evolutionary addiction

 What can I say?! As mentioned in my previous post, 28th June was the birth anniversary of Eleonore Endrucks nee Leichtenstern and couple of days before that Ninetta came up with the idea to derive and tat '28' to accompany her celebratory post. She had found the number in pattern #21 from Endrucks' book! We discussed some tweaks especially since she wanted to tat the digits continuously, joined. 

E21 pattern - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jDCqMLQ8ZhYOmlWA_po8hJqzO4aLJdW5/view

Life intervened and since we didn't know whether she'd be able to tat it in time, I volunteered to tat the two digits which would serve as a backup. Here's the design story as it unfolded. Tatting individual trial/prototype motifs takes less time and easier to correct than if the digits were attached.

Digit 2 version1 - This is almost an exact copy of the motif from E21.

IDEAS - Doesn't it look like a little duck with its head in the sky - is it Huey, Dewey, or Louie I wonder?!

Digit 8 version1 - A simple extension of the lower chain to link to the top circle, and we have an 8.

IDEAS - To me this looks like a little pig, a teddy, or even a cat.

Number 28 version1 - The '2' just wasn't making it, right! 

After some deliberations, I decided to tat it again. 

Digit 2 version2 - I had folded the base of version1 and it looked nice, hence incorporated the idea here. Keeping the rest of the motif same, only the base chain was reversed.

IDEAS - This looks like a flower, a snail hopping along, or a little girl with her head down and knees bent perhaps reading a book or something. It could also be the bust of a lady doing needlepoint! 

Number 28 version2 - both together and done in time. 

This is the image Ninetta used since she couldn't manage to tat her number.

IDEAS - The little piglet seems to be curious what the cartoonish girl is doing, LOL.

IDEAS - When the two digits are placed one over the other, our cat gets it's tail! Or perhaps it's a squirrel or chipmunk.

Digit 2 version3 - Call it addiction, call it a quick tat, call it design evolution.... not being happy with the previous motifs, I decided to give it a quick whirl again and give Ninetta a surprise (shhh, she doesn't know what I've been up to today, LOL)

As you can see, I removed the upper ring and separated the top arm. Finally happy with '2'.

Digit 8 version2 - And in keeping with the style, I removed the upper ring from this motif, too.

Number 28 version3 - Both together. The small ring could've been removed altogether, but I didn't want to deviate too much from the original pattern, if it could be helped. And of course, it is always easier to start with a ring.

So what's your verdict? Third time's the charm?

Pic showing the design evolution of digits 2 and 8 derived from E21 (initial idea - Ninetta Caruso)

I have jotted down the pattern for all 5 motifs. Can't say when it'll be shared, though.

Models tatted with Olympus size 40, shade 283. Except for ver3 2 which is 1-1/4cm high, the rest are 1.5cms high. Width ranges from 1cm to 1-1/4cm.

⛈🌦⛈🌦⛈🌦⛈🌦⛈🌦⛈

And we finally have cool temps! It rained (another freak record leading to water-logging and other woes) and while it is very humid, the change to 30s is welcome as is the cool water from the taps!

see the Cs

June 28th is the 139th birth anniversary of Frau Eleonore Endrucks and what better game than to use her own patterns to spell her name?! Her patterns are so versatile that within minutes of opening her book and scrolling through it, I discovered 3 letters - 

• E jumped right out from E2 without requiring any change; 
• D could be extracted by rotating E5; and
• C was visible in E17 when flipped over! 

Not wanting to spoil the detective work for our participants, I simply stopped scrolling. But Ninetta sent me another which was again in plain sight - 

• N from E24 by flipping the pattern and two possibilities.

And thus began our game of the month for June 2024 - Name Me Endrucks, with Ninetta creating this fun cover pic! You can find all details about how to go about it here - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zpZaumcrLJQyexy68EAZr2AhyGBi0pRg/view

Details of all our past games can be found in this active EP Events doc - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZiNdE53cvqj2cLlxVP-wlga8aocPtzs5/view

I was supposed to take a backseat for a couple of months since my PIC (partner in crime, Ninetta) was relatively free to host games. But along came the International Lace Day on 23rd June and it was too good an opportunity to pass by. Why not accomplish two tasks in one stroke!

Here are two 'C's I tatted all within a span of a couple of hours while watching 'Twelve Final Days' of Federer's countdown to retirement. A wonderful morning. Tennis has never been the same since his retirement, though, and while I generally know what's going on, we rarely watch it.

Two shuttles were already wound the previous day with Olympus size 40 thread and the pattern sketched with stitch count as preparation too. This year ILD celebrated it's 10th year and at start of event, there were 1558 registrations from 59 countries! It was my third year participating and all 3 ended up with Endrucks' patterns! Lacers are still uploading pics of their individual or group participation with gorgeous laces.

I think next year we should enter the Endrucks 1920 Project FB group in the ILD, too. We can all participate as a unit from our individual locations. If only the idea had come earlier...

This is from E17 with minor tweaks in the ring stitches to make them smaller. I like this one and it tats up quickly. There is a short bridging chain between the two rings at the bottom in order to work the motif in one pass. I will share the pattern when I can. It can be worked with a single shuttle and ball and can easily be used to create an entire alphabet and numbers.

E17 pattern - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sStHg5IQmuwizC7QcKRaX951CvVoURbn/view

And this second C is derived from E10 (version 2) with very little change. It was inspired by the superb letter D tatted by Manju Talekar from E10. I consider this a prototype trial since some tweaking can improve it especially if used as a monogram. However if a complete alphabet can be created, it might fit in. This letter can also be worked with ball and shuttle.

E10 pattern - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YFBYqbgssthqDKYi8YkTX-fvAPmIYbm-/view

Future Ideas - Looking at the E10 letter C image later, do you C what I C ....

1. an upright tortoise (rotate it 90 degree clockwise and complete/connect the lower part of the body)

2. a bent old person with a walking stick

3. a lady pushing a pram

C U soon!

oh for cool breeze

 After a long severe winter spell we are in the throes of a long hot summer spell since the start of May. The maximum temperature hovers between 40C to 45+C and now the minimum is up to 33-34C as well. And so a reminder of the cool climes in the land of firs, pines, and spruces! Christmas in June.

This was my 3rd submission for the May game - Inflate Me Endrucks.

A 3D Christmas tree assembled using 3 motifs instead of 2.

I already had the first two E15 tree doodle motifs in my stash and I just needed to tat one! These are such quick tats, done in a single sitting. Pattern: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oq9kkuSN2e0Qnh0N1fUr00MT8HrZ7-cz/view

Again I followed Pitsibaa's tutorial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0MInK7b65Q to sew and stiffen the motifs. I left the base of the trunk and part of one side open for stuffing, while sewing down the rest. 

TIP: This time I sewed through the stitch caps rather than picots, thus leaving free picots along the sides for a more natural tree-like feel.

A large bead was inserted in the trunk. 

Then a sequin base was glued to cover the open trunk base and keep the bead inside. This was tricky coz the sequin wouldn't adhere.

TIP: Use a tiny piece of double-sided tape or a piece of tissue with glue on both sides. This insertion allows the sequin to stick and stay.

The 3D tree from 3 different angles ....

On two motifs I sewed faceted tear drop crystals to cover the open space.

Gluing the two star sequins at the tip was tricky, too. I used the above described tip to join the two sequins with a deliberate shift to get more spokes.

Another angle showing the fairy light beaded strings.

This tree is free-standing. Since one of old motifs had a loop to hang as a tree ornament, I let it be. Thus this motif has both options - to dangle or to stand!

 🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄

 This tree ornament is also my submission for Small Decorations game by splocik. Check out the May submissions by the talented participants here - https://splocik2.blogspot.com/2024/06/male-dekoracje-2024-galeria-majowa.html. It's Christmas in June, splocik :-)

 🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄

I apologise for not responding to emails or leaving comments in blogs, though I do try to read everything - will catch up soon, promise. Part of the reason is the weather-induced sluggishness and partly because my head is back into editing (book as well as helping out with a couple of pattern presentations). I do make quick FB forays, though. In fact even this post was delayed because I just couldn't focus on the little details that needed to be shared. Yesterday and today the temperature slid down a bit but with increased humidity, and the prediction is for rise in temps again. World over these freaky extremes are getting more and more common. We need trees, lots and lots and lots of trees!!!

 🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄

Related Posts

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/05/is-it-plane.html

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/05/inflating-leaf.html

picot me roundup 3

 I had shifted Ninetta's entries to this Part 3 in order to equalise all 3 posts. And then I got caught up in a lot of other stuff and this post got delayed. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise 'coz a few more butterflies fluttered in! 

Game - #PicotMeEndrucks April2024

Pattern - Antonia Lai's E32 adaptation 'Life is Bliss butterfly' 

Objective - Use ornamental picots to embellish the butterfly motif. 

Roundups and details - Part 1  ; Part 2

21. Ninetta Caruso - started a virtual butterfly effect when she used Celtic Knotted Picots! Many members used the CKP, albeit in different ways, as you would've seen in previous roundups.

Calling it her Frilly Butterfly, she says, "This is the frilly butterfly that I got, ....  I tried for my first time the "Celtic knotted picot", developed by Sabina Carden-Madden, I followed her tutorial shared years ago, that luckily can be reached again using the wayback machine:

https://web.archive.org/web/20190108165755/http://www.paradisetreasures.com/ckp.html. Thank you for the fun! It's wonderful that in tatting we never stop learning!"

To me, her CKPs themselves looked like tiny butterflies!

Her 2nd entry was even frillier than the first one and she called it the Fluffy Butterfly.

She says "This is my fluffy butterfly, ... these are "layered picots", they are called also floral picots or ruffled picots, it is like the Victorian set but with picots between sections of half stitches, it's a technique already found in Priscilla's patterns."

The top view is in the inset.

22. Reiko Akamatsu - started this circular edging with a series of butterflies.

It's still a WIP and the amazing part is that she does not seem to have altered the stitch count at all. A truly versatile motif!

23. Sabine Robert - joined us for the first time with 3 versions!

She says, " - I start tatting with this Life is Bliss Butterfly pattern (2nd project, after some trainings). Not so easy, I need to do more and more"

One can already see her progress and improvement! And adding beads is not always easy for a new tatter.

24. Sara Dougan - is a new member, too. 

She used a combination of long decorative picots, double picots, and butterfly picots!

25. Silvana Buonvino - sent in these delightfully coloured versions!

Besides the pearls and beads, she used double picots, triple picots, and Josephine Picots. She asked whether the JPs could be made on rings and tried out the suggestions for her 4th butterfly! 

Voila, her 4th entry has Josephine Picots on rings as well as on chains! 

Silvana embellished her own skills along with the butterfly! 

26. Stephanie Mc (Tattimic) - shared her ideation and design process and has promised us the pattern, too!

Her 3 idea sketches (which inspired Lauretta Tondelli to learn the CKP) for which she asked for feedback.

The 3 versions that finally emerged. The one on the right uses balanced double stitches to stabilise the long "wobbly" chains and a scroll of rings and chains for the bottom wings.

She says, "But then, I still didn't have any picots, which wouldn't do for a #picotmeendrucks, right? So I asked myself how I could add a shape inside the largest loop and still use the crocheted picots suggested in the list of ideas (I like it! It's so super cute!). That's when all hell broke loose, because it meant to rethink again the initial pattern (so no real onion rings, for exemple), and I ended up with the design you see on the left. 

That being said, thank you for the initial challenge, haha. It sparked my imagination!"

And what a spark it is! 

The metamorphosis process in thread!

She says, "And here are a couple of tests I made along the way. I often see people wondering how to create new design. That's one way to go : trial and error, haha."

This is proof that designing is not always easy, despite the numerous paths one can take to convert an idea into thread.

27. Vani Kattoju - heeded my request and shared her 3 versions though she was not fully satisfied with her working. Appreciate it, Vani!

She says, "My first attempt at using vapor picots, Mrs Mee picots and tuft picots. A little Not so perfect butterfly." 

She used a mix of double picots, "...layered picots and twisted picots."

 

For her 3rd version,  "I tried daisy picots as the highlight along with few double picots."

This motif has been the vehicle for a lot of first learnings and practice makes perfect.

28. Wanda Salmans - created 5 versions and blogged about each of them.

She says, "My first try at the Picot Me Endrucks April 2024 Game of the Month. The one on the left is the pattern adaption by Antonia Lai. I started it several times - it helps not to be tired or distracted when starting something new. For the second one, I played around with picots. I used HH20-126 Purple Splendor."

Her 2nd version has overlapping double picots and twisted picots. 

Her post - https://www.wandasknottythoughts.com/2024/04/playing-with-butterflies/

3rd version is decorated with chains on long picots, giving a scalloped edge to the wings. She has used several bits and pieces on her 'Safety Pin Brooch'.  

Read all about it here: https://www.wandasknottythoughts.com/2024/04/safety-pin-brooch/

Both 4th and 5th versions use what Mark Myers' called the Picot Lock Join. It is basically a lock join made with the 2nd shuttle to a picot and the basic join in inverted tatting. 

Read her posts here - https://www.wandasknottythoughts.com/2024/05/another-life-is-bliss-butterfly/ and here - https://www.wandasknottythoughts.com/2024/05/new-things/

29. Lou Bunker - made sure her butterflies fluttered around in June.

She says, "Fun little pattern works up fast, very addictive." 

Some of her cuties have beads and double picots.

30. Manju Talekar - has this beaded beauty to share, sent in June.

She says, "I tatted it with Lizbeth variegated thread #20 color 123. The transparent glass bead in the center reflects light but cannot be seen in the picture. Wings can move up and down by the side of glass bead. Enjoyed making it."

A tatted butterfly that can actually fly - wonderful!

So this brings us to the end of the Picot Me Endrucks roundup. Ninetta and I are so grateful for this huge interest and the beauties that emerged from the game, besides the learning, exploration and experimentation. 

At final count we have an exciting 30 participants and 75 butterflies!!! Remember, if you have made any Endrucksian pattern you are free to send it to either Ninetta or to me at any time. Leave a comment in our respective blogs if you wish. (all relevant links on the right panel of this blog)

Many many thanks to all our participants for sharing your work and thoughts and brightening up the tatting skies with these lovely creations! 

Related Posts -

Lock Join with Shuttle 2 

Decorative Picots in shuttle tatting 

E32 Life is Bliss Butterfly pattern

Picot Me roundup 1  

Picot Me roundup 2

picot me roundup 2

 Continuing from my previous post showcasing the first batch of zhuzhed butterflies, there are plenty more effects to see here. Antonia Lai's Life is Bliss butterfly derived from Endrucks' pattern #32 with decorative picots for #PicotMeEndrucks April 2024.

11. Katie Verna - tatted her first two on International Tatting Day and found them "cute and fun to tat". Such an honour.

She also tried the CWJ. These two-toned motifs show a reversal of colour.

For her next attempt, Katie says, "This time I added beads to picots and attempted twisted picots with a bead. Those twisted picots were devilish--the twists liked to escape as I tried to make the following double knot! Still, a very fun project! Thank you!"

They came out looking pretty despite being troublesome :-)

12. Lauretta Tondelli - in an attempt to recreate a sketch shared by Stephanie Mc, learned to make the Celtic Knotted Picot and though she did not use it in her model below, she did tat a beautiful little butterfly with it.

Here, bullion knots decorate the chains. Notice her onion ring? That's the way she usually makes them - a continuous chain curling on itself.

13. Lella Loops - two models in needle tatting

In the first (lower) one double picots adorn the wings.

In the second (upper) model she used a cluster of 3 picots and Daniela Ambrosini's "cerchi rigati" or Ribbed Rings - something that was completely new to us! I enjoyed learning this effect with shuttle (links in the Tatting Tutorials page).

14. Maria Renee Contretras de Andretta - sent in 3 models saying "I present you my Monarch butterflies, From Guatemala."

The top one has double picots, while the lower two have adjoining picots in this lovely colourway.

15. Martha Ess - It was such a thrill to see her participating! If you are new to my blog, Martha is the one who uploaded Frau Endrucks' book to the APL and opened up a whole new world to us.

She asked, "Has anyone yet submitted Mrs. Mee's Pearl Stitch, shown here with regular and extra long twisty versions." 

Martha first brought these antique (1862) picots to light here - https://marthas-tatting-blog.blogspot.com/2011/06/amazing-mrs-mee.html

16. Martina Reinhold - also sent in two, the first being from the original itself.

In the 2nd one she used double, triple, and twisted picots. Notice how she has lengthened the pair of picots between rings and also twisted them before joining. 

17. Michelle Forclaz - sent in her lovely 2-colour version

using Josephine Rings/Picots.

18. Muskaan - made just one using

9 types (or variations) of decorative picots. The main objective was to use gathered picots to enhance the shape of the top wings and I was pleased with the effect. In addition, there are twisted picots with JR, twisted double picot, double picots (with variaitons), chain picot, graduated picots, JR, etc.

Details - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/04/taking-wing.html

 

19. Pam Bray - sent in four and kindly shared details. In her own words .....

"First attempt making a “Life is Bliss Butterfly” two colors and beads. Thread size 10 (I think)"

I like the 2 beads on the core thread of the ring topped with long picots that widen at the base because of the beads. Now this is one easy way to make a wide picot without any hassle!

2nd version - "There are four types of picots on this butterfly. It was fun to learn different kinds of picots."

Absolutely love the way her CKP antennae turned out! The other 3 picots include normal free picots, triple picots, and wide picots.

3rd version - "There are four -five types of picots on this butterfly. It was fun to learn different kinds of picots. Designing it is challenging and it is not perfect…"

I can identify loop-over picots, long picots, broomstick picots, crossed picots, and Josephine rings/picots. The antennae are quite cleverly, organically constructed.

4th version with "1. overlapping double picots, 2. Josephine ring downward picot (inside a ring), 3. twisted picot antennas , 4. daisy picots on bottom wings 5. as usual joined picots"

Now that is quite a learning curve, and so gratifying that Pam has added so many new effects to her skill set.

20. Paola Bevilacqua - has a  penchant for creating something new! And she has kindly shared her notes.

Her bookmark version tatted in plain cotton Babylo Sky in continuous tatting, butterflies facing opposite directions alternately. She explains .... "Anyway, after making the first butterfly, I turned the work around and made the second, let’s say upside down, to get the arches in the opposite position, and I went ahead rotating the work at each end of the butterfly."

It would make a nice trim, too.

In the same thread, she decorated the butterfly with small Celtic Knotted Picots alternating with treble stitch picots, and triple picots for the lower wings.

Star Circle - Here's another arrangement of the butterfly motifs in a circle with a perfect pentagon inside! It was a deliberate design decision. Graduated picots and cut picots adorn the inner space without altering the stitch count of the rings, while the periphery is enhanced with treble tatting. In these arches, she did [ch:3ds, 10tds, 3ds]. It makes a beautifully defined outline!

Her 4th version is "A butterfly perched on a poppy" and has inward facing/drop double picot (or more likely a triple picot, though not clearly visible) inside the rings; long picots; adjoining picots; and a Josephine ring on the onion ring body. She tatted the antennae at the end, inserting thread through the joining picot. It is a lock chain with a very long picot, tied back at the base. The picot is cut in the middle.

The inward-facing double/triple picots were made using what Elgiva Nicholls called 'drop' picot. This is what Paola says - "I made the reverse picot ( AA long picot BB, AA small picot BB, ) to close I took the LP with BB."
Basically, --- 2fhs, long picot, 2shs, 2fhs, small picot, 2shs joining the long picot with the 2shs. 

And again our game has thrown up new effects techniques, derivations, ..... These are opportunities to learn something new, dip your toe into designing, practice rarely used techniques, ....

For more such creativity, join me in Part 3 of this roundup, coming soon.

And if you are wondering about numbers, so far 47 models/versions have been shared by 20 members!

..... to be continued

Many many thanks to all our wonderful participants for such inspiring beauties!