Safety Pin Brooch

I have a thing about using up all the thread on a shuttle, even when only a little bit is left. So I make little flowers and birds or try new techniques, doing anything to make me feel like I’ve not wasted more of the thread than I have to. This leaves me with lots of little flowers and birds and such. Now, what am I supposed to do with all of them?

While checking out videos on YouTube I saw one about slow stitching, which is embroidery. But I liked the result and thought that using tatting instead would also look good. Here is my first try.

Safety pin brooch on wandasknottythoughts
Safety pin brooch

To make the back I did have to do some stitching with needle and thread. Following the directions, I didn’t worry about hiding any of the stitches, letting them be part of the overall look. I have a package of coil-less safety pins, so I have a lot of opportunity to do more of these.

The butterfly is another try at the Picot Me Endrucks’ Life is Bliss Butterfly, this month’s challenge of the Endrucks 1920 Project. For this butterfly, I made longer picots on the top chain and then added a chain back over them.

Brooch on my coat on wandasknottythoughts
The brooch on my coat

My black coat is a wonderful background for the brooch. It’s getting warm now so this coat probably won’t be worn much more until fall. I guess I’ll have to find something else to put the brooch on for the summer.

I have two grandchildren in track this spring. Yesterday both of them had track meets in towns miles away from each other. The parents, my husband, and I divided ourselves so both kids had family in attendance. I went to the one that was an hour away and lasted six hours. Not much else gets done on days like this. And on Thursday there is one that starts at 10 a.m.! At least it’s only 30 minutes away instead of an hour!

Today I don’t have any track meets or other obligations. Except to work on something special for my granddaughter’s hair for her confirmation. This coming Sunday. I need to get to work on it!

“Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.” Unknown

Playing With Butterflies

Have you seen the Endrucks 1920 Project on FaceBook? Muskaan M and Ninetta Caruso have started this play on patterns and have games with different patterns. The game of the month for April 2024 is Picot Me Endrucks with Life is Bliss Butterfly by Antonia Lai. I needed a break from my other tatting projects, so I joined the game.

"Life is Bliss Butterfly" on wandasknottythoughts
“Life is Bliss Butterfly”

I started with the one on the left, which is the original pattern they shared. I was tired, distracted, and not at home when I started. Not a good start. When I tried it again the next day it went much better!

The one on the right is my first try at changing it up a bit. I used HH20-126 Purple Splendor on both. The picots on the top of the wings are crossed double picots. This is the first time I’ve tried them like this. The picots on the bottom of the wings are twisted picots. I know, not a lot of differences, but it was fun. I have a few ideas for the next one, or two. I will be making more of these.

If you haven’t checked the Endrucks 1920 Project yet, I encourage you to do so. Even if you don’t try any of the patterns, they are very interesting!

#Endrucks1920Project #PicotMeEndrucks

My days have become much busier recently. I have two grandchildren in track, same school system but different ages. This means I may be going to track meets two to three days a week. Track meets are not good places to tat, or they haven’t been lately. Yes, there is a lot of wait time between some events, but wind, dust, and cold (or heat) are not conducive to productive tatting time. If I’m not the one driving, I may get a bit of tatting time. And there is a lot of driving time.

Track meet on wandasknottythoughts
Track meet

Today is the eclipse! We will have about 87% totality here and we are not traveling to get any closer. They say we may have high, thin clouds, but I’m sure we’ll be able to tell when it happens!

Are you watching the eclipse today? Are you listening to “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler?