This week’s post is from Hye-Oon Lee, author of Lovely Tatting:  Doilies for Spring and Summer.  This is the second post from Hye-Oon, and tells the story of the creation of the Frances Doily, found in her book.

Ever since they were little girls, my daughters loved The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It is a story of growth and change and healing. My daughters watched the 1993 film over and over again as they were growing up. The scenes are beautifully shot, with lush gardens and Victorian-era costumes. As I watched my daughters enjoying the film, I was inspired to tat the Frances Doily. I think the use of two colors, white and soft pink, gives the doily some dimension and reminds me of flowers and ruffled dresses. However, other color combinations would work just as well and would render completely different and unique effects!

This week’s Designer of the Week is Karey Solomon.  Karey is a prolific author, with 28 published books.  Below this blog post is a list of all her works, so you can find them at the Tatting Corner easily.

Karey has kindly given us a look into her Baubles, Bangles, and Beads book, with the following:

Really Quick Beaded Baubles

Materials

You will need one gem  – you also could use a marble, too, but this looks even more interesting with a gem – and  about 4 yards of size 20 cordonnet thread, on which 72 beads have been threaded.  Threading pattern, with “o” signifying a size 10 or 11 bead and “0” as a size E (6) bead is  (oooo0oooo) eight times.  Note: the pattern is for the bauble made with red thread on the right.  The blue and copper-colored baubles are the “caged” marbles, also in “Baubles, Bangles and Beads.” ©

Wind first nine beads onto the shuttle with the first part of the thread; then wind most of the remaining thread.  The next  54 beads are used in the loop around your left hand for the first R.

Reserve the last 9 beads with about 2 feet of “tail “thread.

{R: 7 (move 18 beads from loop for a picot)} three times, 7.

Close R

Move beads from tail thread and remaining 1/10 of beads from shuttle thread, and tie these two threads together.

[[R: 7 + (in middle of beads from first R’s p)]] three times, 7

Place gem into the bead “cage” and close R

Ornament hanger: LCH:20 or to length needed.  Extra beads may be used to ornament the hanger. Join to opposite side of the last R made, tie, cut and sew in ends.  This also makes a good scissors fob.

Optional – thread on a bunch of extra beads of various sizes and loop them at the bottom for a beaded tassel.

© Karey Solomon 2011

Pattern may be found in “Baubles, Bangles and Beads”

List of Karey’s published works:

A Bouquet of Bookmarks (T375)

Basketats (T317)

Baubles, Bangles and Beads (T361)

Button Abecedarius (T374)

Circle of Children (T155)

Doily Delights (T388)

Flutter Home (T307)

Hearts Belong to Tatting (T244)

Here Be Dragons (T318)

Let it Snow! (T443)

Make Many Merrily (T116)

Sheep May Safely Graze (T47)

Shuttleworth Cottage (T280)

Sweet Knottings (T194)

Tat Marks the Spot (T74)

Tat Mats (T491)

Tatting by Ear (T447)

Tatting by the Book (T347)

Tatting Elegant Edgings (T301)

Tatting for the Tree (T234)

Tatting Times Edgings (T96)

Tatting Times Two (T235)

Tatting Turns Over a New Leaf (T266)

Tatting with Buttons (T135)

Tatting with Buttons 2 (T175)

Tree of Life (T156)

Twinkle Twinkle (T415)

Wandering Wheels (T362)