Tatted Reticule

You'll never guess what I actually finished yesterday. Well I suppose if you're reading this you can see the photos as well so there's really no suspense here is there? I finished the tatted reticule or bag. I had stalled out during the sewing in of the muslin lining. While I do love clear quilting filament for it's strength and the fact that you can't see it, that same fact makes sewing with it a bit more difficult, but I managed to get it sewn in anyway. Then I decided that I was going to add another row of tatting along the top edge and add some brass colored beads. The additional row created an even more interesting ripple along the top. In fact when the bag is pulled shut it looks a bit like a rose if roses were brown and covered in beads.

It was at this point that it occurred to me that I should have done the tassel at the bottom before I sewed in the lining, but since one can't go back, I dealt with it. I decided to dig in my bag of random supplies and see what would inspire me and I came out with a brass cone bit, a couple of bead caps and a length of chain. It took a bit more effort that I thought it would, but I managed to make a chain tassel, attach it to the bottom of the bag and secure it further with a bit of sewing all without being able to really get to the other side of the work easily.

I did think about adding some embroidery to fancy it up even more, but I think it's actually done now. It's big enough to hold my phone, sunglasses, money and keys, so it's pretty useful, you know, in certain situations. Today I get to think on how to best photograph it for a listing and how much I should charge for it. That last thing is going to be the most difficult. This was a lot of work even if I don't account for the prototype phase and other designing issues. I mean it's just a lot of tatting. I fully expect this to be another one of those pieces that just sits in the shop for ages eliciting that shocked, 'you want how much for that?' response. That's fine, I'm glad I finished it and the shop is the best place for me to show it off. I am now completely out of tatting tasks to finish. No orders in queue, sold pieces are all remade, I've got nothing. I think this is the point where I again ask the Universe for a grand idea, an interesting customer or an adventure so I don't have to resort to cleaning. What do you say, Universe, help a girl out?