I bought some small
oval metal pendants (1-1/2” x 1”) at a craft store for the purpose of putting
tatting in them, although I had to remove the oval gem in the center so I could
insert my black velvet paper background.
(You can see the original pendant in the last photo below.)
PENDANT 1
Lizbeth Spring Garden, size 20The doodad was sewn on afterwards and not tatted in.
This pendant was a total surprise, as it was not planned at
all. I was merely practicing the basics
of making a ‘fluffy’ round rosette with picots (like those pretty ones Allison
has been posting about recently at ‘Allison’s Tatting Blog’ http://tattingfarmchick.blogspot.com/2012/09/frilly-rose-pattern.html ).
I stopped after the ‘picot round’ because I ran out of thread on the ball. (I knew that
would happen; I was just trying to see how the rosette is generally constructed,
as I’ve never done one before.) Also,
the chain with the picots was not ‘tight’ enough, so I would have stopped there anyway.
However, I thought that this little ‘scrap’ of tatting would
fit nicely into the small pendant (although I had to stretch it a little to
make it fit the oval shape), and it looked good in these colors. Then I thought I’d add some bling with a
little ‘doodad’ which has convenient holes in it for sewing onto the
tatting.
This is what I love about tatting! What might otherwise have been a scrap piece
became something useful and attractive!
PENDANT 2
Lizbeth Turquoise, size 20
With simple tatted chain in the filigree ‘rim’
In addition, Rachel seems to have perfected the concept of
‘layered tatting’, where she beautifully enhances a tatted motif (or even commercial
jewelry), with several rounds of overlapping and
interwoven tatted chains. She also artistically
uses beads to enhance her designs. She
has a way of visualizing how she will ‘construct’ this layered work, and
creates one-of-a-kind pieces! She
especially loves to enhance exquisite brooches (such as cameos) that she finds
at estate sales. Her work is amazing!
I obviously didn’t do any fancy ‘layered tatting’ on the
metal rim of my pendant here - just one row of chains to ‘match’ the interlocking
rings; but I’m fascinated by the concept and hope to try it sometime. This would
be the ‘foundation’ row.
Here
is the original pendant. I’m always on
the lookout for pendants with pretty frames around them, having empty or ‘removable’ centers so I can
put my velvet paper inside as a backing to my tatting.
Although I love Fall and
am glad to see some cooler weather come in (maybe a little too cool?), I’m not
happy that it’s getting dark earlier in the evening. It is difficult to believe we’re quickly
approaching October!
