This is "Hello Bear" whose designer is Karey Solomon; from her book, Make Many Merrily. It is a deceptively easy-looking bear!
I tatted this bear in a soft, Valdini, in a reddish-brown thread and inserted him into a card (front side up!) going to cousin Trudy who is recovering from a stroke. I did take some liberties with the pattern. However, Karey always states that each tatter may add their own touch and stitch count to "make it work". I added lock joins and increased the stitch count in some areas. I also added some down picots to achieve the structure of the arms that I wanted. I made 2 and this is the third which met my own criteria. Trudy still has blurred vision in one eye, but something tactile in her card should do! Also, she can't walk without assistance, even with her walker…Improvement after strokes comes very slowly. Her speech is coming along slowly too… It is probably frustrating for her because she was so terribly busy, busy, busy and did so much for others. Teaching Ceramics, Garden Club, Spinning at the Museum (not the exercise…actual spinning) are all on hold. Please continue to pray for this talented, lovely, vivacious lady ~ my cousin whom I love greatly.
Chris and Erin Hinton at The Shuttle Shop are hosting a new tatting forum called... The Tatting Forums! Chris has been developing a new winder shuttle which looks great. I wasn't one chosen to give it a trial run, but mine is on order! They are having a drawing for a FREE winder shuttle, the deadline for entry is September 1. So, go and sign up! It is a good thing!
Have a new project in the works which must be finished by September 1st.
When it is finished, I'll post a photo. I've decided to use J Lugarts's pattern, substituting a different medallion and Jane Eborall's Celtic Cross (with a pearl in the middle). I purchased genuine pearls for this special project which is a rosary for my friend, Luz. While I am not Catholic, J. Lugart kindly gave me the directions for the decades and an explanation of a rosary, which will help in its construction. I'm using 4 mm and a few 8 mm pearls, hand-dyed Indigo thread with gold metallic thread cross. Her favorite colors are blues and yellow. I'm looking forward to viewing this, as some of the techniques will be a new adventure to me ~ such as pearls in the center of split rings and using doubled thread. Split rings are easy for me, but I've not put pearls inside (however, I have TWO fantastic tutorials); and, I've never doubled thread!
I also have a new tatting student; more about that next time!
10 comments:
LOVE the bare bear. The rosary sounds very interesting - can't wait to see the finished thing but I bet you'll make me (wait, that is!!).
The bear does look so happy! Of course your friend, Trudy, will think he's great. Wish her well for me. My mom went through this stroke recovery stuff and it's HARD! It's always interesting to read what's going on in your corner of the world.
What charisma! What character! What charm! I can hardly BEAR it!
Hope your friend is doing better.
Fox : )
Yep, I can't wait to see the finished rosary either; hope I surprise myself, Jane. LOL
Thank you Marty, my cousin is a special person and tuff as nails (we former Johnsons are like that), I hope to see her in early October. I always tat something to put in her letters and envelopes. She said she tried tatting once, but gave up. Hard to believe because she is so talented in so many areas.
Oh Fox, what a 'punny' comment. Yes, Bare Bear, did FINALLY get some panache at the end.
Thanks for your encouragements ladies! xxxx BJ
Ooh, I have that book by Karey, but forgot there was a bear in it. I like the way yours is waving one paw. Hearing of your cousin made me think of my friend who had a stroke and and slow recovery. But when I saw her recently I was amazed to see her walking without a cane. Your other friend is very fortunate to have you working on such a special gift rosary too.
Your cousin will greatly appreciate this "oh so cute" bear! I will pray for a full recovery for her...she sounds like an awesome lady....does awesomeness run in your family?
He's either waving or making a peace sign! Cutie!!!
I work with patients who've had strokes and other brain injuries, but I only see them in the acute phase, right after the injury. I always forget how much work they still have to do after they leave the ICU. Thank you for reminding me.
The bear is awesome. I think it's interesting how different he looks just by turning him over. In the top picture, he looks ready to dance wildly right off my screen. On the card he looks much more "chill", and all because he's leaning the other way.
The rosary will be beautiful. I find Jane's "new and improved" method for adding beads to SR's to be the easiest way, and I've tried several.
I'll tell you one thing about working with a doubled thread. If you are winding your shuttles CTM, one thread will always end up a little bit longer between the shuttles than the other, no matter how hard you try to keep them even. This is especially true if they're different kinds of thread, like cotton and metallic; however, it happens even with two cottons. I've learned to just let it happen, and before I start tatting, I snip the longer thread in the middle so that I can pull it as taut as the other, and hide those two ends as I tat. If you try to fight it, you'll only end up frustrated and angry. I hope this makes sense.
Love the bear, what a great idea to make a tactile card. Every little helps in her recovery.
very nice blog! I'm trying to find your email address. can you send it to me? ... Marianne (miara@mts.net) thanks!
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