Whale Doodle

 If I was still putting Tatties on my baby I would call this a Whale Tattie. But that child is now almost 14 and when tatters make small items to use up extra thread left on shuttles it's also called a doodle. In 2017 I was clearing blue off a shuttle to make some roses. I scribbled the pattern notation on my scrap papers and posted the day's work to Instagram and then it was forgotten about until I got an email asking about the whale and I decided it was time to correctly notate the pattern. I have included it here for you. The original doodle I accidentally cut the large water spout picot when I was cutting off the ends. When revisiting it I cut it again because I thought I did it on purpose, and then remembered the error with my notes. I have just completed the TIAS for the year with Jane Eborall and she used twisted picots and while tatting the doodle from notes to check pattern I thought it would be nice with a slightly twisted picot. But it was late and I needed to get to bed so I posted the doodles and went to bed. Great minds think alike because this morning I awoke to a comment on the picture that suggested a twisted picot. So I added the option to the instructions because it is a great variation. If you tat a whale please give me a shout out. I would love to see yours. 

Click below for a printable PDF, as always, please credit designer. 

 Just FYI, mostly, I update over on Instagram @corettadeesign.

But I like this for hosting my free patterns and design works. 

But here is some eye candy for the last few quiet months. I finished the TIAs and was delighted with the little fox bookmark. I want to design a rabbit to go with it. Probably because since December when we randomly saw the Uncle Remus Museum on our winter trip with the kids and made sure to stop in on the return trip home. We educated them on the tales as we drove so when we came back they would have some appreciation like my husband and I do from our youth seeing Song of the South. So glad we made it a priority to add to our trip. It is such a neat place and the experience was made all the sweeter by Miss Georgia who guided our tour. I was so grateful when she introduced herself that my kids withheld the fact that our dog is also named Georgia. That's not always received well. 

On the bookmark I made in the TIAS, I had a little error where I swapped the thread colors. So I made another with correct coloring as a gift. 

I love how cute the fox head is sticking out of the copy of the Complete Uncle Remus Tales. We got the original text and my husband has been reading it out loud to the family. In some ways we have had to learn a whole new language. The audio book we listened to in order to familiarize the kids with the stories had modernized text. That was the right choice as an introduction, but I'm glad we got the original text for the home library. 

I then started a project where I really was just trying to make sure I was being creative in some way fulfilling to me each day. That produced a few small tatted motifs. 

3D tatted heart, pattern by Birgit Phelps adapted by @mad.jar.tatting

Rose motif and stitches halved by Inevavae

Shamrock Icedrop from Marti J Copenhaver

Snowdrift Snowflake by the Shade Tree Designer

Flurry Snowflake pattern by The Shade Tree Designer

Clover with thread remnants and no particular pattern

Rose and bud, my patterns. 

Triple Play pattern by Elaine P. Gan

Pattern by inevavae

rose with calyx (my free pattern)

made to replace a lost earring

As well as some crochet projects, I'm still new at it but find projects that help me grow in confidence. 

7 day Sampler Pattern from the Crochet Crowd

Metal crochet pattern from a library book a friend lent me

Shark backpack and mini shark stuffie 

Then I started focusing on making little water colors and other medium sized paintings. Which, now I am learning something I never learned in college painting classes. Varnish and medium. That feels like a glaring omission. Whatever, thanks to the internet I am still learning. 

A sponge that lives in the sea who goes by Bob

My daughter graduated elementary school this year. She wanted to give her teacher a Spongebob tatted bookmark. Apparently her teacher is a fan. I am not. But that's okay. Of course this was decided with little time to spare and I did ask and look on the tatting groups and forums that I know of. I did see a neat split ring version by Carol Lawecki on Craftree which was very accurate. However I was looking for a more indicative pattern so I decided instead of tracking Carol down and begging her to notate her work I would work out my own. Time was also an issue.

I started tatting yellow squares and then realized he wasn't really square, and modified it to be wider at the top.

It, thankfully, came together pretty fast and I only cut off once, the white shirt row was ring and chains when I decided it would work better as a joined two color effort with floating or thrown rings. 

I would not label this as a beginner pattern, there are things like Catherine Wheel joins, lots of color changes, hiding ends and general positioning of threads that can be tricky to get things going the right direction. This was a picture before hiding all ends. But when family members saw its stringy form in passing they recognized it as SpongeBob so I was pleased with my efforts.  

Obviously this is a free pattern. I have chosen at this point to do long hand directions only. If you have questions please contact me. 

At one point during the school year when I was at the school previous teachers who were recipients of tatted bookmarks were talking about them and my daughter's teacher who is a male commented on wanting a lacy bookmark. He's a jokester and my daughter really enjoyed being in his class this year so I couldn't miss the chance to give a male teacher a bit of lace. 

This was tatted in size 20 Lizbeth thread
colors: 616 Daffodil Medium
692 Mocha Brown Dark
604 Black
601 Snow White
It measures a little over 3 inches tall and 2" wide with arms. I am guessing though as I have given him away and don't feel the need to tat another one at the moment. :)

Also, this pattern has not been test tatted so if you tat it please let me know! Especially let me know if I messed up some where.

Click below for a printable PDF, as always please credit designer. As neither you or I own the rights to the character we cannot profit from this design or the use of it. You are welcome to make this item as gifts only.

Bookworm Paperclip bookmark

A few years ago I was using a tiny notebook 3x3.5 for tatting notes and wanted a bookmark for it.
This little bookworm was born. It is a free pattern, but be kind and please credit designer and share from this source. Please no online sales of complete work bookworm.

R: 6——6 rw

Ch: 5 attach to paper clip and turn by doing half ds unflipped 5 turn again by doing other half of ds unflipped 6 attach to paper clip turn 5 and second half of DS unflipped and cut

I have tied knots at the tip of each antenna as well. 

Pattern by Coretta Loughmiller in September 2015

@corettadeesign

Ceramic Shuttles

Since my first go at making my own ceramic shuttle went so well I decided to try it again.
This time I made 3.

greenware

bisque

glaze

glaze

done

done

They all work but one is definitely suited for larger thread as the tips don't touch enough for thread size 20 or smaller.

I love the sound they make though. Next time I plan to try a slightly different shape. 

More preschool coloring

Since my last post my 4 year old has drawn me many pictures, she usually does, but some of them have come with the request for me to color them.
Here's the latest: A whimsical lil frog

She also left presents on my bed last night, a picture and a small paper folded and taped shut where she demonstrated that our practice on the letter e's correct formation was totally worth it.