Monday, April 11, 2011

99% finished!!!

I finally finished the endless round of motifs and here is the project to this point.



Several stories are attached to this round. Whether it's God, Karma, or just dumb luck, I ended up on the good end of this one. The original Anne Orr pattern has 15 round motifs attached. Because of the length of my unfinished thread throughout the piece, the final piece is larger than the original pattern. Each round motif is attached to three diamond in the previous round. Three....Not Two....Not Four....just three. When I realized this, I panicked a bit.



Then I counted the diamonds...I had three left over and therefore the 15 became 16 round motifs. I didn't need to fudge while attaching the motifs. It worked out wonderfully!


My measuring devices were a bit unorthodox. I used the pull-tie for the shorter distance of unfinished threads and the top of the crochet hook for the longer lengths. Additionally, the picot gauge or nail is from a shelving unit and formed all the longer picots. It was just trial and error.



The other tool.....Regretfully, my glasses are now necessary for all projects. Aging...Uuggghhh!!!

16 comments:

  1. That looks amazing! I don't think I have the patience for such a large piece.

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  2. John, you should be very, very proud of yourself. This is a wonderful accomplishment. It is beautiful.
    Fox : )

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  3. Absolutely gorgeous, John! I admire your patience and your tatting!

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  4. Congratulations on this marvelous, breathtaking achievement! One hundred years from now (or more) some tatter will either inherit or find this piece and love it as much as you do now.

    Um, that is...you do love it, right? *wink*

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  5. I SO admire your patience, perserverance and overall tatting! This is beautiful, stunning! ~ but I would have been bored to tears a long, long time ago. I would have done 15 other projects in between rounds and with luck only, might have it finished in a year. Seriously. I have done long-term projects but I think those days are over!

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  6. It's beautiful! You do have the patience of a saint.

    I can relate to the glasses thing - I hate it when I get all situated with my project, thread, pattern and everything in my lap, and then realize I need my glasses!

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  7. This is marvelous! I have long admired this old pattern and you have done a wonderful job. My tatting bag always has a pair of reading glasses too.

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  8. An amazing feat, I should think. Congratulations and it all worked out perfectly.

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  9. CONGRATULATIONS ON COMPLETING THIS WORK OF ART!!!
    I somehow missed your progress on this ASTOUNDING doily! Apparently you started it only a couple of months ago!!

    It is interesting to see that the outer medallions are worked independently for awhile. Also interesting that it worked out to 16 medallions and looks just fine!

    Love the 'household' gauges - Hey - they worked! The spaced threads look just fine! I don't even want to know how many picots are in those medallions!

    Questiion: Which Anne Orr book did this appear in? My copy of the republished "Book No. 35" (from 1940) doesn't show this one.. Anne (1869-1946) was a very prolific needlearts publisher but apparently did little needlework herself! However, we are certainly indebted to her for her dedication to keeping vintage tatting patterns available to tatters for so many years! This is a wonderful design, and WELL DONE!

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  10. Congratultions on completing a master piece, you should feel very proud in finishing such a lovely piece of tatting. This will in time will become an heirloom.
    Margaret

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  11. Wow! Beautiful tatting, John. What a wonderful piece you've created.

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  12. Absolutely boggles my mind! What ever will you do with such a treasure? Are you planning on framing it?
    Kathy
    www.shawkl.com

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  13. Perfectly wonderful! It's amazing to look at all those nice even thread spaces. Bare threads are my particular bugaboo. It's really -- oh, heavens, I can't think of enough superlatives!

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  14. Ya'll are wonderful!! Thank you for the wonderful comments. There are a few more single rings to attach and then I'll be done.

    I forgot to include one tool I used for the bare threads...A quilt gauge. I used the 1/4 inch for most of the bare threads on the larger rounds.

    Again, You all have put a smile on my face this evening!
    john

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  15. The doily is really spectacular. I'm truly asounded - it's an heirloom item for sure.

    BTW - can you email me privately? don't have your addy

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