Showing posts with label inchies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inchies. Show all posts

Friday, 9 December 2016

all in rings

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Sharing 2 more patterns . It’s all about rings this time, though the piece turns into a perfect square.

Inchies are 1 inch squares. I’ve seen them made with paper & fabric, but not yet with tatting. I Loved designing them. (How about Twinchies – 2 inch squares - next?)
And for photographic effect, in keeping with the season, they have been paced over baubles as embellishment. Now if only there were some beads in there !!!

Inchie - One

Most of the prototypes (& patterns) shared in last couple of months were created with This Way or Tat? in mind – I wanted something quick & small, incorporating the rules presented in TWoT diagrams. Little pieces that one could tat & explore with thread left over in shuttles. The difficulty level ranges mainly from beginner to intermediate.

Inchie One is a simple single-shuttle square with inward facing rings. Tension is important, though, to get the exact dimensions of a square. 
The pdf provides details of tension, considering the difference in individual tatting, thread brands, etc. But it would be a good idea to draw a square or use a grid. Use this as a template to cross check while tatting.

Realised only now that I haven't even blocked this piece.



Inchie - Two
(a prototype)
Inchie Two can be worked with split rings, thus avoiding lock joins. But
  1. the direction of the split rings would change – I wanted all rings to seemingly radiate from the center.
  2. It would necessitate knowledge of working the split ring.
  3. I wanted to see for myself the antique tatting style – I’ve been an admirer of Mme Reigo’s Bunch of Grapes !
For these reasons I chose to go with the old world style of tatting. Antique patterns use a needle to attach bare thread to picots, before the chain was invented; I chose to make a lock join where required. The lock join helps me manipulate the position of the small rings, without resorting to split rings, yet gives an idea of how directions & sides (front, back) change between elements.

Reverse Work (RW) between each ring.
Inchie One is tatted all from the front.
Inchie Two can be tatted using directional or frontside/backside tatting. The small rings can use reverse order of double stitches (RODS).
Take care to hide the bare thread behind the 3DS of small ring before joining to picot of that ring. This will remain hidden on the back side of the piece.
Also make sure that there is just enough slack to cover the distance – thread will show if too loose; tatting will warp if too tight.
This requires a bit of practice the first time.
In my sample, the rings to the right are properly made with the traversing threads carefully hidden. This really Has to be tatted again properly!

I like the old world charm here, but would certainly like to see how the SR one would look.
These are not glued down or secured - only inserted for a photo-op - an inspired idea last night !
I think both Inchies can be used as charms for bookmarks. Or they could be joined to make a larger fabric; or joined tip-to-tip to make a bookmark or a headband adornment. Or simply sew on as embellishments.

happy tatting :-)


Rings of Wool 

Remember my August pinterest challenge? I took it a notch further and completed my wool yarn inventory this month ! That leaves only beads and related accessories, for which I bought containers last week.
These tiny crochet rings are all 6 Chain using size 13 or 2.25mm crochet hook, for consistency and comparison. Many of these are between 5-10 gms only, after their inclusion in my Memory Afghan.
That afghan used up over 60 colours/shades/yarns includig all my old stash (most of which did not even make the grade to 5gms !), and around 6-7 brands . That was part of the ojective - mission accomplished !
By the way, the afghan weighs 1.25 kg - not as heavy as my earlier ones. But oh so pretty!

I may be forced to hold off on commenting as well as a lot of my desktop work, coz now my keyboard is playing hookie!  Have ordered a new one but will be delivered only next week ! Even this post has been corrected on my tablet. Many slip betwixt the cup and the lip ! 

HEYYYYY ! I'm back for a quick update. DH was chatting, saying I must've uploaded 100 posts & I said they are closer to 200. And guess what, when I checked, this is my 201st post ! In 3 years precisely. Not bad, eh?!


Related Posts
TWoT - Rings Only
complete TWoT at present
Organizing Thread Stash
Memory Afghan


Tuesday, 4 October 2016

TWoT 2 : Back to Basics !

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That’s exactly how it felt ! I don’t remember tatting many rings-only patterns when I first learned, especially not with bare thread space. This time it was different – it felt like I was starting from the basics of tatting design.  I have learned (and am still learning) a lot while working on this series.

The This Way or Tat? series starred with a Preface – Quo vadis ;
then an Introduction with practice patterns (pdf here)
Continuing from where we left off in the Introduction, here is the first set - diagrams for Rings Only scenarios.

UPDATE (Oct 15, 2016) : In case the link does not work, here is an updated, revised pdf with new link --- TWoT? Set I Rings Only updated
This part consists of a guide to read the diagrams ; many small but graded (difficulty level) patterns for practice and exercise ; and questions scattered throughout the document.
Answers will be shared in the next post.

I am grateful to Rachael Mohler & Eliz Davis for graciously & enthusiastically sharing their patterns, 
and to Renata who equally enthusiastically permits me to share her doily links for this series.

I hope you have tremendous fun playing with the patterns, while keeping a close eye on the whats and whys.
I will share my own thoughts, pics and working of the wreath and square motif patterns in next post, along with some links and answers.

My own practice patterns are pretty basic, while incorporating some application of the diagrams.
These 3 patterns constitute this collage-in-the-making called …
Ring In The Bouquet !

The bouquet comprises of rings-only patterns worked with a single shuttle in size 20 thread.…
Wiggly Flowers
Forgot to join the picots in the 5-petalled yellow flower, making it fidgety. Noticed only when I started to work on the pics at my desktop. Hence the name. Maroon flower is the prototype.

Butterfly Liberated
I have struggled to design a simple butterfly. This time, it wasn’t that difficult! Hence this name.
The maroon one in topmost pic was the prototype where I deliberately left out picots.

Laurel Leaf
 Shape of this leaf had always appealed to me....
 but I joined the leaflets a bit differently, to create that mesh-like effect.

I can’t believe these or similar ones haven’t been done before; even so, I created them from scratch. 
Wiggly Flowers were easy. 
Butterfly Liberated took 1 trial. 
Laurel Leaf took 3 trials. 
When I started to design and tatted a prototype of leaf and butterfly, I searched Google, Craftree & Pinterest. The way I worked them is a bit different from the ones I found. I will willingly give credit to any designer if you can guide me....


These patterns are deliberately shared only as diagrams in this file. However, I will upload all patterns to My Patterns page, properly formatted, with written notations. These are all free to use, even if one does not want to follow the exercise.


pdf for pattern only : Ring in the Bouquet

All feedback and criticism is appreciated and welcome – it will help me improve on the next diagram sets.

Inchies 

While comparing the Set diagrams to practice patterns, I wondered if I could design a square using outward facing rings. These 2 Inchies (yes they are exactly 1” squares!) are the result of a quick tat. The right (pink) one was made first, then the beige one. These are prototypes, and I need to better them … but I like the potential of these simple airy square medallions that can be joined into a larger fabric. 


Meanwhile, I am thrilled to see at least 3 tatters working this series (3, or at least 2 More than I had anticipated,since Eliz had committed to it :-D !) 
Read Eliz’s excellent observations and applications of the previous exercise and how Ninetta has applied the exercise to her current doily project with curled rings !!! Mama Martin left a nice comment here, on how it helped her.

Set II comprises of Chains Only diagrams. But I doubt there will be these many practice patterns ;-) Hope to share it in about 10 days ...

happy tatting always, whichever direction you take :-) 


Related Posts : Preface – Quo vadis

UPDATE (April 2021): While I try to find the time and focus to complete this series, please check out these links:
Practice patterns
Rings & Chains: Minarets in the Sky; Aspiration snowflake; Hidden Rose Snowflake (rings & chains) - 
Mark Myer's Luster Snowflake  Paths/choices when climbing out with a split ring . pictorial pdf.
Lock Join Plus series - several methods that can result in change of direction, colour, etc. including when climbing out. https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2020/07/lock-join-plus.html