hidden treasures

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I can’t explain the feeling. I have tatted patterns shared online, making coloured versions or with other tweaks/techniques. Some morphed into adaptations. Something similar is now happening with my patterns! It is so gratifying to see tatters enjoying a pattern, a design so much and exploring new avenues through it.

When creating a pattern, one keeps thinking of ‘what if…’, but there are limitations to how much I do myself. Then I get to see those or newer ideas being implemented on the original and I am thrilled!

Of the patterns I've shared so far in 25 snowflake project, Hidden Rose snowflake is one of the more popular ones. Some have attested to becoming ‘addicted’ to it – making more than 4, 5, 6,….! Playing with it! 

With due permission, I am posting only a few pics to showcase some of their ideas - some pics were sent privately, others were on facebook. In chronological order - 

Anita Barry immediately converted it into a heart!

Elisabetta de Napoli tatted the entire flake with metallic thread.

Jeanie Schekel quickly belted out SIX 2-coloured beauties and even ‘taught’ it to her group. They had some difficulty with the direction, which I can totally understand. When this project is over, I intend to tat the flake again so that it moves in clockwise direction instead of counterclockwise, and post those instructions.

Jean Gordon is on her FOURTH flake, determined to make it perfect and send out as gifts.

And the piece de resistance …

Krystyna Mura made several (and has a half page of notes for tweaks/ideas!). Of those, this one holds a very special place in my heart. She wove in gold thread in the center to reflect the gold-plated rose I showed you!

She went further to make these single rose buds as jewellery for her daughter.

Aren’t they the cutest! I couldn’t have done such a great job.

There are many more tatters who uploaded their beautiful work on facebook (or in respective blogs) – many of them can be found in my timeline or in one of the fb tatting groups, or by typing Hidden Rose Snowflake.

If you have made any of my patterns and wish to have it posted in my blog, please do not hesitate to tell me. 

Silver Linings snowflakes

Before I forget yet again, I condensed the 4 pages of Silver Linings snowflakes into 1 single page, and added a legend and some more info. I had already updated the post. But here’s the new link to the single page.

Keep them coming, tatters, and thanks for your interest ! 

And time for the 21^st snowflake …stay tuned !

Related Posts

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2019/10/flowers-love-me.html - original

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2019/12/open-treasures.html - rose & heart adaptations

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2020/03/hidden-directions.html - clockwise pdf

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2020/08/hidden-option.html - a 2-round working method

power winding

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You’ve heard me mention Jean Gordon in a few posts where I also shared a few of her projects. She calls herself my “dedicated reader” ;-D. She has been a crocheter but has taken up tatting for the last few years. Before I continue with the main purpose of this post, here’s some eye-candy from her...

Hummingbird Rose Doily  (crochet Jean Gordon)

JAG Filet Mat  (crochet Jean Gordon)

Rosette Doily  (tatting Jean Gordon)

 Powering a Shuttle Winder – how to

Jean Gordon

pdf download ; video

A few months back Jean shared a rapid shuttle-winding idea with me – “a simple Magic”. Now who doesn’t love magic, especially if it gets our shuttles filled in a jiffy, with no elbow grease?! She has kindly prepared a 2-page document with written instructions as well as a video – a lot of ‘firsts’ for her…

Disclaimer : We are not associated or affiliated with the products/companies/brands or sellers mentioned. Jean would simply like tatters to draw full benefit from the tools if they so desire. 

The following is mostly in her words ….

I’ve been seeing people with the Tatting Shuttle Winder picture attached and wished that it was powered.  I’ve had one for couple years and my husband found THE WAY to make it power wind.

And the magic wand that powers and speeds up the winding process is … wait for it …. a small 4v drill !!!

With power comes motion – some undesired ;-p Hence a non-slip surface (like a shelf liner seen in pics) will keep the winder stable when the drill is in action.

Besides speed and comfort, this process helps to eliminate the thread twisting like when the shuttle is filled by hand. It can also be used to unwind shuttles.
There is also a tip about how to wind 2 shuttles continuously using these tools.

There have been so many Tatters that have offered online help to Tatting Newbies that this will be sort of my way of pay-back.

Click to download this free pdf document for all details, with more pics and video :

Powering a Shuttle Winder (pdf) ; Using a Powered Shuttle Winder video.

So who wants to power their winder ??? Jean found a video showing the multiple uses this 4v drill can be put to - so it's more bang for your buck !!!

Cluny looms

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My 2015 Cluny tatting series had links to many different types of Cluny looms. I have since come across a couple more that are listed here. ( I'm too scared of updating my post for fear it may jump from 2015 to 2018! Blogger as already messed up the September postings!) But this post is the result of what Jean Gordon sent me recently.

Shoebox Lid cut into a Cluny loom by Jean Gordon

Based on my Cluny tatting pictorials, Jean started learning on a card loom. However the card loom didn’t work for her when it came time to close the tally. Weaving went fine, but she had difficulty with the shed and removing the top loop from the loom. So she came up with the idea of a shoe box lid. Box looms are common and many have made them at home. What I like particularly about Jean’s loom is that

1. it is shallow, not deep and bulky like the shoe box, making storage a non-issue; and
2. she cut slits into the lid which acts as a built-in shed – no knobs or pins, and so on! 

Jean's Cluny tatting on a card loom

Notice how the slits are in the same place in both the flat card loom & the lid loom?

Handy Hands' Ultimate Cluny Loom
(image from pinterest)

I also came across the Ultimate Cluny Loom from Handy Hands. The name is justified because the loom can be worked by right and left handers by simply flipping it. Markings on both surfaces are easy to follow. Tamie has uploaded a video here about this product for Georgia’s Advanced Online Tatting Class.

Last but not least is Tim Kaylor’s 3D printed loom – his own original design! He was kind enough to offer to send me one when he first made them.

Meanwhile I’m getting ready to post the next pictorial showing 3-coloured Cluny leaves. And I need to start on that butterfly pattern – converting it into Cluny wings! Tons of tatting and blogging looming ahead :-D

needle tips

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When I was tatting back in the mid-80s till about a few years back, my Anchor tatting book & a few other patterns said “tie and oversew” at the end. Despite asking/searching, nobody seemed to know what it really meant. Similar questions are often faced by beginners who start on their own. Which is why I was recently requested to write a post about the tools used to hide ends and the tips I shared privately. When somebody shares, we all learn.

So, at your request, Jean ....

Which needle to use?

I remember Grace Tan telling me about tapestry needles for sewing in ends. These have a long/large eye and a blunt tip which prevents snagging & fraying the tatting thread. They are also called darning needles or long- or large-eyed needles.

This is the Pony tapestry needle set with coloured ends. 

I also slipped in a few larger wool needles for the extra thick threads.

This image shows the comparative size of needle and thread...

from top -

Large eye blunt needle – size 3 or 5 crochet cotton

Size 22 – size 10 Anchor knitting cotton

Size 24 – size 20 Anchor crochet cotton (about as thick as a Lizbeth size 10)

Size 26 – size 40 crochet cotton
Size 28 – size 50 and finer. Here it carries simple sewing thread which is knotted. I use this for stringing small beads.

A needle-threader is essential.

A couple of tips, that work for me, on how to use it effectively.

Hold the threader horizontally through the eye. 

In other words, let the needle stand erect/vertical and the wire loop open when seen from top. Then insert the thread through loop, pull loop and the thread is smoothly pulled through.

I find that holding the threader as in the bottom left, is not always effective, despite what the instructions on the threader show.

Secondly, keep the tail end short while threading. 

By doing so, we can go down a needle size! It may fray a bit at the tip, though, as seen in the collage. But the advantage is that we get a finer needle to sew through the stitches.

Whip stitching

Sewing in the end tails is the most common and secure method of finishing off. The various ways of sewing in the tail pertain to where the needle is inserted in the tatting stitch – weaving under the caps from top (whip stitch) or through the legs. You can find some of the how-tos here. 
Ever since madtatter80 posted her video, I’ve been hooked to whip stitching. It is almost invisible, easy to do, and does not add bulk.

I’ve used my earlier diagram to indicate where to insert needle. 

I prefer weaving the needle under the crests, but one may choose to do it under the troughs. 

For a pdf download of this diagram, click here

Note that I have not drawn the woven tail in the diagram but can be seen in the tatted model and collages below.

Here I have used a different colour to show whip stitch 

and am piercing needle through the crests. 

Weaving progresses from right to left here.

Once the thread is pulled, it almost disappears!

Here the cream thread is hidden under the ring stitches,

woven from left to right under the crests. 

see the complete post (with pdf) here

And of course, one can hide ends without sewing, whichever may be the last element(s)! As I said before, this post is in response to a specific situation and question.

happy tatting always :-)

giving and receiving

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…. thanks q

According to the Hindu calendar, Guru Poornima is celebrated every year on full moon of the 4th month - this time it fell on the 27th. As per scriptures, it is a day to offer respect and gratitude to one’s teachers. So this may be almost a 3,000 year old legacy! 

Thought I’d give my thanks to each tatter/blogger I’ve had the pleasure to meet online – I always learn a little something and add to my knowledge, be it from a beginner question, peer consultation, or expert advice.

Firstly, I’d like to thank the extremely talented Mari-jan. We got acquainted, and have been in touch, when they asked to publish my pattern in their publication, De Frivolite(k)ring . Recently she celebrated her 1^st blog anniversary and surprised me with this lovely handmade silk plum blossom and handwritten card. 

  

Update : Mari-jan has posted details about this technique here.

Next, as a thank-you gesture for helping her out with some tatting snags over time, Jean Gordon shared this joyful bookmark pattern! I got down to tatting it almost immediately, spurred by her tatted models.

This is the Butterfly Bookvine designed by Kimberley Donohue 

published in #16, KNOTS tatting newsletter, March 1997. 

Jean made a few tweaks and re-wrote it.

I really liked Jean’s colour scheme above! 

I chose the closest I could get from my Anchor size 40 stash. I want to make another with more colourful butterflies and vine using embroidery thread.
It measures 13×3cms without tail.

Butterflies are superb in that there was no need to hide ends at all since we end with a split ring! Instead of using 2 shuttles, I left a long tail in the beginning to use for the 2nd side of split ring and one antenna.

There are 2 versions of the butterfly in the pattern. I chose the more decorative one. 

For the vine, instead of SLT, I used the Reverse Join to switch threads, thus ending up tatting it with one shuttle and green ball thread. 

One has to keep track of the joins, though. I kept making mistakes linking to the butterfly and ended up retrotatting.

You know I like tails on my bookmarks. So a lock stitch chain it was. But for the tassel, I have to thank Stephanie Wilson. Last year, when she was test tatting one of my patterns, she shared her wonderful idea – collect all the scrap threads and make tassels! 

I finally remembered in time, and am so happy with the result, even though these were the only scraps left from recent projects in my tiny collection box. I added a green border on either side of the wrap-around -- ALL scrap!!!.

Here’s another of Jean’s tatting sample (still unblocked). She’s been tatting for just over a year and already learned interlaced rings (the 4-shuttle braid) & the floating twisted picot!

Blogging has brought me so many extraordinary friends!

Many many thanks to this tatting circle of friends qYq