Saturday, 16 November 2024

a collective gift 1

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... of so many snowflake variations and patterns in one place, from a talented group of generous designers!  Perhaps you recall my invitation to design the next round(s) for a Celtic interlaced center - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/05/lets-design-round-3.html... the DAL Celtic Snowflake 'challenge' as several called it. I loved the response and the models that turned up, some almost overnight! And later, when I requested each participant to share their pattern, they readily complied. I compiled them all in a Google Doc, listing them chronologically as they came in. 

The main reason for this inordinate delay in sharing with you is two-fold: 1) I wanted to synchronise the patterns, adding a diagram to each or filling in any 'gaps', and 2) I wrote an article on this project for the IOLI Bulletin and wanted to wait a decent amount of time. The first objective hasn't been achieved, unfortunately, though I did begin diagramming. For this I sincerely apologise to my designers, but hope to work on it in future.

I have decided to share the document as is since it is the season of tatting up snowflakes! Please note that the patterns are not tested and there is diversity in presentation styles. We hope you enjoy the individual flavour and range of effects, tools, and techniques and also the story behind each! All details are in the doc, the link to which I will share at the end of the visual display of models. Between my article and the Google docs, the entire backstory is laid out . hence I will not repeat it here.

Presenting them alphabetically ---

1. Aleksandra Pawlik - Round 3 designed and tatted within a day!

 

2. Anita Barry - Two different versions, both with Round 3 designed!
 
The difference in backgrounds brings out the mandala effect differently.

Clever use of split rings.

3. Anna Bonelli - Rounds 3 & 4 designed. Makes a nice wheel impression.

4. Antonia Lai - Round 3 designed in single shuttle with bare thread spaces!

5. Barbara Slodka - Round 3 designed with Josephine rings and pleasant pastels

6. Daniela Galli - Round 3 designed and tatted in two shades of metallic threads

7. Donna McDade - designed Round 3 for Five versions! All 5 models have been appliqued on a quilted wall hanging (pic in the doc).





8. Jean Inglis - Round 3 designed. Appears like a flower or wreath.

9. Ladyphoenix tatter - designed Rounds 3 & interlaced Round 4 after discarding two other attempts since it caused cupping.

10. Margaret Davies - designed Rounds 3 & 4 and tatted multiple models till she was satisfied! 



11. Lella Loops - designed Round 3 and also styled a Celtic shuttle to work the interlacing in this round! She is a needle tatter.

continued in next post along with links .... 

Tuesday, 29 October 2024

never be late

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 I barely made it before the end date. 

This month we have a very special game in our Endrucks FB group. We were supposed to convert Endrucks' pattern #30 into a cross and those who didn't want to tat a cross, could do a bookmark, bracelet, etc. I chose to do a cancer awareness ribbon, but with beads. Beads to signify the happiness/bling of being a survivor and also to be able to wear it as a bracelet if so desired. 

It is for a very special and sweet friend who, though being merely a couple of years younger, insists on being a younger sister and calling me 'badi didi' ;-D Well, she certainly has my blessing and good wishes always 💕
And never be late to detect any lump and get it checked.

This is worked in Anchor Pearl Cotton size 8 with randomly loaded 13/0 (red) and 17/0 (clear) seed beads. They add a nice weight to the piece and it feels good to wear it. I didn't inset any findings, though, and for a 7 inches long bracelet make one repeat less. 

One can play with colours, too! Use any Reposition Method to get the desired thread/colour placement. 

This is one of the patterns I had attempted in 2015-16 and couldn't get the chains to lie nicely. While here, too, I could've done better by adding 1 stitch to each segment of the onion ring, this is merely my own tatting tension issue.
While tatting the edge on the other side, I ended up adding 2ds in each chain segment, which I should've done for the first edge as well.

Ninetta Caruso did an excellent job of reworking the pattern and sharing versions, including a corner and a square motif adaptation! Here's the pdf link - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f7g8gIB7S3-ggRbdneLYmxfxPcDBoq7u/view . She has also uploaded a diagram-only version in here flickr account which I used - https://www.flickr.com/photos/ninettacaruso/50560777536/ . 

Why'd I use two different coloured beads? The clear ones wouldn't have shown up well in the pics and the clear red ones would dominate the ribbon. And loading them randomly on both shuttles was Dr Downplay's flexible path to quick stringing without any calculation of bead position, LOL.
Also, when I started, I had no clear idea where and how I wanted to place the beads. 
 
Shuttle #1 ran out of thread hence had to rewind and re-string beads. Shuttle #2 ran out of beads and had to add more beads. Yet, it was an enjoyable tat and something that went pretty fast considering the number of beads used. Only wish my tatting was better. Well, there's always a next time!


And I am entering this as a second submission this month to splocik's 'Small Decorations' game! I just think it will resonate with many, hence. Thank you, splocik 💖

Many thanks for all the work that went behind reworking this pattern and also creating adaptations, Ninetta!

Saturday, 26 October 2024

done

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 Done for now, to be clear. And not because I've tired of it. Au contraire, it is just too enticing, distracting, and addictive. I want to simply sit and tat this, and ignore all other tasks, including a couple with deadlines. So, done for now, threads unwound from shuttles and back in their respective boxes. And my apologies to my tatting buddy Anita, for leaving it here. I do hope to pick it up again some time next year.

In Anchor Pearl cotton size 8, it measures about 7cms across.
This was completed several days back. It's taken me this long to take pics and prepare a post.

At this stage I am calling it my Sunflower version. Going forward, it might become a dahlia or chrysanthemum with more colours being added.
I followed Patty's diagram again, alternating the 2nd join between the inner scallops. Later realised that the original doily throughout had a single join between the inner scallops, not alternate. By then I had already completed 2 whole repeats (4 scallops each), hence went ahead as before. Not that it shows either way at least in my version. 

How does it Always happen?! The one slice I chose for the close-up is the one where I missed a join in round 1, LOL. I missed a join in round 2, too, and also a 2ds chain segment. However, it was easy to ignore the first and for the second, I inserted a fine hook through the 'hidden picot' (viz, through the stitch) for a join. Can't even locate where this all happened. Dr Downplay zindabad!
  
I wish there was more of the chrome yellow rather than the yellow ochre in this model, but I was going from a light to dark shade using whatever I had in my stash. And the brown could've been a a couple of shades lighter if only I had enough.

My intention is to use two shades of orange then two shades of red for the remaining four rounds. I could repeat the same yellows, but that would become kind of boring ;-P
What do you think of the colour scheme?

Oh and I had updated my previous post with the completed round 1, but here's the pic again in case you missed it - 

Many thanks to Jon Yusoff for hosting the TAL. Don't know when I'll be back to complete this.

This mini-doily or coaster is my October submission to splocik's Small Decorations game. Only two months left and I still have so many ideas/projects I could submit! It's been a fun game for sure and will definitely look forward to joining again if splocik hosts it in 2025.
Check out the range of creativity and crafts for September here -https://splocik2.blogspot.com/2024/10/male-dekoracje-2024-galeria-wrzesniowa.html