Thread, Tats, and Swaps

I've taken a little bit of a break from blogging in the hot and humid weather we've been having. But I couldn't stay away for long!
Do you know Anika? Her blog is TattingitUp and she so generously sent me some of her thread!  Aren't the colors wonderful?

The threads are size 20 and unnamed as yet.







 I had to do some tatting.

 I tried a Mary Konior fragment in the three-colored thread. The tan, brown and blue are a nice combination.







Then I tried  Merry Wives by Mary Konior, but I made an error, and decided to see what might happen if I continued, and it morphed into this:


not what I had hoped, but still a nice motif






Which just goes to prove I should not tat while watching a "Harry Potter" movie, even if it is a rerun!
I then decided to tat  MK's  "Ring A Ring O' Roses"  with Anika's  blue and turquoise thread. I wanted to try Mindful Tatting this pretty pattern, so I went outside and sat on the deck overlooking the lake and the bay.


Despite the picture, the thread really is turquoise and a soft blue, and not the green and beige that it seems to be.
I was pleased with the onion rings and everything about this pattern except for the long chains joining each motif to the center rings. After much tonking, I've decided to begin this pattern again. I may add more joins to the long chains to give it more stability.


I think taking my time and concentrating has produced better results. I'll have to try this more often.
Anika's thread is very nice to tat, and if she ever decides to sell it, I'll be in line.  Thanks again Anika!

Next I tried Lizbeth 'rootbeer ' with a DMC gold metallic thread.

I added a tawny-colored bead at the base of each ring trio, but they are difficult to see clearly.

MK's "Beaded Braid"

 I was pleased with my test tats.



MK's "Merry Wives"





I sent out my block in the Stitchin' Fingers CQ RR, to the first stitcher. Here's what it looks like naked.

and I can't wait to see what my stitching partners create for me.
My theme is Garden Visitors.









I sent along a few goodies for each stitcher.

I'm also in a Mug Rug swap on StitchMap, and here's what I'm sending my swap partners.
These are my first mug rugs, and I'm relatively pleased with how they look.

Made of small pieces of green and yellow fabrics CQ'd together, I added a layer of gold FME, topped it with organza, then machine stitched over top with a feather stitch in lime green. I love the subtle sparkle from the gold metallic thread and the sheen of the organza.

The flip side is a flowered green fabric quilted in a rectangular pattern from the middle outwards. Both layers are joined with seam binding.













My second mug rug was created with a grey mottled cotton with rows of vintage red rick-rack and feather stitching in red and dark grey. I added a small tatted flower in one corner with a beaded center. DMC size 80.

On the reverse is a red cotton with white flowers and some quilting with silver metallic thread, again using the feather stitch. A grey seam binding was used to join the two layers together.

The mug rugs will be mailed out in the next couple of days, along with packets of tea and a few goodies. I sure hope my swap partners like theirs.



 I hope you've been having pleasant weather. The heat and humidity is returning today, so stay cool!
Have a great weekend!
Thanks for visiting.
Hugs from Suz