I was rummaging through a bunch of old tatted bits looking for something I know is probably in there. I didn't find it, so I'll have to keep looking. What I did find is the Inverted Heart Snowflake from my Tatted Flurries book that I tatted in Lizbeth Summer Fun. I like the colours, but the short colour changes make the design look like a dog's breakfast.
The dimpled rings are almost invisible in this thread, but here's what it looks like in a solid colour.
The
design pops out.
Here's Summer Fun matched up with one of the colours in the mix, a plain pink. This is the anklet design, Hearts and Bows from my Summer Tatting book.
Here's the scan to give you a clearer picture.
Of course in this design the variegated thread is just used for the chains and it's a subdued background accent.
But here is the same colour paired with a solid turquoise and a solid pink for more than just chains.
I like variegated threads. In tatting it usually take a long time to transition from one colour to the next, but in the new threads like Lizbeth, the colour changes are faster and the results like in the first snowflake, just becomes a jumble of colours so that there isn't any gradual change, but rather an abrupt switch. This, to me, makes the finished piece look chopped up. Your eye jumps from spot to spot in one huge chaotic jumble of colour. Pairing the variegate with a matching solid colour, gives the design some continuity and the eye a chance to rest. I didn't care where the colours landed on the butterflies, because of their final purpose, but I have to say that in my opinion tatters need to take a step back from the variegated threads, so that they can be enjoyed more. That's just my opinion, feel free to disagree.
7 comments:
There are some designs such as Mary Konior's Spinning Wheel that I absolutely love in variegated or multi-color threads. I agree with you that those threads don't work for other designs because of where the colors start and stop. Sometimes solid colors just work best!
I love all the pieces you have shown and in variegated and in plain I think they are all beautiful!! :)
Lovely, especially the white piece, your tatting really shows!
Are short stretches of color REALLY your #1 peeve? I would have to list finding a knot in the middle of winding thread CTM or breaking thread when closing a ring or running out of thread that can't even be finger tatted in the last few elements as my top 3. I think the multicolored flake is actually quite eye catching.
varigated threads work for some patterns and not for others. Short color changes can look choppy but often paired with a solid the short changes work very well.
some of the HDT threads work really well because they are produced by tatters who understand the how color change is affected by the amount of thread used in a DS.
Actually, I think the Summer Fun colorway is attractively balanced in your Inverted Heart Snowflake. No pooling and the white spots aren't garish (as they can sometimes be).
However, I agree that the design is camouflaged by the colorway. And such a pretty design needs to shine!
Just my two shekels...
I love the variegated thread, I agree there are some patterns that really look beautiful in variegated threads and some that don't.
Snowflakes to me need to be white or a solid colour variegated threads do not.
Your butterflies are gorgeous, and the snowflakes are beautiful.
Margaret
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