The Tischband Leaf Video

Ask and you shall receive... well sometimes anyway!

Diane and Victats commented that they'd like a video on how to do the leaf from Ruth Scharf's Tischband (Tat-Along by Umi & Tsuru).  I hope you're still interested, ladies?

It only appears in this small format on the blog

but if you click on the links below it will take you to YouTube

where you can watch it in larger format.

On another note, I just saw Jane Eborall's latest post about HWT (hand-wound thread) and thought what a great idea!  The possibilities are endless!  Here is a simple, one-shuttle little motif made with three strands of sewing thread:

Motif no.16

Of course, you are aware of the three strands in the picots

but for the stitches, I think it makes a nice firm stitch that looks pretty good.

And here are the three colours I used.

I shall be experimenting some more with this idea.

Best wishes,

Tischband Done!

Yes, I think I'll stop there.  Although I like both the flowers and the leaves, if I'm honest, I've not completely enjoyed putting it together.  I find there is too much tension between the elements.  And it's really hard to get those flowers looking perfect (you know, for the spaces between all the chains to be exactly the same - I know, I'm fussy!).  I still think overall it's a lovely pattern and something decorated with a whole band of this would look amazing.  But that's it for me on that one.  Now I need to find a use for it.  Be a shame not to put it on something.... Any ideas?

I'll say this finished item is no.13 of my 25-motif challenge

How's everybody else getting on with theirs?

Best wishes,

Frustrated!

I tatted a few more elements of the Tischband and I do like both the shape of the flowers and the leaves.  But when it comes to putting them together... AAAaaargh!

See what happens:

If I attach them where specified, I can't get the whole thing to lie flat at all!

I think it would need a longer picot where you attach the flowers together so that the edges aren't bunched up together and seemingly a looong picot at the centre of the leaves too to make space for them otherwise they end up on top of each other.  How's everybody else getting on with that?

Here I tried to pull the leaves into shape so that they are flat but then the flowers bunch up!

Now, do you guys think I should persevere, take this thing apart, re-tat the elements with longer picots where they are to be attached and have another go??

Best wishes,

A Bit of Progress - Tischband

I'm back!  Had a lovely holiday and some time to tat on the plane.  I hope I will be forgiven but I added a stitch on the chain for the flowers (so 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, and 18) - it just wasn't sitting right for me.

This is the Tat Along Challenge from Umi & Tsuru's Blog.

But those leaves...  they can be a bit confusing!  I still couldn't understand the "picot, then turn" at the bottom of the leaf at the beginning and I ended up using a paperclip and making a picot on the core thread with a lock stitch before continuing the chain instead of "turning" as indicated in the pattern.  I kept looking at the instructions and at the pictures and couldn't figure out how to do it without the chain twisting if I followed the directions.

I think making the tip the way I described forms a nice point to the leaf.

In fact, if you do it that way, I think you don't even need 

the picot at the tip and it looks ok.

What do you think?

But if someone wants to put me right on how to do that tip

according to the directions - I'd love to know!

Leaf is Motif no.10

You really have to pay attention when you are making the leaf:  out of three leaves I've attempted, I've only one to show for!  I found it easy to get lost in the chain count and also easy to attach the leaves and the flowers in the wrong place!  Had to throw away two flowers for the same reason.

Hopefully I'll get there eventually.  I've enjoyed watching other people's progress with this pattern.

Best wishes,