After the lull

After taking a tatting break following the huge work on the Mystery Doily, I picked up the shuttles again.

I wanted to re-work this doily after comments from my test-tatter (thank you, Lady Test-Tatter). As often happens, I get distracted by new ideas that seem to push everything else away, and this is what turned out.

I still need to do the re-work of the earlier doily as there are some interesting elements in there that I want to keep.  I just hope I don't get distracted again.

Doily WIP - thread is Milford Mercer #40

At this point, when I finish this last round, the doily's measurement will be about 8 inches wide.  I am having a thought as to whether I should stop at this round or add more rounds to it.

In the meantime, I decide to try a new technique that I have not tried before, Maltese rings.  Here are a couple of my attempts, 

It was quite confusing at the beginning, but once I understand the concept it flows quite smoothly. And this is the real thing,

This is Gloria's Maltese Bookmark pattern by Martha Ess.  The thread used is Lisbeth 684 for the solid and Lizbeth 109 for the multi-coloured, both in size 40.  You may not be able to see it in the picture, but each maltese ring is of a different colour - one the surprises of using variegated thread in tatting.

This unfinished oval medallion is a Norma Benporath pattern from her book, "Tatting Illustrated'.  I plan to turn it into another bookmark.