Love in a mist - finally!

I finally completed one of my very long-term WIPs.

I started this particular project a looooong time ago - maybe in 2000 or 2001. I made the center rosette and got probably 6 or so flowers of the next round. Then, when I was closing one of the rings the thread snapped. At that time I was still more or less a beginner tatter and I didn't know how to go about adding more thread so it would still look nice. Since the center rosette didn't look too nice, I decided to start from the very beginning. I kind of like the center pattern, so I am holding on to the almost-finished-center. Have no idea if I will ever do anything with it though!

A few years later I picked it up again. The second time around, I made a very beautiful center rosette - all the chains lay right next to each other with no space between them. I also managed not to snap any threads while working the flowers that go around the center. But.... right after I closed the last ring of the last flower, I realized that I omitted a picot. At first I decided to continue and somehow make up for it in a later round (with the mignonette tatting). I continued and finished the center. That missing picot really bothered me and I was afraid that it just would not look right if I somehow tried to add a ring in the next round. And so, I decided that since I really like the pattern, that I might as well start over. Again.

Third time must be the charm, right? I started for the third time soon after I finished the second attempt. I got as far as making the 8 rings for the center rosette and then put it down for a few years. Last spring I picked it up again. The rosette actually didn't turn our as nicely as the one in the second attempt, and I was afraid it would bowl once I made the round of flowers. I decided to go on - I really didn't feel like cutting out the chains and redoing them. I wanted this pattern done and I was afraid that if I did any cutting out/restarting I would end up putting it away for a few more years. Luckily it didn't bowl once the flower round was complete. If it had, I don't know that I would have been able to start for the 4th time! The mignonette tatting went very quickly. I had only dabbled in mignonette once before, and even that was a few years ago. Initially I had planned on doing each round individually, but when I saw how ugly the join was at the beginning of the first round, I decided to use split rings. It looks much nicer that way, and even though I don't really mind working in the ends, it was nice not to have to do it after every round. It made the rounds go by much faster.

I still like the pattern and I think it was worth starting 3 times to finally get it done! I think I might have preferred a more substantial outer border though, although I guess that would defy the whole "mist" purpose. It really is a lovely pattern as is, as are most of Mary Konior's patterns. I'm not sure what to do with it now. It's almost too pretty to put in a box and only pull it out occasionally to look at, but since I have dark furniture, I cannot even put it on an end table to show off. That's actually a problem for me - I like working with black thread, but it automatically renders the item kind of useless! I personally don't like to frame things for display either.

Pattern from "Tatting Patterns" by Mary Konior, made with DMC Special Dentelles no. 80 in black.

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving!