willing non-volunteer

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Sounds crazy oxymoronic? Read on …

We have just thanked our very first volunteer, Mariantonietta here https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2021/11/willing-volunteer.html and now we take equal pleasure in thanking Julie, our last ‘voluntary non-volunteer’.

In Nov 2020 volunteers had chosen pattern(s) from Endrucks’ book to tat and present in modern forma,. Over time 3 of our volunteers had to step back for personal reasons and mid-2021 we opened up their selections for pickings. They were pounced upon and selection was closed.  

Direct link to pdf (updated version) - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SmqcWxtPAlvveValWZmTlq-tHucSa6wr/view

It just so happened that Julie Santos Villegas was in neither of these volunteer lists. Yet, she could not contain her enthusiasm and almost overnight she tatted pattern n.7 and shared her sampler which was slightly modified from the original. When asked if she would like to present her work in a proper pdf with pattern, she readily and whole-heartedly agreed, roping in her son to diagram it too!

Does ‘willing non-volunteer’ makes sense now? Turned out Julie was the last person to make it to the community project since all patterns were finally chosen at the time. Few changes occurred subsequently but the story will continue in respective posts. Mind you, we still have to introduce and thank many more contributors since we are not following any chronological order. And new ones are cropping up in our FB Group, too!

Throughout our collaboration and engagement, Julie has been enthusiastic, responsive and receptive in equal measure -  a true team player. It has been a pleasure to get to know her. Her son, Robbie, has been instrumental in drawing the diagram(s).

Julie had started her first sampler from the lower central ring (starred in above pic) instead of with a chain as in the original and we uploaded the pdf in July. Since then she altered the start to the side ring and also tatted a 2-colour sampler and included a written pattern so that more tatters could benefit. Robbie had to alter the diagram. They make a good mother-son team and we thank them both! 

She graciously shared her tatting journey …..

“I learned tatting in high school. I remember having a good teacher who constantly reminded me of my thread tension. I enjoyed the craft so much that I tatted a green edging for a blouse collar. It was just rings and bare thread. College and adult life followed and tatting was completely forgotten until I retired in 2008. Thinking of what to do next to occupy my retirement, I looked back to what I enjoyed most doing when I was younger. Thankfully the Internet was already dominating our lives. I googled “tatting” and the rest is history. Through you tube I learned from generous tatting masters how to make chains, cluny, split rings, onion rings and many more. There is a lot more to learn but I am not complaining. I think tatting and I will grow old together.”

Her last sentence is quite philosophical and a good way to ‘grow’…

Ninetta joins me in thanking Julie for her willing contribution, team spirit and enthusiasm.

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Endrucks 1920 Project is a community project, we welcome every one of you to join in and enjoy the modern-style pdfs that have been uploaded! Please let us know where we can find your renditions and derivative tatting!

We created the hashtag #Endrucks1920Project, so please use it for your pics to show up in a search.

*** NEW! *** We have a Facebook Group (please read the group’s description and rules before asking to join) – “Endrucks 1920 Project”: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1235560633606162   

We all enjoy sharing and experimenting and the group is waiting for you!  All info and links (original and modern) are in the Endrucks 1920 Project Document, here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17LEVftXweztBIOWh4sL4BB7bX65ssoOsOn4oXIgCepY/view

Remember there are many more modernised patterns, derived and extracted patterns/ideas, already listed in the project document, with more still to come! So, do visit and scroll through.

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With love and gratitude,
muskaan & Ninetta