Needle Tatting Split Rings & Josephine Chains

I totally get a pass on today's blog. Why, you ask? Because I did a tutorial video yesterday and I get to post that for you. This one is on split rings and Josephine chains and is already linked over in the pattern list in the right column. I got the filigree pieces in to remake the Copper Princess necklace and used the the chain portion of that to film. Also, I talk in this one and according to early feedback this is a good thing. In fact, I may redo my other video with the talking as well since I apparently do not sound like an idiot...unless they're all lying to me and I do sound like an idiot.

The video is also posted at Instructables if you'd like to go rate it there. I may also go ahead and do a series of these though they do already exist by other folks. I suppose sometimes having a choice of who to learn from is a good thing.

Black And White

As I predicted it was another solid day of making. I just got a couple of orders with custom pieces packed up to go out this morning. I also put all my cameo pendants on sale. I said it was one day only, but I think I will leave it up just one more day for you guys, should you be interested, but that's it and they're back to normal price.

I do of course have one thing to show you. I got pictures of the color variation of The Woman bracelet. It was made to match my black tie spats. While making these I nearly killed off my hand dyed gray only to remember that I had ordered a second ball. Unfortunately that ball is a bit lighter. It's still a nice color, but it's a damn good thing I finished before running out of the other ball as the difference would have been quite noticeable if in the same piece or outfit even. This just means that I should really get some sort of inventory system for my supplies...I won't, but I should.

I did get one half of my supplies to remake the Copper Princess, but I'm still waiting for the other filigrees. I tried to order them from the same supplier, but no one had both pieces I wanted. Hopefully they'll be in today, though I don't know why I'm in a hurry. I got another order for custom ankle corsets yesterday, this time in cream/ivory for a wedding. So that is what I will be doing today. If I get the filigrees I might take a break to make the piece, but we'll see. I'd also like to make the Woman bracelet in the Sepia shades as well. I might even add a third brown to the mix like the black tie version, I certainly have enough light shades to get a good gradation.

I've also been feeling the pull of the tutorial lately. I want to share something, but I'm not certain what yet. I thought about doing a set of short videos, but they already exist by someone else and I don't know that it's really needed. If I do a pattern at Insructables, I like it to actually teach a technique rather than just be a finished piece, but I'm not certain that I have another left to teach. I suppose I could make a tutorial for the cameo and teach Victorian Sets, but that's really just a slight variation on Josephine Rings and I already cover that. Oh, well, not that I have time right now anyway...I'll come up with something worthwhile, eventually.

Just Sepia

I feel like a bit of a cheater this morning. You see everything I'm showing you was done on Friday. The rest of the weekend was all just making sold pieces and hanging out with the family. Before I was taken by orders though, I finished the sepia mask. I made it with the discontinued light brown I love so much and used a darker brown for the outer row effectively giving the mask an outline. The only problem occurred around the eyes. Maybe it was too close to my skin tone, but it needed something there. I had covered the wire with the lighter brown because I thought it would be too hard to conceal the places where the lace attaches to the wire in a different color. So it add a bit of dimension I used a brass colored filament to embroider around the eyes. It is a subtle addition, but it seems to have worked giving the edge just a bit of darkness so it doesn't just blend it completely.

I figured I was done with the sepia collection at that point, but I still had some time and a few folk suggesting which pieces would benefit from the makeover. So next up I chose to do my Vive La Reine necklace. Though this time it was a little more work. With the mask it was separate colors for separate rows. This time I needed to do some two color tatting in the second row to separate the rings and chains at that point. Two color tatting is always a bit of a hassle with the cut thread, but I have found that if I work the rings like a single shuttle I can keep one color on the ball for just the chains. This would all be easier if I ever cut enough thread in the beginning of course.

This was the point in the day where I received a rather sizable order that contained items that needed making. In fact it was a pair of The Woman cuffs made to match the tatted spats in two grays and black. They turned out really neat, so I'm going to get pictures of them today so I can share them tomorrow. I also sold both my most recent grab bag necklaces including the Copper Princess. Luckily I had already ordered up more of those filigree pieces so when they arrive I will absolutely make that one up again. I will also be doing a few more pieces in the Sepia colors though I don't know when I'll get to those. Well, time to start this ridiculously hot Monday I suppose...I'll be in the cave.

Flames and Sepia

I am super exhausted this morning as yesterday ended with a large picnic thing for my husbands work and a rush home to watch the new Futurama and when I woke up it was raining. Sure that's only shocking in California when the predicted temperature for the weekend is like 102. Anyway all that is not relevant to...well anything. See I'm just so tired I'm rambling.

Moving on. I did finish up the flame mask I was working on and though you've seen it before I'm posting the picture again anyway mostly so you go and look at the name. I honestly think that I remade the thing so fast just so I could use the name. I knew what I was going to call it when I was making it up the first time, if it turned out right.

Once I was finished with that one I decided to go ahead with the brown version of one of my other masks. I haven't snapped any photos of it yet, but I should have it done and up later today. I think I'm going have this one keep it's original name, but then call it the Sepia Edition. I'm using that discontinued thread again so the edition cannot be immortal. It shouldn't be a problem though my colored masks don't sell nearly as rapidly as the black. I think though, that I might pick a few other pieces to go a Sepia Edition of. I'm not sure which yet, but I'm not in any rush.

I'm waiting for one last supply order and then I think I'm going to actually pursue the bridal giveaway idea. I might be a big old wimp, but I think the wedding pieces need to find their audience. Sure, a lot of brides have found me in the last few years, but I'm hardly the first place anyone looked, so I need to get out there a bit more if I want to let them know I'm here. I will of course let you know if I muster up enough courage to get the ball rolling something, but if you don't here anything...yeah, don't be surprised.

A Bride And A Princess

I got some pictures of the custom veil for the listing yesterday morning so I thought I'd start today off showing you a better one. The listing is also up with a few more pictures though I feel compelled to mention that the price listed on it (that you can no longer see because it just sold) has a story behind it and it's not what I will charge in the future for a similar piece. The sole reason I have made a single hairpiece or veil was because this person asked and as a thank you for a brand new product line I knocked the price down. I actually wanted to make it even cheaper for her, but I had to order so much stuff and sewing a veil, very time consuming, so that's the story behind the price for this one.

Once I had that all sorted, I went back to the newest grab bag piece. This one started with a copper filigree piece and a few little copper bead caps. Again I just made it up as I went and actually the first go had to be ripped out as I ripped the thread to shreds trying to get it back through the first tiny hole. I was not amused, but I started over anyway. I flattened out the bead caps for the little swirled bits there and then I tatted the chain. I was going to add some copper rounds, but they're far too bright to match the antiqued copper of the other pieces.

I used a discontinued brown shade and this is what I came up with. I call it the copper princess and I personally liked it so much that I searched around to try and find the same bits again so I could make it again if it sells. Or maybe in purple with the copper. Of course it might not even sell. I tend to get ahead of myself with pieces. You just never know which ones will be big sellers and which sentimental favorites will just sit there like a lead balloon. It helps to just keep on making stuff until something sticks.

I got started on remaking the flame mask yesterday so I'll keep on with that one and again I have a more color combination ideas that won't likely see the light of day outside of another custom order. I also thought about making my last mask design in two colors a light and dark brown as well. I always state the option of changing the color of a piece, but I rarely get asked and I wonder if it's because people need pictures to see what the options are. I might try and get a few more different colored pieces up so they know it's possible even if they just sit there. I am finding that without having to home school in the morning that I have been getting a lot more done. So much in fact that I might stop tatting in the evening save for when there is a custom in queue and just relax a bit more then. That is of course if I can force myself to stop, it's kind of second nature to have a needle in my hands at all times now. Yeah, we'll see.