Designing Methods

O.k, here is a design that went wrong, and I don't think I can salvage it. It's completely due to poor planning on my part. But I thought I would share it anyway to let you all know that creating new patterns isn't all that easy. I also wanted to share this interesting thread that I won as a prize at the Shuttlebirds convention. It is a very large thread size 10 or larger and it reminds me of tie dye.

Anyway, today I thought I would share a little about the way that I design. I try to get my inspiration from non-tatting items, like designs and patterns in nature or architecture. For example I have created several butterfly patterns; for those I checked out a bunch of books from the library on butterflies and I studied them in detail. In fact when I am designing I try to avoid other tatting and tatting patterns and books altogether so that I don't inadvertantly copy someone else's work. I usually draw out the design that is floating around in my head and then I spend a lot of time "perfecting" it. I take into account the ease of the pattern because personally I like straightforward patterns that aren't too fussy and complicated. Making the pattern easy to tat is probably the most challenging and time consuming part of designing.
Anyhow, I have a lot more flubs than successes but I learn from each one and sometimes a "flub" can turn into a happy accident.

On another note, I am very sad today because I checked over our calendar and realized that I just cannot make the Palmetto Tatting convention. I was so looking forward to meeting a lot of you in person. I was especially looking forward to meeting Jane and Mark who will be teaching, but alas I will have to wait for another opportunity to arise.