updates

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I have often updated a post (highlighted as 'UPDATE') without any separate notification. This time I thought a special post would be good for those interested since there are quite a few. Yet as I list them, I find some should be accompanied with a photo. Hence while I rectify that omission, here is part 1 of the updates in no particular order ....

DAL Celtic Snowflake challenge. Pattern (diagram) for Padma Mandayam's adaptation of Mariola Siwek's version is now uploaded to this Google doc - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pVqM6S5Ng49xk6erSsDyRm3y7SdV2tCIUOCgltze4lM/view for you to enjoy. 

Original post -https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/12/and-more.html 

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I was very impressed with the way Ninetta had started her ring seamlessly without making any 'join' by using the same joining loop as a ring loop. Well, forgetful brain did not put two and two together especially considering I have used this method before. It is basically the Ring on Picot technique which Patty Dowden demonstrated in this video -https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LmMxIBrDpRI 

Original post -  https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/10/awakened.html

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When I wrote about Fringe Tatting and the Tatted Fringe I did not highlight that beads could be used for the fringe, too. Eventually I made a beaded fringe inspired by and following Corina Meyfeldt's directions for Beaded Stem. Nina Libin called it Single File Beaded Picot.  The beads are pre-strung on the shuttle or ball thread depending on the pattern and each fringe or beaded picot is moved in place when needed. 
Original Posts - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/08/on-fringes.html
https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/11/soup-catcher.html

Here's an old model from 2017 - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2017/05/rising-month-late.html

This method is fine for a limited number of fringe elements/picots with a limited number of beads on each or if all the beads are on the ball thread. 

One more method is the Floating Beads method but it has severe limitations -https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2017/09/floating-beads-part-4.html

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And finally splocik's Small Decorations 2024 since I won't be participating in her 2025 verion - December gallery (https://splocik2.blogspot.com/2024/12/male-dekoracje-2024-galeria-grudniowa.html ) and collages of entire year's works by some participants (https://splocik2.blogspot.com/2025/01/male-dekoracje-2024-podsumowanie-i-3.html) ... links added to my final post (https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/12/a-no-glass-ceiling.html). I am happy to have been able to submit 13 decorations.

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I had sent the vapour stitch bouquet pic for PICOT Bingo, but couldn't complete the game in the way I had intended and imagined. 5 boxes still left to cross out. Natalie, too, has uploaded a 2025 bingo card, but I won't be participating. See how disciplined I am being this year?! ;-D 

This is it for now. More updates will follow with some exciting revelations/discoveries!

And I still have to update some of the original posts with new links/details. Tomorrow. It's time for bed now.

the years flow

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I've taken a few decisions for 2025 - objectives I hope to achieve. Focus on completing the book edit and hope for it to be published before this year is out, and also blog more. There's so much I learned in the past year but didn't get around to sharing.

This also means cutting down or pausing a few other tasks and projects. 

Hope you have sorted out your priorities for this year? May the underlying thread remain the enjoyment of self and also spreading the joy of the journey and destination.

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The above collection of samples kind of symbolize my past year and perhaps even the future. These are all rings with the vapour stitch where I experimented with variables wraps, etc. Some look fine, others do not. While the bouquet looks fine, the unfinished/unpolished and incomplete nature also comes through. 2024 was a year spent in learning, exploring, experimenting, completing some projects while some remained unfinished. I chased a lot of projects, wanted to take up more than I did, and enjoyed almost all despite the paucity of time. I was happy to push through my comfort zone, too. And you have joined me in all my journeys. Hope to read your comments again this year!

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UPDATE: I had sent this to Natalie to cross off the Vapour Stitch box in her PICOT Bingo game. However I could not complete the game.

incomplete

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Suddenly the month is slipping away fast and I have ton of tatting to do. I hadn't been able to tat for almost a month due to life interruptions which put me back a whole lot. Prioritizing is the need of the hour or what's remaining of this month. 

This is the Vandkye Border in Tatting by Mrs. Ollie Romesha which I had hoped to complete before showing. I've decided to postpone it's completion hence sharing the WIP pic. It was published in Needlecraft Vol. VII, No. 8, April 1916 and the PDF can be downloaded here -https://www.antiquepatternlibrary.org/html/warm/tatting.htm   

Vandyke formations are inspired by portraits painted by 17th century Flemish artist Anthony van Dyck and refer to the distinct peaks or points like in the V-shaped chevron strips. I decided to go with this edging despite the bare thread space that kind of terrifies me. Then there was the headache-inducing task of transcribing the old text into short notations or diagrams. I took the plunge! 

However I tatted the flower medallions first unlike what the instructions stated. Decided it would be more comfortable when joining. 

There is one minor omission in the written pattern (part of the pattern is missing). The image of the tatted model was of great help.

The sewing side consists of single shuttle work with lots of bare thread. I started at the right to gauge the length of bare thread. It turned out to be a wee bit tight when the final row is tatted above. Started afresh at the left end, but have left it for the present. Once my other time-bound commitments for this month are done, I'll get back to this and share more details. 

Worked in Anchor size 40.

I am submitting this for Natalie Rogers' PICOT Bingo game, striking off the block - Tat an Edging. Now this game is another project I probably won't be able to complete despite starting in January itself. At least not in the way I wanted to. But never say die, LOL. 

DRR long time

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 Can't believe its been six years since we worked the Design Round Robin (DRR) doilies in Craftree and I find that I have posted round-wise pics of only one doily! Time to rectify the situation. However, I will have to limit myself to pics, 'coz it is too much work to hunt down my notes for each round I either designed or tatted. Good for you, huh, less to read ... but plenty of pics! ;-D 

Dancing Peacocks

Design Round Robin 2018 (DRR 2018), Craftree

Muskaan, Coretta, Kathleen, Tim, Coretta.

pattern link

Worked in Anchor embroidery threads, 3 strands equivalent to Lizbeth size 20.

Round 1 - Muskaan. I designed the center for this doily. 

The green/blue one was made first but not being happy with my tatting, I started over with the bottom one. This pattern is originally from my enclosed space medallion phase with only minor tweaks to add picots for joining subsequent rounds. It has triple onion rings where the innermost Josephine ring is made using the floating beads method so that it stands a bit apart. 
Dancing Peacocks Medallion design process - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2018/01/mad-or-maddening.html
Dancing Peacock Earrings derived from the medallion -https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2018/01/floating-with-tatting.html  Later that year Anita Barry taught this pattern at the Palmetto Tat Days.

Round 2 - CORETTA L.  

I like how she opened up the design!

Round 3 - KATHLEEN M.  

So much to learn in this round. However it started with me having to snip off quite a length and restart because of some mistakes - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2018/06/rotten-core.html

She used her tweak on the Captured onion ring technique, which I have been using since. 

Round 4 - TIM K.  

He designed the round in such a way as to fit any tension.

He used Split SCMR and also shared a video on how to make it in his blog - http://timtatstoo.blogspot.com/p/the-split-self-closing-mock-ring.html

However I remember discovering that the split scmr was not really needed in this case and explaining how to go about it. 

This completed our round robin of four designers. Started in Feb 2018 and finished within the same year. Design round robin entails we each tat all the rounds of each doily sequentially designing and tatting by turns. No need to mail off the doily ....

I felt we could do with another round or two, but was not sure how to go about it. In March 2023, Coretta worked out a 5th round and shared it!!! I tatted it early this month.

Round 5 - CORETTA L.  

After mulling over the colour scheme since I wanted the round to reflect the earlier colours, yet not be too overwhelming or bright, I came up with the following solution... 

The onion rings are tatted in three peacock colours but as separate motifs. Carrying 3 extra threads encapsulated within the chains would add too much bulk and skew the arches.

The tails are hidden or sewn, but left untrimmed. Couldn't risk any tail being pulled out when the outer chain round was tatted and joined! 

Green for border would make the entire composition too greenish which is why I chose to repeat the inner round blue; it also carries forward the peacock impression.

All trimmed and done. However, I used 4 strands of blue after realising that 3 might not allow the doily to lie flat since my chains are usually tight.

Anchor embroidery 3 strands equivalent to Lizbeth size 20.
Orange - 0333 ; Yellow - 0306 ; Green - 0258 ; Purple - 097 ; Blue - 0170 (4 strands in last round).

Final diameter - 17 cms or just under 7 inches.

This additional round has really brought the entire design together and I love how it looks. What do you think? Too many colours or ....

You can find the Dancing Peacocks doily pattern here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LBml-8Q0WYbCQyBrSLVKg713T9D3HE9YAPlKmg3wxTo/view

Many many thanks to Coretta, Kathleen, and Tim and a very special thanks to Grace Tan for her forethought in creating the Google docs for each doily!  

I am also entering this doily for both the 2024 games ....

Small Decorations hosted by splocik - This doily is my submission for September.

The August gallery of submissions is posted here - https://splocik2.blogspot.com/2024/09/male-dekoracje-2024-galeria-sierpniowa.html  with such a diverse range of projects!

And this doily also crosses off several blocks in Natalie's PICOT Bingo!

- Tat a Doily

- Josephine Ring

- Onion Ring

which means I have a 2nd BINGO - the 4th column is done!!! My first bingo was posted here - https://www.patreon.com/posts/picot-tatting-we-110762797

Actually I've finished tatting some more but blogging is taking a backseat ....

Thanks for the fun Natalie and splocik!

bingo, found it

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 My tatting-related activities are so scattered. And I feel quite scatter-brained. Wonder which came first, hmmm. Over the past several months I have been tatting samplers for the Glossary. Since it is progressing in sporadic bursts, I tend to either forget I've tatted it or misplace it. The pile-up does not help at all, neither does the various steps involved in saving and processing if not done sequentially and soon.

However I had a lucky breakthrough! Finally found the sneaky little Double Pearl chain sampler, whew. Incidentally, the PICOT Bingo game has one box for this technique, which is why I am sharing it here. 

My initial objective was to tat a short sample. However, the rhythm became quite addictive and I enjoyably continued till one of the threads ran out. What was meant as a short chain turned into a necklace.

Pearl Tatting is the double-sided technique with picots and stitches facing both sides. We are more familiar with the Single Pearl, worked with 3 threads instead of 2 for chains and it's counterpart the Maltese Ring worked with 2 threads instead of one. Pearl is the vintage term for picots. There are a few tutorials listed under Chains 🠆 Pearl Tatting, here. Mlle Riego wrote a book dedicated to this technique in 1867! 

Double Pearl tatting/chain, consequently, is an extended single pearl using extra auxiliary threads - a total of 5 threads for chains which tend to be straight.  

Double Pearl tatting requires 5 shuttles (or at least 3 or 4 shuttles + 2 or 1 ball, respectively) and encapsulation. Numerous permutations and combinations are possible, but I stuck to the basics.

You can change

• the number of colours and their relative position,
• the number and size of picots,
• the addition of decorative elements thrown off the chain,
• the thickness of threads,
• the stitches used (double and reverse stitches) and thence the number of shuttles used,
• embellishment with beads, etc., and so on.

● We can even have decorative chains instead of the long bare thread picots! For instance, dot picot string, bullion knots, JRs, Josephine knots, scallops, etc. 

On the left part in above image, you can see the thrown Josephine rings instead of the small picots.

TIP: If you wish to add such elements on each segment, ensure you have 5 shuttles.

I deliberately used 4 different colours. But imagine the confusion one can create if working with the same colour throughout! Even experienced tatters might find it difficult to identify how it was done, LOL.

I then continued as before, enjoying the rhythm. Josephine rings tend to break that working rhythm.

Threads used - Anchor mercerized cotton size 20 (equivalent to Lizbeth size 10) in 5 colours 

TIP: Only 4 colours are visible. The core thread can be of same thickness or thicker than the outer threads for a stiff cord. The core thread can also be made visible by simply bringing it forward, or by using Repositioning methods such as SLT, etc.

Picot gauge - 2 cms

TIP: It was easier to hold the gauge horizontally while measuring.

Starting the chain was tricky. I knotted the 5 threads together, but leaving the right length of bare thread took some trials.

Also, initially I made mistakes in maintaining a consistent overlap between threads. However, once I understood where the thread of last segment should be held while tatting the new segment, it became smooth sailing and addictive. 

TIP: Immediately after tatting a segment, I would place the shuttle to my left at the front of the work. Thus, when its turn came again, the picot overlapped from the front.

Directional or FS/BS tatting was maintained throughout. I didn't block the finished piece, except for shaping with fingers since I wanted to keep the gracefulness of the sinusoidal arches intact. 

I could've added more picots, including graduated picots, in each segment; or embellished with beads. However this was a relaxing, enjoyable tat, and I wasn't in a very adventurous frame of mind.

Since the core thread is of same thickness, it was easy to curve the straight chain. And it had become long enough to become a necklace instead of a bracelet, LOL.

TIP : Another way to ensure curvature is to shorten the picots on one side. 

I do wish I had added a few highlights such as beads and findings to finish off the 'necklace' properly. And one can use metallic threads for stiffness. Otherwise one might need to stiffen the piece for the picots to hold their shape when worn as a necklace or bracelet. So, I hope Natalie forgives me the lethargy.

Submitting this for two blocks in the PICOT Bingo - 

Double Pearl Chain, and 

Tat a Necklace.

And 💥Bingo💥! I have completed my first horizontal strikethrough! The middle row consisting of Tat a Necklace; Add Beads; Free Space; Graduated Picots; Catherine Wheel Join.

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 :-))) 

sing little birdie

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 The Ring of Tatters (Spring 2024, #88) newsletter I received couple of months back (https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/05/reading-is-cool.html) has such lovely patterns and I hope to tat them all. I started with a little bird motif in order to submit it for the PICOT Bingo, striking off the Tat Fauna box (https://www.patreon.com/posts/picot-bingo-95729145?).

Just like it's pattern, the motif has a simple name - Bird. Made only of scrolls - rings and chains, it takes on the shape of a bird and can be tatted with a ball and shuttle. It is designed by Hannah Crowle. Worked in Anchor pearl cotton size 8, it comes to almost the exact size as the printed model.

There was a time when I kind of looked down upon simple ring/chain designs. They felt too easy and I was striving to learn so much more! And yet, getting the motif to lay fat, yet be visually identifiable and elegant, is a huge achievement and I am still not at that stage. Which is why I truly appreciate all kinds of designs.

I haven't changed anything and it was a joy to tat! Although an bead eye would look good, right? I remembered too late that I had some nice soft variegated embroidery threads (skeins) which would've looked nice instead of this solid colour. All my other variegates in tatting threads just didn't seem to cut the mark. 

This bird can be suspended or be perched on a tree and thus be eligible for the Small Decorations game I am participating in, I have already started something else for that. Stay tuned .....

Many thanks to Hannah for her cute little birdie 

tadaaaaa

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The versatile E43 3D flower had been finished and waiting on my bedside cabinet for at least a week now. Yet it was only the night before last that I finally took pics and also shot a short video. I will share the detailed pattern (the tweaks) in a future post. Here I want to celebrate its beauty, though it still looks so much better in real.

The video to get a true feel of the flower from all angles - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gVlbyRb57Q5JKbBBTFt4-k9Iyl2kbwzi/view

After completing the three petals as shown here (https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/07/so-many.html) I chose metallic thread and random beads to tat Josephine chain stamens. Many of the threads were short leftover lengths. Metallic thread combined with the spiral chain inherently make the tatted stamens stiff and stand up straight.

The stamens were inserted through the center of the flower, without any need to hide ends.

Calyx for the flower is also partially derived from the E43 motif. After the sepals, I continued with a 4-ring rosette to give the structure a conical 3D shape which could fit under the flower.

I used Catherine Wheel Join on the long sepals.

Here's how the calyx looks from behind. The entire flower does not need stiffening. However I did add a bit of diluted glue to the sepals solely because they were inserting themselves through the petals and it was difficult to take a pic.

All tails from the above insertions and an extra length of doubled up size 10 thread was used to make the stem. Here again I used a spiral chain, encapsulating all the tails and snipping them off at different points.

This is how the flower looks from another angle. 

Hubby loves it and one morning he actually thought a butterfly was perched on my cabinet!

If only I could get better shots. Thankfully the video shows it better.

Of the many I have designed, to date this is my largest tatted 3D flower, and worked in perle size 8!

Again from the top. Single petal (with Victorian sets) was shared here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/07/what-heart-wants.html 

And one more. The petals can be tatted in one pass.

As stated before, this is derived and adapted from the E43 pattern from Eleonore Endrucks' 1920 book, Die Schiffchen-Spitzen, reworked by Maria Grazia and Ninetta Caruso - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JRu7OggaSna0eXDRA2P18dRu6uE4-1J7/view  and next month I will share my modifications/additions.

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This flower is also my submission for the PICOT BINGO hosted by Natalie Rogers. It's been a while since I entered anything here, and I take this opportunity to cover 4 boxes in one strike -

💥Tat a Flora, 💥Josephine Chain, 💥Catherine Wheel Join, 💥Victorian Sets.

I left out Add Beads for another time.
This game can be played till the end of the year and details of the game are here - https://www.patreon.com/posts/picot-bingo-95729145?

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And also submitting for the monthly SMALL DECORATIONS game hosted by splocik, the details of which can be found here - https://splocik2.blogspot.com/2024/01/mae-dekoracje-galeria-grudniowa.html. Do take a look at the June entries from several talented participants in a range of crafts here - https://splocik2.blogspot.com/2024/07/male-dekoracja-galeria-czerwcowa.html

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