Finally done!
I have very mixed feeling about this doily. I am happy it's finally done, but I am not thrilled with it either. Oddly, the butterflies on the outer edge which inspired me to make the doily are exactly what I don't like about it! They are different, for sure, but really not my thing.
The picture below is where the doily was about 2 years ago before I started the butterflies:
I think I really do prefer it at that stage. In fact, I debated quite a while whether to make the butterflies and decided against my gut feeling to go ahead. I knew that if I did not make the butterflies, it would always seem incomplete to me.
I rally do like the center before the butterflies are attached and part of me wants to make that again. There is no way I am cutting off all the butterflies! The idea of making another center is not really appealing either.
I started making the butterflies in assembly mode. I had initially hoped to finish them within one year, but ended up putting them down for almost a year - hence the two year time frame to complete the butterflies. Although it was a bit tedious to make 7 of each round of butterflies, it would have taken me even longer to finish if I made each butterfly individually as a whole (not sure if that makes any sense...). Yes, I did say 7 - for some inexplicable reason I decided to make a free standing butterfly!
There were actually some advantages to making the individual butterfly. When making the outer round of the first wing, I realized that it would make more sense to reverse the pattern as written and start from the head instead of ending at the head. I also realized when making the antennae, that as written, the antennae were "free floating" and the ends were not attached. On the doily butterflies, I decided to attach the ends of antennae to the butterfly wings. Towards the end I also realized that all but one of the butterflies were made incorrectly! The two round motifs on the lower wings should be joined to one another, something I omitted in all but one butterfly.
The final doily would require a good blocking and even then I'm not absolutely convinced it would like flat. It is ~ 10 inches in diameter made with DMC 80 in ecru.
I have had a few questions about the pattern. It is an old Workbasket pattern, but I am not sure what issue. My husband once brought home an old tatting book from the library book sale which contained several patterns cut out from from Workbasket.
Congrats on finishing it,Mica. Well done! I agree about the last butterfly bit. Not my favourite but I like the interior. I think it was a tatting challenge and you met it. The reasons don’t matter. Interesting what each individual will be challenged by, and as tatters I believe we all understand the attraction to a particular pattern. : ) Like Everest...
ReplyDeleteIt's a lovely doily, I love butterflies!
ReplyDeleteI think this is wonderful! And I'm willing to bet that it is from the Dec. 1977 Workbasket. I'm delighted that you did an independent butterfly, as I can now see how it is constructed. I would also have done them in an assembly line. I think the butterfly woukd make a lovely motif and would be interesting in different colors. Really a lot of work in each one! I hope you display this beautiful doily and don't hide it away!
ReplyDeleteWell done for finishing, in spite of having lost enthusiasm! It's very impressive.
ReplyDeleteI think it looks very nice!! :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Fox (who agrees with you!) The butterflies are actually really pretty as standalone butterflies, but I can see why you'd like the interior without them - just a simpler shape, I guess. Maybe what you need is a six sided table, which would fit it perfectly.
ReplyDeleteA big achievement to finish it though! Another one to tick off your list, and you'll've learnt a lot while you do it too.