festival tatting

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 I should've posted this days ago but my head is immersed in another project and days kept slipping by. As always happens with me, I start off with a small goal but it keeps expanding and I seem to fall into a black hole, LOL! 

This is Manju Talekar's brilliant adaptation of a leaf pattern into an artistic collage of one of the most beloved and vastly invoked god with an elephant head - Ganeshji! There are interesting stories of how he ended up with the head of an elephant! Manju also added his vehicle, the mouse, and his favourite plate of modaks/laddoos. I'm sure you will find it interesting to read up a bit more about this god who is welcomed home every year and then sent off into the sea! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganesha  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganesh_Chaturthi

Among Hindus, any festive occasion, rite or ritual, starts with invoking his blessings for an auspicious start. Even wedding invitations have his image or mantra inscribed right at the beginning. 

 E15 Ganesh by Manju Talekar (2024) pattern pdf for #Endrucks1920Project -   https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EgXVMpAEsXA0CASayy_rShQHjGGbbQvn/view

Adapted from E15 Leaf Doodle #1 (by Muskaan) which in turn was adapted from Eleonore Endrucks' pattern E5 in her 1920 book titled, 'Die Schiffchen Spitzen'.

There is also a short explanation of a Hidden Picot in the PDF.

Here you see the leaf doodles from which she made the head and used part of the motif to create the rest of the body. The entire collage is worked in several separate pieces and then assembled together. She meant it for a greeting card, but ended up framing it.

I worked the pattern as an unofficial test-tatter while doing the pattern presentation. I still need to complete the ears before I post my version. It tats up very quickly!

With Ganesh Chaturthi on 27th (through to 7th Sep) there is still plenty of time to tat your idol in thread and add to your decorations when Ganpati Bappa comes home!

PLEASE mention the name of the designer, the name of the pattern, and the hashtag #Endrucks1920Project whenever you post your version, as a courtesy to the designer.

Many many thanks, Manju, for this lovely model and pattern!

smiling together

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Ninetta recently surprised me with a thoughtful and gorgeous gift on my birthday. She sent me the pattern for her cute little flowers which she named after my moniker Muskaan which means Smile! What an honour! This sweet Hiding Lady knows how to impress and she shared the Smiling Flowers (rose) pattern here -- https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2024/07/smiling-flowers.html 

This is my adapted application into a rakhi/bracelet choosing to represent our tricolour (tiranga) Indian flag. This month we celebrate our Independence Day and Raksha Bandhan just days apart.

Saffron Marigold impression - Marigolds are considered pure and auspicious flowers and you will find them during any Hindu festival or ceremony.

It largely follows Ninetta's instructions except for the petals on the 2nd row where I used graduated treble tatting with 4 wraps. 

(For graduated tds, refer - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2018/07/multiples.html)

 

White Lotus impression - Lotus is our national flower and also symbolizes purity and peace. 

Although not very clear in the pics, the 2nd round petals have distinctly graduated tds with a pointed tip. Instead of 5tds, there are 7 tds with 1tds(1,3), 1tds(1,4), 1tds(1,5), 1tds(2,6), and ditto on the other side with 5, 4, 3 wraps.   

(For notations, refer - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2020/05/double-trouble-motif.html)

Blue Center - Clear blue bicone faceted crystals at the center for the Ashok Chakra in the center of our flag. I didn't have any blue bead larger than this.

Tempted to tat one more round of petals for the marigold but I desisted for two reasons - one, I ran out of thread; two, how can a marigold be larger than a lotus, LOL.

( Find treble tatting tutorial/video links here - https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_95.html and on my Tatting Resources page.)

Green Leaves - The third colour of our tricolour is green which symbolizes prosperity, vitality.

Ninetta used the tds rings as calyx for her flowers. I used it to make leaves with more tds and some graduation.

Tatted continuously with a single shuttle, the leaf clusters are connected with a ring braid with pulled loop joins (leave bare thread at the back of the ring and make a lock join to the picot). This will act like a frame to secure the flowers.

Assembled together and attached to a doubled string of beads (12 on one side, 14 on the other for that 'gap'). All sewn in.

The beads are actually silver - like silver lining clouds against a blue sky.

So this is my Rakhi/Bracelet 2024 from Ninetta's beautiful pattern! Over the years, I have often used the tricolour to celebrate August 15th (including Har Ghar Tiranga with the 75 year old coin), and have also shared some of my tatted rakhis. 

And making short work, I am submitting this for Natalie Rogers' PICOT Bingo game, crossing off three boxes --- Treble Tatting Stitch , Add Beads , and Tat a Bracelet! 

Oh, and I used Anchor Pearl Cotton, size 8, throughout. 

I find the treble tatting stitch quite addictive! I honestly didn't want to stop tatting. If it weren't for the thread and time running out, I would've continued!

In my haste, though I forgot to add a clasp to the beaded ends!

Small 3D flowers always remind me of Carollyn Brown who had made it her personal goal to tat one floral sprig every month for a year! She always managed to amaze me. You can find her blog here - https://tennbrown.blogspot.com/2020/11/

And adding to the all-encompassing nature of this post, this rakhi/bracelet in flag colours is my August submission to splocik's Small Decorations game. Please do head over to the July gallery to check out the talented and diverse submissions compiled there - https://splocik2.blogspot.com/2024/08/male-dekoracje-2024-galeria-lipcowa.html

Thank you my dear partner in crime, Ninetta, for the honour and friendship you bestowed on me. It is precious! Keep smiling, always :-))) 

barely in time

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This pattern was long since completed and waiting to be blogged on the 14th of Jan when we celebrate the entry of the sun in Capricorn. generically called Uttarayan (movement towards the northern hemisphere), a harbinger of spring and summer. A pan-Indian festival with numerous regional names and slightly different ways of celebrating. 

unblocked motif

It also indicates the beginning of the harvest season. Diversity apart, sesame or til and jaggery or gur are the two common ingredients throughout, though the resulting sweet is prepared differently in different regions, but distributed around. It is only in Punjab, where a bonfire is lit to celebrate 'lohri', that corn, too, is popped and distributed. This is why I was waiting to share the pattern. This year both 14th and 15th were celebrated, hence I'm really not that late, LOL.

pinned picots

You might remember the range of design possibilities of one motif from Endrucks' pattern #15 shared here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-power-of-15.html

uncut picots

This time it is another doodle called E15 Ear of Maize, which with minimal changes can become a lavender sprig, any other inflorescence, wheat or other cereal spikelet, or even a feather. Perhaps you can come up with another idea?

snipped and trimmed picots

I have used 3 colours, but only one shuttle throughout. And you don't even need to hide the tails of the husk and stem! By force of habit, I forgot to do it in both models and hid most tails. Just leave ample lengths at the start and finish and trim later.

Hope you like this and enjoy tatting it. 

E15 Ear of Maize pattern pdf :  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GEms2X1Xmk1YHwrDz_3F7FiDLgIVpmz-/view

second motif

The motif actually jumped out when I saw Paola Emilia Rotuletti's E15 Star pattern worked in shades of yellow by other tatters!  

Add findings and we could have a pair of earrings or pendant? Perhaps even add beads to the kernels?

Related posts -

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-power-of-15.html

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/12/lets-flourish.html

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/12/lighting-up.html

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/01/unlimited.html

har ghar tiranga

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 Celebrating 75 years of Independence (August 15th) with a tatted version of my flag.

Har Ghar Tiranga campaign is about flying a flag in each home. I chose to tat a flag around a 1947 coin.

It's so good to look out the balcony or window and see flags flying merrily in the monsoon breeze. 

I've been sharing my tatting progress this entire August. Now it was time to assemble. 

 

Saffron - I used marigolds to symbolise sacrifice and auspiciousness. My original intention was to have the 'petals' raised up. Couldn't accomplish it since these flowers are so tiny.

White - waves in water symbolise peacefulness, serenity, peaceful coexistence.

Glued in overlapping layers.

Green - I used leaves to symbolise prosperity though it denotes faith and chivalry.

As expected there are gaps in the green rectangle, which were later filled with single or double leaves, as required.

For the pole, I tatted an onion ring using metallic silver thread, size 20. Then I couched over doubled up strands. The pole could've been thicker, but oh well ....

Ashok Chakra - the emblem represents the eternal wheel of law. I used the 1947 coin from hubby's old collection. It was the discovery of this coin that flagged off my idea early this year.

Flag tatted in Anchor Pearl Crochet Cotton, size 8, measures 13.5cms x 9cms.

saffron - 00316 ; white ; green - 00245 ; blue - 00133

This is how the edge of the coin looked after the split ring braid was wrapped around it. I had wanted to outline the coin, but without adding bulk. Since I didn't know how to go about it, I had left it as is.

Then inspiration struck! Wound my shuttle and threaded a long tail through a needle. This tail acted as the core thread and I worked chains between rings using reverse stitch (direct tatting). The needle came in handy to slip under each ring.

And this is how it looks with a chain passing through the SRs.

A close-up of the simply encircled coin.

There should be 24 spokes on the wheel which could easily be sewed in with finer thread, but I left it open so that the coin face and date is clearly visible.

I was pleasantly surprised that gluing everything together was accomplished in a single day! Today I merely filled in the gaps with extra leaves and flowers, and worked the pole.

And I sewed down the coin instead of gluing it, to keep my options open.

The Aida cloth is mounted on an embroidery hoop (25.5 cms diameter along the inner edge).

So this is it. My artistic Indian flag in tatting. 

Hope you enjoyed my 10 day journey as I join my country in celebrating Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav!

Related Posts -

Days 1 to 3 - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2022/08/flagging-off-new-project.html

Day 4 - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2022/08/day-4-and-more.html

Days 5 & 6 - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2022/08/mirroring.html

Days 6 & 7 - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2022/08/wave-trial-endrucks-style.html

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2022/08/alternate.html

Day 8 - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2022/08/waves-of-satisfaction.html

Day 9 - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2022/08/satatisfaction.html

free together

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The florets fell off the tree and got threaded into a bracelet! This is my Independence Day bracelet, with a stylised representation of our tricolour (or Tiranga,  as in Union Jack or Stars and Stripes).

I remember using the Indian flag colours in tatting twice before - unintentionally in the Spring Garland , and intentionally in Ninetta's Girotondo . But neither had any blue in it.

Each colour has a meaning attached to it. Saffron for strength and courage; white for peace; green for growth and prosperity. The blue crystal in the center represents the Dharma Chakra - wheel of truth, or righteousness.

I'm sure you can choose colours to symbolise your own flag if you end up tatting it.

FREE  TOGETHER  BRACELET (aka Tiranga bracelet)

This is a very simple pattern. Worked in Anchor Pearl Cotton size 8. 

Each of the 12 rosettes is tatted separately. 5 rings of 5-15-5, linked in a circle, made with one shuttle.

The 'toggle' is made as follows :

Rosette : [4-12-4]x5 . To reduce tail ends, work the last ring as a split ring (4+12/4), joining to 1st ring. Then add new colour to make the chains. Each chain is 14ds, lock join. After completing the round, snip off one thread and add 3rd colour. Each chain here is 16ds, lock join.

Tat over tail at the start of each round, and hide previous tail within new element or whip stitch. Refer False CTM and/or Adding new thread to chain (tutorial links In case a link does not work, substitute .in with .com)

I had to improvise a lot while assembling the flowers! Lots of false moves and backtracking, but I am more than happy with the result - the overlapping of flowers is exactly how I'd visualized it.

Without boring you with details, here's how the final assembly happened - Start 3 spiral or Josephine chains, one in each colour. At the beginning, I held open each chain with a paper clip. In the end, it was through these tiny open spaces that thread was inserted to secure the tassel.

We no longer need the shuttles. Beads and flowers are strung through these 6 strings in this order - blue crystal, flower, 2 pearl beads. Repeat till all 12 flowers are strung. End with desired length of pearl beads, 1 blue crystal, the 'toggle' flower, 1 more pearl, knot together, leave a length like a stem for the flower, and knot again. Snip. 

This bunch of threads makes it easier to grip and insert through the spiral chain spaces and pull the flower through, to hold the bracelet in place.

Now here's a behind-the-scenes solution. It turned out that the blue crystal could carry only 4 threads, and was small enough to pass through the flower center. My solution : Depending on the colour of the flower which follows the blue bead, thread the crystal and flower with 4 threads of the other 2 colours. The 2 remaining threads are inserted Between 2 rings of the flower, on 'opposite' ends, and knotted securely Behind the flower. This holds the beads in place, takes care of the unstrung threads, and maintains the overlap!

I could've snipped off 1 thread in each colour, but I liked this solution and nothing is visible. Hence, make sure you have everything pre-planned and pre-measured ;-D

@@@ 

Almost every Indian household starts the day with "utterly butterly delicious" Amul butter ;-P

As I scroll through this 50th year celebration book (2012) - Amul's India - it is like refreshing and revisiting the various facets of India and Indians - a fun way to review history through their weekly slogans! It would not be an exaggeration to say India's Amul. 

They usually avoid controversial topics, focusing more on the positives and achievements. To tell a story in a few short words using clever puns, portmonteaux (mostly bi-lingual), and wordplay - just too good! It is a great book to spend some moments with any time of the day!

To my Indian readers, how many of you look forward to Amul's ad every Wednesday? I still remember almost leaning out of the train on my way to college, to catch a first/early glimpse of the new hoarding every week! Now of course, I quickly skim through the newspaper to see what the polka dotted girl has to say.

Tatting Doodles

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Tatting for Holi 

It’s Holi time – a festival of colours, of advent of  Spring, of start of lunar New Year (for some Hindu communities), a washing away of the past & starting afresh, ….

A while back when I searched for tatting related to Holi, I couldn’t find anything; so decided to try something myself. 

This doodle composition, which makes a nice greeting card, too, gradually took shape as well as symbolic meaning. 

I visualized 2 pichkaris (pronounced as pitch-kaa-ree), the quintessential image of Holi with water curlicues in Spectrum colours. I have deliberately not used the term ‘water pistols’ or ‘water guns’…. Later I added a 3^rd pichkari doodle. 

Made with Bliss variegated threads, perhaps a size 3 or 7. Main body of each measures approx 1½” x ½”

Floating Chain, Block tatting

Floating Chain, Block tatting.
The longer piston has picots for attachment

Lock Chain piston, Twisted picot handle,
Lock Chain Block tatting 

Techniques used & Tutorials referred 

(click on each for link to page)

Block tatting -easy way 

Lock Chain BlockTatting  (although I did it a bit differently, using 2 shuttles & switching at each row)

Floating Chains / SSSCh video tutorial 

Twisted Picot for handle bar of 3^rd pichkari doodle

Each pichkari spouts a different colour of water, one each of the 3 basic colours, red, blue, yellow. 

I used fine Rayon &/or silk threads & worked almost blind (stitches based mainly on experience & tactile decisions). 

Floating chains (SSSCh) for water

The tiny ring in some chains
is a water droplet

Yellow thread kept breaking ;-(

In a later post, I will detail out the process & stitchcounts (wherever possible). It was a continuous process of learning & tweaking & adapting. Not happy with the Lock Chain Block Tatting in this instance, but persisted because I wanted to add to my ‘new technique learned’ list.

A little cheating here. Simply tied a secure knot & snipped.

A greeting card for Holi, 

using tatted doodles & symbolism 

So, what do you think this composition, and it’s elements, signifies ?

Happy Tatting :-)

Motif # 15 / II for 25 Motif Challenge