Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Wedding bears







Got back last night after four days of the most amazing wedding 'performance' that I have ever been to. We had little to do with the actual organisation of the event and so it was a pleasurable and anxiety free experience that just flowed over and around us.
I am still suffering from an 'excitement hangover', very tired! and so you will have to bear with me as it will take a while to bring out some little snippets of my memories.
And talking about 'Bears' I must show you the 'Forever Friends' wedding bears that I customised in the wedding colours. The little bride bear had her veil trimmed with diamante picot rings like Lindsay's, tatted motif of dimpled rings on her bodice, those dimpled rings get everywhere!! Headdress and bouquet match the theme. The groom was given swarovski buttons, hat band and feather, and roses to match his bride. They got to sit on the top table with Lindsay and Dermot. Just click on them if you want a closer look.

Friday, August 11, 2006

Wedding veil trim


Marj also made the veil for me, it all had to be simple so this is my simple tatted trim. Emma Crew was the inspiration for this again. It's just a row of individual 5 petalled dimple ring flowers with pearls. The large hex pearls were sewn on afterwards. The veil is scattered with tiny tatted flowers, just picot rings with diamante glued on, sorry they are not showing in the photo. It looks a million dollars! well that what she says, and that's all that matters.

Ring Pillow




One day and 4 hours to go, this computer insists on counting!!
Better show you my ring pillow, this is my something old made into sonething new.
Lindsay wanted to include a little bit of each grandparent, so this is made from a pretty blouse of my mothers. The ivory satin was a perfect match and we even used the buttons and appliqued on a motif from the blouse and decorated it with pearls. My friend Marj did all this and the computerised machine embroidery too.

My part was the tatted edging and motif to hold the ribbon, based on Emma Crew's 34 Hearts pattern.

Pity we don't have a ring bearer but I couldn't resist making a pillow. perhaps the best man will carry it...mm maybe not. There are two bridesmaids, one of them is Kat our Katrined friend from Biloxi Mississsippi. She just moved into a temporary real space to call her own in late June. Her neighbour owned a duplex that she rented out and it wasnt completey destroyed and is now habitable. Kat can see her empty very bare plot from her window, waiting for her to decide what to do on it.

Blog beginning

Why start a blog! Well my daughter is getting married in two days time ( one day and nineteen hours to be exact but heck who's counting!!) and this has to be one of the most exciting periods of my life. I used to wonder why people made such a fuss about a wedding...now I know. The preparations have been going on all year and have been such a lot of fun that I guess it would be nice to share some of the things I have made.
I am a craftaholic and just love the satisfaction of making something beautiful from a few bits and pieces.
One of my favorite crafts is tatting and so tatting will feature a lot in this blog and also in the wedding. Lots of my friends have asked to see some of the things I have been making so bear with me as I learn how to use this blog and put up some photos.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Wedding favour, tatted heart bookmarks



This was my biggest challenge to make a favour for each guest. The linked hearts were suggested by dear friend Jane Eborall, 'tis her pattern and she helped me out when making 260 hearts hearts seemed endless. I am delighted with the result, the wedding colours are ivory and burgundy and the flower theme is fucshia a famous flower in the hedgerows of West Cork and her grandad's favorite. On the reverse side is the guests name so it doubles as place card then souvenir bookmark, protected in a plastic sleeve from Roseground (www.roseground,com).

Tatted weddding hankie


I promised you some tatting so here is the second hankie I made for her, this to be her 'something blue'. I haven't made an edging for a hankie for at least 20 years, they were the things that you made when I learned to tat, that and doileys and collars and I never wanted to see another one! But what a difference the use of colour makes, I am addicted to colour too and so this one was a doddle.

The pattern is from Judith Connors new book, Contemporary Tatting, she used it on a garter. The thread is Altin Basak 50 and Coates 30 and the hand embroidered hankie is from Madeira, one of a pile of gorgeous ones I bought there in a fit of tatting optimism. Watch this spot for more edged hankies...just dont hold your breath!!

Wedding hankie




I got to work at the start of the year to make a wedding hankie for her. Encouraged by my lace guild I made it in Bandon Lace.
Yeah I know I said tatting but this is a bit of the 'More'. This a tape based lace named after the West Cork Village of Bandon where it was made up 'til 1931 when the lace industry failed. I guess I should tell you that I live in the South of Ireland.
This was only my second Bandon lace project. The cotton tapes are appliqued on to cotton net.
I dont know who designed the hankie but it will now be an heirloom in my family(I hope!)

This is the expanation of the symbolism,

Wedding Hankie


The Hankie is made in Bandon lace, it is for the Bride's Happy Tears. You must mop up the tears and frame the hankie, making sure not to wash away the happiness contained in it.

The outside edging of the hankie represents the 'Path of Life' which is mostly straight, but every now and then will hit a bump. You must work your way round the problem and carry on.

The Horseshoes are for fertility.

The Roses are your children, one for the mother, one for the father and one for your country. They are all part of the Circle of Life.

The Love Knot represents your love that will always keep you together, it binds a spray of leaves, a symbol of growth and blossoming in your new life together.

The little Shamrocks scattered about are for a little bit of luck.