage embroidery floss called Peri-Lustra that was made in England. The color number is 100. The pattern is from the December 1979 Workbasket.





Motif 3.
This thread was sent to me by Deborah Craig of Bernville, PA. It is Caron, Size 10, Color - Christmas. The pattern is from the December 1982 Workbasket.

This thread is so thick that 10 yards doesn't go very far. I had to modify the pattern a bit by cutting down the number of double stitches. The pattern called for 6ds between picots, I used 3. Even with that, I was finger tatting the last chain.

Motif 4.

This is another thread from Angie Pearson. It is DMC size 80 color 109. The pattern is from the April 1959 Workbasket. In the original pattern, the outside loops are supposed to be chains that join back into the base of the chain with a shuttle lock join. I used 2 shuttles and changed the outside loop to a ring using the second shuttle.

Motif 5.

This is Omega thread size 50 and was sent to me by Kate Huttar of Duncanville TX. Kate also sent me a basket edge pattern from a 1916 needlework magazine. I took that pattern and doubled it back on itself to make a small bookmark.

Motif 6.
This thread is from Maria Silva of Alvide, Portugal. It is DMC Babylon, size20. The pattern is from the June 1959 Workbasket Magazine.

Motif 7.
The thread is from Shirley Meier of Geelong, Australia. (I hope I got that right Shirley) The thread is Altin Basak size 50 that Shirley found in a Turkish grocery store. The pattern is from the February 1985 Workbasket Magazine.

Motif 8.

This is the last sample thread I got from Angie Pearson. She said she needed to send some thread in Tennessee Orange. The thread is 2 strands of DMC Embroidery floss, color 410. The pattern is from the April 1972 Workbasket.

Motif 9.

Here is the ornament that I gave away in my 2006 holiday cards. It isn't using any exchange threads. The thread is metallic wrapped Altin Basak.

This pattern started life as one of Patty Duffs minitats (#18 to be exact). DH didn't like the look with 6 points and suggested I do it with 8 points. 8 points made it too cumbersome, in my opinion, so I eliminated one of the inner rings and came up with the design you see. For the pattern go to my other blog 360.yahoo.com/tgatekeeper1




Motif 10.
This thread was sent to me by Debbie Arnold of Colorado Springs, Colorado. It is Superior Threads King Tut quilting thread. Very fine and smooth to work with. In my opinion, it is one of the better brands of quilting threads for tatting. The motif is from the July 1959 Workbasket.