Spiral Snowflake / Medallion
This snowflake is my serious foray into 2D designing. I am
more comfortable with freeform & 3D designing and my challenge is to try & create flat pieces with repeating motifs/rounds. Starting small
with this 2-round medallion. Can it go further to create a mosaic or a
multi-round doily ? Time will tell.
The
Design Process
The pattern came to me one night when I was on the brink of sleep (as often happens!). In the dark, a tablet is a handy device to jot down ideas immediately, without waking/distrubing others. But Kaleidoscope app is a bit limiting, since I cannot jot down notes alongside.
Installed the Sketch Guru app & this is the first sketch I drew on it, along with my thoughts. A no-frills skeleton.
Next step was to determine where each element will be joined, which led to inclusion of picots at those points (#2 in pic below). And a possible option to use folded rings instead of chains.
Sketch & skeleton is fine, but what about the stitchcount ?!
From position of picots, I guesstimated the stitches for
central round. My thumb rule was to use a certain number & its multiples to
keep things simple & easy to remember. I think this idea came from all the
tatting one has done & from reading Sharon Briggs’ design tutorials. Sharon ’s tutorials provide
a very practical & visual understanding of design in tatting.
And it worked the very first time round !!! So much so that
in Round 2, on the 3rd repeat itself, I felt comfortable &
confident of it's flatness and embellished it with Josephine Knots.
The only change I made in final version was to reduce 1ds
from the chains in Round 1.
Lucked out or more appropriately collective wisdom at work again :-)
Lucked out or more appropriately collective wisdom at work again :-)
Since this had started out as a free pattern for beginner to
intermediate level, the pdf contains detailed notes, including links for
tutorials, & pattern instructions that will hopefully be of aid. There is
also a table for the thread lengths required in each version, size 20 thread. For
this post, I am uploading only the diagrammed pattern & the pictorial. And
of course some more pictures !
The Pattern
If any help is required, you know where to reach me :-)
The Models
1. Basic Pattern
In the prototype, rings & chains in Rnd 1 were in different colours. (see #4 prototype in above pic)
2. Beaded Version
In the prototype, rings & chains in Rnd 1 were in different colours. (see #4 prototype in above pic)
2. Beaded Version
This is what I originally made....
3. One Pass Version in single colour
To tat the medallion in one pass, start with a blind chain
(or dead end start to chain) in Round 1.
To climb out from round 1 to 2, make
the last ring a split ring. For all the rest, follow pattern instructions.
4. Layered Flower/Medallion Idea
Playing with the models for a layered effect....
I hope to carry this off-center theme in future designs as
well – that is my overarching Design Concept
for this year, for Susan Fuller’s Tatting Design Class. Whatever I design, I hope to have some off-center
element(s). Here it is the outer chain joins & Josephine Knot that gives a
spinning, spiraling effect. But it could well be a ring, or …. I have a few
ideas sketched/jotted down … can I tat them is the question ;-D
happy tatting :-)
