marigolds in a row !

a free pattern

This is the first of 3 patterns celebrating spring.

A garland (‘toran’) of marigold interspersed with mango leaves is often seen on entrances and is considered auspicious. My visualization here is a symbolic of the explosion of marigolds with advent of spring in India and can be used as a necklace. Incidentally, marigolds are centuries-old migrants from Brazil !

UPDATE (Apr 21, 2017) : Marigold Necklace pattern is now in pdf

Spring Garland 1 –

Marigold Necklace/‘Toran’

This garland tats up straight but has enough play to be worn as a necklace. Single flower(s) can be used as applique, brooch or other embellishments. A cluster of flowers can be tatted, too. Add beads and the applications/uses multiply.

Materials : 2 shuttles - orange in shuttle 1 for flower and green in shuttle 2 for foliage.

Techniques : Layered Onion rings (OR), long picots, thrown rings, onion ring join (ORJ), long picot join or decorative picot join.

Measurements : A little over ½ inch wide and length as required.

Abbreviations :

R	ring		RW	reverse work		CH	chain
ds	double stitch		DNRW	do not reverse work		SS	switch shuttles
p	long picot		ORJ	onion ring join		–	normal picot
italics – worked backside in fs/bs tatting (optional)

Basic Pattern :

Since there is an element of freestyle in this pattern, the instructions can be considered as guidelines.

With shuttle 1, start first flower :

R1: 1ds, ( p, 1ds )x7. DNRW                               (7 picots total)

R2: 1ds, ( p, 1ds )x7, ORJ, ( p, 1ds )x7 . RW       (14 picots total)

CH: 7ds  SS

R3: 4 – 4 DNRW

R4: 7 – 7 DNRW  SS

CH: 7ds . RW

Repeat for required length, joining R2 to previous flower at 3^rd picot. Keep the joining loop long to imitate a picot. 

Please NOTE:

1. all picots (p) are long, including while joining.

2. for layered onion ring : (pictorial A )

all picots on inner ring are long ;

fold inner ring forward and start outer ring at base from behind;

when making the onion ring join, pull loop of chain thread through inner ring picot, pass shuttle, tension and make 2^nd half stitch only. 

Continue with pattern to complete the other half of ring.

One pair of unattached marigolds made.

3. joining to adjacent flower : ( pictorial B)

Start As before, fold the inner ring forward and start the outer ring from behind.  

 Make a normal picot join to the 3rd picot of previous ring, but.... 

 ...leave some slack on the loop - equal in length to the long picots. You will notice an extra length of thread, but it adds volume for a denser look.

Once the ring is closed, the extra thread is not visible. This method of joining at a distance keeps the flowers symmetric and equidistant. I termed it long picot join or decorative picot join.

A bead in the center of the flower would look great, wouldn't it ? 

And may be one could turn back joining either on the flower side or the leaf side for an insertion, bracelet, or .... I leave it to your imagination and creativity. Surprise me :-D 

This is it for now. I hope you like the pattern and enjoy tatting it as much as I did ! I will update the pdf link here, as well as on my Patterns page later.

happy tatting always J

UPDATES (April 10) : the complete pattern is now posted ....
Part 2 - Jasmine braid
Part 3 - Mustard fields
Spring Garland

This pattern was shared with Online tatting Class on April 3, 2017