Tuesday, August 7, 2012

"May" Cross



Name: “May” cross
Pattern: mine

Materials: Cotton tatting/crochet thread, size 70
Method: Shuttle; rings and chains
Time: 7 hours


I took inspiration for this cross from a photo of one by “Crazy Mom Tats!” at http://psychotatter.blogspot.com/2010/05/tatting-and-pain.html. She used Mary Konior's Large Cross pattern from “Tatting with Visual Patterns.” I made up my own pattern by looking at the picture, and made a few changes. I do think “Crazy Mom’s” cross is much prettier and more symmetrical.

Now is a great time to talk about finishing off tatted pieces, because I was practicing on this cross. I have tried numerous times to weave in ends properly, but no methods have ever worked for me. I think it’s because I shuttle tat, which leads to much tighter stitches than needle tatting. I also typically use size 70 thread; larger thread seems to leave more space for weaving in. Anyway, I can’t even get a needle to fit into one half-stitch. I’ve tried careful planning to tat a chain over the thread ends, which has worked, but then the thread ends pull out of the chain. Nothing works for me. So, I keep going back to my tried-and-true method of tying a sturdy square knot and clipping the ends close. I feel like a cheater, though, because I know that every good tatter should weave in his or her loose ends. Am I a failure?


Nom: « May » croix
Modèle: la mienne
Matériels: fil de coton, taille 70
Méthode: navette; anneaux et chaînes
Temps: 7 heures

Pour faire cette croix, j’étais inspiré de une photo sur le blog « Crazy Mom Tats ! » : http://psychotatter.blogspot.com/2010/05/tatting-and-pain.html. Elle a utilisé le modèle « Large Cross » de Mary Konior, sur « Tatting with Visual Patterns ». J’ai inventé mon propre modèle en regardant la photo, et j’ai changé le dessin. Vraiment, je pense que la croix de « Crazy Mom Tats ! » est plus jolie et plus symétrique que la mienne.

Maintenant et le temps idéal pour discuter comment terminer les pièces de frivolité, car j’étais pratiquant avec cette croix. J’ai essayé beaucoup de temps pour tisser les fins de fil correctement, mais toutes les méthodes ne fonctionnent jamais pour moi. Je pense qu’est parce que j’utilise une navette, pas une aiguille. Aussi, je préfère fil de taille 70 ; plus grande fil semble laisser plus de place pour tisser. Avec ma frivolité, je ne peux pas mettre une aiguille dans un demi-point !  J’ai essayé planifier prudemment de masquer les fins en chaînes, mais tous le temps les fins se quitte les chaînes. Rien ne fonctionne pas pour moi. Donc, toujours je retourne à ma méthode fiable—je fais un nœud et je coupe le fil près de lui. Je me sens comme une tricheuse, bien que, car je sais que tous gens de frivolité bien devraient tisser leurs fins. Suis-je une échec ?


Nombre: “May” cruz
Patrón: la mina
Materiales: hilo de algodon, talla 70
Método: naveta; anillos y cadenas
Tiempo: 7 horas

Miré a una foto en el blog “Crazy Mom Tats!” para hacer esta cruz: http://psychotatter.blogspot.com/2010/05/tatting-and-pain.html. “Crazy Mom” ha usado el patrón “Large Cross” en “Tatting with Visual Patterns” por Mary Konior. Yo inventé mi propio patrón y lo cambié; es un poquito diferente de lo de Mary Konior. Pero, la cruz de “Crazy Mom” es más bonita y simétrica que la mina.

Practiqué terminar la frivolité cuando hice esta cruz, pues, pienso que debo platicar de este tema. He probado mucho tejer las terminas del hilo correctamente, pero todos los métodos que probé no funcionó para mí. Pienso que es porque uso una naveta, no una aguja, y uso hilo delgado (prefiero talla 70), que no deja mucho espacio para tejer las terminas. Con mi frivolité, ¡no puedo ni caber una aguja en una media puntada! Probé ocultar las terminas en una cadena, pero ellas se caen. Nada funciona. Todavía, me regreso a mi método fidedigno: ato un nodo y corto el hilo cerca de él nodo. Yo sé que todos los gentos que hacen la frivolité bueno deben tejer las terminas. Me siento como una fraude. ¿Soy una fracasa?

7 comments:

  1. you are not a failure. Your cross is pretty.

    have you tried using the "Magic Thread" trick to hide your ends?
    you tat over a loop of thread that is either the same size as what you are using or 1 size smaller. Then when you have ended, tie a knot and use the thread loop to pull the ends inside of about 6 stitches. you have to be careful not to use too tight a tension on those 6 or so stitches so the end can be pulled through. Usually I only hide one end in a set of stitches, that generally means that I need to plan for the end when I start that round, and tat over a loop at the beginning of the round and also in the last element so I can hid both ends.
    I am at work right now, or I would hunt up a tute about using the Magic Thread Trick for you, but you might find it on youtube or by using a web search for the term.

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  2. Your work is lovely, and such fine thread. I mostly work with size 40 thread, I find this easy to hide the ends either while I am tatting or at the end. I have yet to master the 'magic thread trick'...but am working on this for my show entries.

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  3. You might try tatting with a slightly looser tension to be able to sew your ends in; it will take some practice to do in consistently.

    Also, experiment with different kinds of needles. Personally, I like hand quilting needles for sewing my ends in; they have a large enough eye to take the tatting thread but are still fine enough to slip between the stitches. Other people have other preferences, so try different ones. I have a compact of assorted quilting needles, and I have found one that works best with fine threads and one that works best with larger threads; I have separated these two needles from the others so I can always find them.

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  4. Thanks for your comment on my blog. Your work is lovely and so fine! I am very curious about the 'magic thread' trick and I will look it up on the internet. I usually sow my thread in.

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  5. Thanks to everyone for the comments! I finished some baby shoes today (post to come later), and I tried a few different thread hiding techniques. I have tried the magic thread trick on this cross--it didn't work with size 70 thread and my tight knots. I will need to drastically loosen my tension to be able to weave thread ends in. However, with a lot of practice on my latest project and size 40 crochet thread, I was able to weave in the ends. I also successfully tatted over some ends. It takes a lot of patience! I really appreciate the input from everyone else. Your suggestions helped me very much.

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  6. Your cross is really beautiful!!! :)

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  7. Thank you for your comment on my blog. :)
    Your work is lovely, very fine and neat. Like Miranda I use quilting needles, and also some beeswax to help things to slide, and I only sew in a small bit before cutting off.

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