My First Doily: Progress

After a long pause...lol...I have finally resumed progress on my first doily.  Here's the pattern!  It's such a pretty pattern.  Not sure where the finished doily will end up but, my goodness it will be finished and I'll have finally made one!  LOL

First Doily Round 3 Done

Well I finally finished round 3 of my first doily! WooHoo! That last join at the end (chain to ring) was a nightmare...good thing it ain't a competition piece is all I got to say! LOL Yall probably can't see it in the photo though but it's not as pretty on the back side, but I figure...hey it's going to be on a table and the backside won't be seen!!! LOL Sometimes I think we get so caught up in perfection the fun goes right out the door, but I'm determined to not let that happen and just enjoy it...imperfections and all.
Now on to round 4! I'm on my way to completing this doily!

The Start of My First Doily!

I've decided it's time for me to tat a doily! I've started several times on one to get side tracked or derailed, but this time I'm committed to finish it! As you can see in the photo I've finished the center part of This Doily Pattern. I just did rounds 1 and 2 as one motif instead of separate rounds, to me it just seemed to make more sense that way. I'm tatting it up in DMC Cebelia size 30 thread, and this center motif is just under 2 inches wide!
Also TattingChic has promised to tat the doily up with me and we started a Tat-Along at eTatters for others to join in tatting the doily at their own pace too! This should be fun and provide lots of doily eyecandy, as well as seeing the many ways each person goes about tatting the doily. If there's anyone else who wants to tat it along with us join on in!!!

First Doily 4th Round Done

I've finally gotten the 4th round of my First Doily done and now I'm moving on to round 5! Almost finished just 2 more rounds to go! It's so fun to be tatting this as it grows bigger knowing that I'm creating a bit of lace! I just love that!
When I finished with this round it was puckered in the very center. I'm thinking that the center tension needed to be either tighter or the other rounds more loose, anyway I blocked and ironed it to lay flat before I continue on.

Operation Snowflake: March Progress Halfway

Gotta keep tatting on...LOL  This is a Tatted Snowflake by Nancy of Be-Stitched.  These larger ones take more time to get done, they are like tatting 3 snowflakes in 1!  LOL  The bad thing is my fingers are really sensitive to the harsh thread so it's hard for me to just keep going till it's finished.  I have to pace myself.  I might need a shield for my other hand too for pulling rings closed.  It's almost like tatting a doily! HAHAHA well it could be the start of a doily, they usually start with something like this and just keep going with rounds getting added.  I still have never completed a whole doily!  I still have my first and only one waiting for the last couple rounds to be added! LOL  WOW could it really have been waiting since 2008? SHEESH!!!  I will finish that thing!!!  LOL  I think what kept me back was all the chains to be done in the last rounds but now that I have my finger shields that shouldn't be too bad anymore.

Starting a Doily!

I started on a doily for my little table beside my Crochet Nook!  In the first photo you can see the picture from the book above and my work below!  And next is where I left off last!  And OMG it's funny because it's like mini-crochet and it takes so much more focus and concentration to work!  I have to like zoom in my efforts and keeping proper tension and making sure things are even etc. it's just so much more intense!!! HAHA  But I think it's good because it forces me to focus on those things which will build up my skill!

First Doily and Future Plans

I've finally started round 4 of the Doily I'm working on! I had a bit of Tatting Disorientation starting this round for some reason! It was a very odd feeling, but I did get through it and joined correctly and then still disoriented I got a little confused about what shuttle was for the chain! LOL I also eventually figured it out, but it was just weird to have that happen when I feel that I have a pretty good handle on how tatting works. So for any newbies or others who may get disoriented at this spot I took a photo of what it looks like when you join it:

I think part of the reason for the disorientation is that it seems upside down when you look at it like this but this is how you join the round. The pattern is found Here.

I also had the idea to do the doily a second time with graduating colors for each round! Most tatting thread brands don't have that many shades but the Rubi threads although not my fave to work with do have enough shades! I'm thinking of either of these two options either having a very little white in the center with red as the last round or having more white in the center and skipping the red. I could also reverse the color graduation to a dark center to lighter outer rounds. I still haven't decided.

My First Doily: Progress

More chains! One more row to go till this round is done.

Few things I'm working on and a Thank You!

First I would like to say Thank You to Cheryl who so kindly sent me a squishie of River Silk ribbon to try and the most Yummy velvets for my stash! A photo just doesn't show the delicious texture and suppleness of the velvets! Thank you Cheryl!

Since a pattern for the doily I found is no where to be found I just printed out the scan and counted the stitches and used that as a diagram. It's a very simple pattern no special techniques needed to do it all you need to know how to do is ring, chains, and joins. This doily would also work well for needle tatters.

I'm tatting it up in size 80 DMC tatting thread, which I love since it tats very nicely. Since the original doily is tatted in what I believe is size 10, it will be a lot smaller and delicate looking.
I've only gotten 2 repeats done but my goal is 1 repeat a day and there are 8 repeats in the pattern. As I was tatting it yesterday I had an idea that I think would be pretty. Three repeats of the pattern would look lovely as a skirt for a belle or princess, and all you would need is to embroider in the upper body! My friend Wendy is making a princess crazy quilt for her daughter and she said I can help with it too so I think I will use that idea on it.

This is a little sneak peek at the block I'm making for a Cream on Cream RR that is just starting up! I pieced it last night because I was too anxious to get started, but I still have a little finishing up before it heads out. I'll blog it later on when it's ready, and let you know what it will become when it is complete.

Opinions Please

Okay my CQ friends! I kinda like how this doily looks there it seems to be the right color and size and I was considering adding an SRE bouquet to the center. Do y'all think it goes well? I'm debating with myself on whether I should do that or not and just add a seam treatment instead. I think it balances the thick lace at the top right though by adding another thicker lace...and added bonus of bringing the coralish-pink color into the green area too.

My other questions would be should I add a seam treatment to the green seam underneath the doily?

I have to say when I first start working on a block I get frozen very easily and I think it's the hardest part for me! Once I get going I'm all good but man I tell you getting going is tough!

Opinions Please!