Easy to make fork bows tutorial

I am spending lots of time preparing for classes, but still manage to fit in time to try new things - you know what it's like. Something just grabs you and you must try it!

My latest "play" is covering journals with linen and giving them an individual look

I will shortly post a link on how to do this,  but today  thought I would just share how to make some teeny weeny little ribbons bows.

 These are modelled on a fork and take less than a minute to make!

Materials:
1 x fork

20 cms x 7mm wide  ribbon (I used100% silk)

 Fold the ribbon around the fork - the lower ribbon should be about 3 cms longer than the top one

bring the bottom ribbon up and pass diagonally over the top ribbon and  through the centre tines

bring the other end around and over, & pass it down through the  centre tine in front of the other ribbon. The 2 ends will now be at the back of the the fork

 

turn the fork over and tie the two ends with a single bow (pull the ribbon as tight as you can)

 slide the loops from the fork

cut the ends diagonally and you have a neat little bow

I used  one of these cute bows on this linen covered journal, and added some vintage lace, tatting and mother-of-pearl buttons. I copied the beautiful silhouette from the Graphics Fairy - I now have a big stash of Karen's graphics that I want to use. 

The method I use to transfer the image was to copy the image on to Reynold's Freezer Paper and then burnish it on to the fabric with a spoon.

HAPPY CRAFTING

Gill

Tattlets and painting

I have no excuse for not posting for so long, except that we have been travelling in Europe in our motorhome.

I didn't do much crafting but here a few things I did to idle away some time

this card was  a trial in combining tatting and painting on a card ......the card was going to be white but I wasn't happy with the bottom part so I added a piece of black, painted it and voila... a monochrome card 

I really enjoy painting on black card as the colours seem to pop

iT is possible to buy special paint for painting on card but I find DecoArt Americana works really well so don't feel a need to buy more paints

I also made a few tatted items.......this little tattlet

and a pair of big earrings (I used the Stumpy bookmark pattern by Kersti Anear)

Happy crafting

tatt's good

Good Morning

congratulations to Glynda Devore who was picked in the random draw - I hope you like the gifts Glynda

It's been a busy week - in between having new doors fitted in the house and a new floor in the living room, I have been busy tatting pretty little  teapots from A Book of Tatted Teapots by Martha Ess

I have been tatting for about 2 years and, up until then, I hadn't even heard of tatting.  Along with other crafts tatting is becoming really popular. There are lots of free patterns online,  lovely pictures on Pinterest and tutorials on Youtube. When I first started I bought "Learn to Tatt" by Janette Baker. This book comes with an interactive CD which makes it easy to follow. It explains how to master the craft and has patterns suitable for a beginner

back to time for tea......

this was my first attempt, it is called Tiny Round Teapot (an obvious choice of name!)

and.....a tiny square teapot

both were tatted using Lizbeth thread  size 20



Yarnplayer has wonderful patterns and one of the first things I made, using 1 shuttle,  was her Carnival earrings. It is an easy to follow pattern which incorporates beads

Another nice pattern is the Stumpy bookmark from Kersti Anear - I love this pattern and it looks good in variegated thread

I used the same "Stumpy" pattern for the angel's wings on a pillow for my friend Jo. The script "I believe in angels" is from The Graphics Fairy

.......yet another craft for which I need "things" - this time shuttles, threads (in every colour), patterns and a lot of patience!

Lots of tatting patterns and shuttles are sought by collectors and fetch really high prices. Mary Konior books are out of print, but can still be found. I have her books Tatting with Visual Patterns and Mary Konior tatting Patterns (of which there are 3 but I only have one so far).

Have a great weekend