Saturday 13 February 2016

Heart to heart ....

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Hearts reach out 
across ages and generations , 
across borders and boundaries , 
across arts and crafts, 
across blogs and sites,
from cold snowflakes to warm hearts ....
hearts reach out !

These are some of the most elegant tatted heart patterns I’ve come across. These are hearts I have admired & wanted to tat since first I set eyes on each. And they were just as pleasant to tat as to ogle.

A few common points :
  • Click on title of each for link to the pattern source & on name of designer for their blog wherever applicable (all red words are active links). All are free patterns.
  • I use fs/bs (RODS) tatting . I’ve listed it in the techniques, but it is optional.
  • Since I knew that these patterns worked great in single colour, I decided to continue with my study in colours (very very limited colours to choose from – Madura Coats (Anchor), are you listening?).
  • All these hearts are definitely going to be repeated over the years !


In no particular order ….


Techniques : 2 shuttles, ANKARS (basic) or layered rings, graduated picots, floating ring.
Measurement : 1½” x 1½” in Anchor size 40 Art 4054 (052 pink & 022 maroon)

"Officially” this is my first ANKARS project, even though it is pretty basic. It Finally lay to rest a niggling doubt I had harboured, not having studied the technique properly. Yes, I had tatted it, without knowing that it could well be ANKARS ! ANKARS is an elaborate & dense working of simple layered rings . It is also the technique I used in my Curled Rings earrings. And all it takes a simple picot join !
Georgia Seitz will be walking us through this pattern in the Online Tatting Class on Monday the 15th … Join in :-)
I added a tiny ring with SH2 after joining back to the first ring. There was a bare, flattish space in my working that I thought needed filling up. The tatting is all done from the frontside, not reverse work, except for this additional ring.
Also 3 graduated picots in the centre of the chain to make the tip a bit more prominent.
I used a picot gauge, as recommended, but found that it causes my picots to twist & become unseemly, and the stitches to become uneven ! It was back to eye-balling … this works better for me. 
It ruffled a bit. Lay flat easily after dunking & rolling. I didn't block each picot. Now, looking at the diagram, I realize that rings 21 & 23 are the same size ! Didn’t appear so in the tatted model … good excuse to tat again :-)

Nicola Bowersox
Techniques : 2 shuttles, CTM, dead end/blind start to chain, floating ring, RODS.
Msts : 1½” x <1¼” in Red Heart size 20 (0289 bright/dark yellow)

I fell in love with this heart that moment britinpa shared it on InTatters over a year ago. Simple, elegant outlining, & I love floating curled chains !!!  
I was a bit unsure how much to tension the chains, so left them without snugging closely. But I definitely need to re-tat & experiment a bit more. For one, I need to start the chain in RODS, for it to lie on the left side as in original pattern. Also, Frivole had suggested using a SCMR instead of floating ring, which I want to apply as well. And check out Jane McLellan’s gorgeously colourful hearts she did a while back, inspiring me to use a yellow.


Techniques : 2 shuttles, thrown/floating rings, RODS.
Msts. 3”x 2¼” Anchor Size 40 Art 4054 (0131 blue & 0896 copper)

Arguably the most elegant heart pattern I’ve come across & it works with all kinds of threads & colours/colourways ! I have yet to come across a working that did not work :-) It is a Perfect Design !
Great diagram by Frivole – equally elegant with colour coding ! 



Techniques : 2 shuttles, CTM, CWJ, thrown/floating ring, twisted picot, SLT, RODS.
Msts : ¾”x ¾” in Anchor size 20 Art 4054 (020 red) 

Love the simplicity of this pattern. 2 shuttles. To maintain continuity of the chain outline, she uses the CWJ. Very quick to tat up & a great way to empty the shuttles, (and to learn the CWJ if one is dithering).
The twisted picot in the little ring looks frayed & forked - probably the picot should've been just a tad longer keeping thickness of thread in mind. 


Hearty Thanks to all designers for sharing these wonderful heart patterns,
&
to all who have made it possible through diagrams, classes, etc.

Have a hearty tatting weekend !


Motif #21 of III for 25 Motif Challenge


22 comments:

  1. I may have to try the Hearts of Hope, it's new to me. Yes, these are all excellent heart patterns.

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    1. Hearts of Hope work out really quickly & great to empty shuttles! Looking forward to your colourful collection, Jane :-)

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  2. Gorgeous hearts <3 <3 <3 :).

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  3. They are all beautiful patterns! Susan Fuller's Heart's Desire is my favorite!

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    1. So right, Diane ! I think Susan's pattern is a masterpiece, a timeless design .

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  4. Beautiful hearts. I really like how you added two colors to the first heart. I will have to steal your idea if I ever tat it. It would be good practice for me...I haven't done any Ankars or layered rings before.

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    1. Two colours was a deliberate choice to emphasize dimensionality, And let the lower rings peep out through upper ring spaces. Go right ahead & steal all you want, Robin :-)))
      And, this particular layering is not at all difficult - it is simple picot joins. Pick up your shuttles right away, with any leftover thread & tat 4 rings & you'll see how basic this is . Challenge ? ;-))

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  5. A wonderful array of hearts, beautifully tatted - thanks for sharing

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    1. Thanks so much, Sally. Hope to see a few of these on your blog :-)

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  6. Wow hearts galore, a beautiful piece of interesting hearts, all so beautifully described and tatted.
    I saw Mary's gorgeous heart and I did many of her butterflies which to me is the same sort of pattern and I am planning on trying this heart as soon as I can, it's really lovely the way she designed it.
    The pain in the what's it butterfly is now in my blog,
    Have a lovely Valentine's Day.
    Margaret

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    1. Oh Mary’s butterfly is gorgeous ! As is this heart pattern.
      You did a swell job on the recent butterfly, Margaret and your trials and tribulations don't show at all in that beauty :-)

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  7. Happy Valentine's Day! I wanted to do a couple of these hearts too - but Valentine's Day is already over! Good on you for getting all these done in good time.

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    1. Any day is good for tatting a heart, Grace ;-)
      I'm enjoying doing small pieces at the moment, jumping from one quickly finished piece to the other.

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  8. Great hearts, a few I need to try. Hearts Desire remains my favorite and I tat it at least once a year.

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    1. Thanks Bernice :-) I, too, should follow your lead & tat one every year.

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  9. Lots of fabulous hearts!!!! :)

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    1. Thanks, Sue :-) All credit to the amazing designers !

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  10. Beautiful hearts! Curly heart is my favorite.

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    1. Thanks Marja :-) Yes, the Kiss & Curl Heart has such an elegant minimalistic outline !

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