complimentary

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 Two complimentary copies arrived a few days apart!

The IOLI Bulletin Summer 2024 - Volume 44 Number 4. It has a spectacular display of vintage laces from various museums and places! I just sat ogling at their intricate beauty. 

And tatted lace was represented by a sole article - SOUPing the Cards by yours truly.

Long time readers of my blog might remember that I often sew or use tatted motifs in different ways. Once such is on greeting cards which I shared in the article along with a few tips and notes. 

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/search/label/tatting%20SOUP

  

And then this arrived!!! Lilas Joublet's, who we fondly know as Lilas Lace, new book 'Cluny Tatting Experiences'. In mid-August she contacted me for my address which came as a complete surprise. It seems she had referred to my Cluny tatting tutorials/pictorials and wished to send me a copy as  acknowledgement! She also included a lovely handwritten message with her name 💗

I love the layout of her bi-lingual book. I have already watched a few of her videos (through QR codes) and am eager to try out a few of her lovely patterns. She has written the book as a kind of log or diary of her experiences with her entire Cluny tatting journey. 

https://lilas-lace.fr/

Many many thanks to Liz and Lilas - these complimentary copies brighten up my tatting corner and my tatting-filled heart!

UPDATE: Please be careful while buying a book! Read why here - https://lilas-lace.fr/blog/2024/10/12/dont-buy-just-any-tatting-book/

reading is cool

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We're facing a heat wave for the last several days with no respite in sight; temperatures soaring to 44-45C. But these great reading materials have a cooling effect when I encounter so much inspiration, beauty, and possibilities! And not least that I had a bit of contribution to make as well.

Chronologically .....

Ninetta had already sent me her very first book in Italian along with exquisite gifts and this time I received her English edition of 'Tatting is a Serious Matter' again with fabulous gifts! The package arrived in mid-December but I only now got around to taking pics. Her book is such a treasure, a pleasure and a great addition to any tatting library. Read about it here - https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2023/11/tatting-is-serious-matter.html

• At the top is a painting on real papyrus! The Syracuse papyrus produced by Flavia Massara from the Galleria Bellomo..
• The exquisite bobbin lace bookmark was specially made by Luigia Tosin. Many thanks, Luigia.
• The butterfly is one of two designed by Ninetta for the Progetto Farfalla MG - a fundraising enterprise for children's care. Anybody can send in a lace butterfly to the overall specifications. I had intended to design one in tatting, too, but sadly didn't get around to it.

Ninetta's tatted pieces always put me to shame. So fine, so dainty, so tiny!

She remembered that I hate to tat bare thread patterns and sent me the classic wheel.

A very special surprise was the ENDRUCKS' banner she tatted for me. We partners in crime both have one now!

Wandering Wheels (2011) by Karey Solomon is a booklet with lots of block tatting/coils, also gifted by Nin. It was such fun reading it and the way Karey has applied the technique to cute patterns. Turns out she had also done what we now call BBT - a block that is tatted in reverse direction, ie, from top row to bottom row. She used it for the tatted spiral/coil (calling it the tatted wheel), working it from the out in.

Can't thank Ninetta enough for her friendship, partnership, mutual respect, and support! Not to mention these delights in the mail. 

'Designing with Friends' is the article I submitted and was published in the IOLI Bulletin Spring 2024 issue. It is about the DAL Celtic Snowflake 'challenge' and includes the complete pattern for my version and pics of all the versions sent in by the lovely participants. I must thank Liz Redford and her team for a beautiful layout and their diligence. 

In fact, an octogenarian had tatted Five versions when the game was first posted a year back, but didn't know where to send it. On reading this article she saw Anita's name and contacted her and now I have all 5 of her models in the collection, along with her patterns.

This is the design-along (DAL) first two motifs and participants had to design the 3rd round.

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/05/lets-design-round-3.html

And its first anniversary motivated a new participant to tat an ice drop version.

All participants have graciously shared their respective patterns in their own individualistic style. I had intended to draw diagrams for the ones missing them, but simply cannot find the time (nor the weather!) to do it quickly. Hence I might make the doc public and continue with the diagrams at my own pace.

Brenda Rewhorn, the Chairperson and current editor of the Ring of Tatters newsletter had requested me to write about the Endrucks 1920 Project. She said a shortened version of the one published in IOLI bulletin (Summer 2022) would suffice. However, so much has happened since then.... the Project has evolved and is continuing to grow and diversify. Hence I wrote a brand new article titled 'Endrucks 1920 Project - Evolution and Revolution' and it was published in their Spring 2024 (#88) issue. 

Couple of days back I received a complimentary copy of their newsletter and the content is absolutely great! So many lovely tatting patterns, and other articles, competition, etc., all dedicated solely to tatted lace. Love the newsletter (it's almost a magazine!). I still have quite a few pages to read and am hoping to tat as many of the patterns as possible.

Brenda was in Delhi earlier this year but we couldn't meet up, though we corresponded. She is a wonderfully friendly person and hopefully we will have a second chance to meet up in person.

 

So that's it for this post. Time to curl up with one of these books again and cool off with inspiring beauty and ideas. 

east to west heart!

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My Budding Heart pattern was published in the Feb 2024 issue of 'Talking Tatting' (No.58.3 quarterly newsletter of Queensland Tatters, Australia), courtesy of Judith Connors. I think this is perhaps the third or fourth pattern she has chosen for publication and it is such a huge yet humbling endorsement.

💗💗

Several versions have been tatted which I sometimes come across on different platforms, but to remind you of one very special version from Krystyna Mura (Poland) - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2021/02/palentine-day.html

💗💗

And most recently, is splocik's (Poland) play with the pattern - not one but four! Such cute versions and I love how she attached the dimple to the flower, thus anchoring the long outline. She shares her thoughts and process here - https://oczka2.blogspot.com/2024/02/zainspirowao-mnie-serduszko-frywolitkowe.html

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If you remember, this heart is part of the Buddy Hearts (2020) collection of 5 patterns, three of which were shared by Anita Barry(USA)! https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2019/02/buddy-hearts.html. This set has been taught in the Online Tatting Class (Feb 2019) and published in the IOLI Bulletin (Summer 2020). Good to see the widespread reach of these little motifs.

You can download all 5 here (long version) - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1frJpMRiHu5fOEH9Zs3VANVGIURZA126_/view   and (short diagram-only version) - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DZFxEDvEwe-rPUv1evgPaxic1sbaEnHC/view 

💗💗

I had a mind to tat a new heart pattern but couldn't manage my time and other commitments. However, it is definitely on my trial list and should be shared well before the next season of hearts.  

💗💗

💗Many many thanks to Judith, splocik, and of course, Anita and Krystyna!💗

flaky antics

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 This time I have a snowflake pattern to share. It is a mix of the old with the new; partly derived and partly original; and I thoroughly enjoyed putting it together, though it got entangled in some flakiness midways. 

I call it the Antiks Snowflake which is a play on words and techniques; a combo of antique, ANKARS, and the antics involved in getting it just right! At the center is a 6-point adaptation of Endrucks' pattern #42 but the outermost round is all mine.

My first trial and prototype combined. Blogged about it here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/03/antics.html. I was so out of practice with split chains! By this point in the final round, I had decided on which tweaks to keep and was happy that it would lay flat. Ran out of thread but it had done its job.  

After a couple of weeks I returned to tat a proper model along with the pattern presentation. Notice anything? Sigh, yes, there are 8 repeats as in the original Endrucks' pattern #42! I had kept wondering why the arms were so squished in and after wasting my precious Lizbeth white, I stopped. Foggy head leads to a flaky flake.

And since I had sent the same pattern to Anita Barry for test tatting, she too, worked an 8-point flake! She used this to decorate a purse and it looks gorgeous against a deep blue background. She displayed it at  the IOLI Convention this year.

I chose a different Lizbeth size 20 and went to work again, this time making sure the pattern was for 6 repeats. 

Tatted one more, this time in Olympus size 40 to consolidate the pattern and presentation.

And I didn't expect her to, but Anita actually tatted a second model with 6 arms in Lizbeth metallic! Now that's commitment.

Her help was also valuable in arranging the written pattern more systematically and clearly. 

I sent an article with this pattern to the IOLI Bulletin for their Summer issue. However, since they ran out of space, it was published in the fall issue above - IOLI Bulletin, Fall 2023 edition (Oct 2023, Vol 44, N.1).

It is a very nicely laid out presentation and Liz, the editor is always very diligent and helpful.

Their back cover carries a pic of the flake, too!

Interestingly, both Lizbeth 20 and Olympus 40 work out to the same size!

Now, now, don't go too far. Thought I'm flaky enough to forget sharing the pattern link?! Ah, see, the saga continues and I will share the link in my next post. 

... to be continued...

Many many thanks to Anita and Liz!  Excellent collaboration. 

over the moon

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 Two recent incidents, and I had no role to play in either.

A few days back I received the Summer 2023 issue of IOLI Bulletin! Although I had submitted an article it hadn't been published in this issue. Yet Liz, the editor, mailed me a complimentary copy! And I received it within 5-6 weeks. Ecstatic. 

Earlier I had received the Spring 2023 issue that carried my article. There was a lot of tatting-related articles and stuff in that issue, including Mike Lyons' article on Inkscape in designing. And because of this latest gift, I was able to read Part 2 of his article! Learned a few terms and a couple of shortcuts. Hope to apply them to my diagrams going forward.

But the more momentous and totally On and over the moon event is of course the soft landing of Chandrayaan 3 yesterday! Oh what joy, what pride! It is just something else, something special, something indescribable. 

Watch the live streaming (the Fine Braking starts at 39.00) here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLA_64yz8Ss

A shorter video posted on FB - https://fb.watch/mCGhOZC_WC/

To me there are parallels with my tatting journey. Just a few overlapping thoughts -

• Use whatever materials and skills are available; don't wait for that perfect or expensive or imported thread or shuttle or that perfect stitch.
• Learn from your mistakes and never repeat them.
• Be Indian, contribute to your country's growth and improvement. 
• Strive to improve your environment rather than whining or waiting for the government or others to change it for you. Create/Become the opportunity.
• ISRO scientists are not necessarily from the elite educational institutes; in fact most are from government schools. They did not leave the country to serve another for personal gains and name despite opportunities and allurements.
• Try to go where others haven't. Accomplish new things rather than simply following or copying.
• Help others, spread and share your knowledge and skills.

I can't thank my scientists and engineers enough, and for the decisive and visionary leadership of some of our politicians! 

Happy dancing over the moon!

gifts galore 2

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 Besides all the thoughtful and practical gifts Anita Barry sent me, she also sent several excellent books. My tatting book collection just grew a whole lot! I invite you join in my pleasure .... (listed in no particular order)

Taboo Tatting - Anita Barry. 

This little booklet is a perfect example of the creative fun Anita manages to inject into all her projects. It is one A4 size page folded into four 'pages' (printed front and back) and tied with a ribbon. She had shared it with me years back and I had printed it out. But receiving it from her is special. It has tips, tricks, challenges, little projects, ....

Tatting Times - Karey Solomon. 

I'd only heard of Karey Solomon's quarterly subscription-based mini booklets/newsletters and now I hold one in my hands! She had been sending these out for 30 long years till 2022. This post is worth reading - Launching Tatting Times Online

Tea is for Tatting - Martha Ess.

Another treasure! Martha Ess holds a special place in my heart for several reasons, not least for uploading Endrucks' 1920 book, ;-D. Martha's books are eye-openers in themselves, taking a technique or theme and running with it, popularising several techniques/effects through fun patterns. And she has a new book in the offing! 

Tatting - Rhoda Auld.

A must-have in any tatting library! I have already read several pages, but haven't played with shuttle in hand yet.

Tatting Techniques - Elgiva Nicholls.

One of my all-time favourites is Nicholls' 1962 Dover publication Tatting Techniques and History, but this was also highly recommended and desired. I'll be spending many happy hours/days reading and imbibing.

Coffee Classics - compiled by Anita Barry.

Anita had told me that she was compiling her favourite coffee recipes to hand down to her loved ones. She made at least four and these are all hand-written and sprinkled with sketches. I had no idea one of the recipients would be me!

A Collection of Tatted Bracelets - Victoria Clarke.

Blogging and the online world has introduced me to so many wonderful and talented artisans. One such is Vicki who often shares her somewhat quirky but always clever designs. And holds short tat-alongs two or three times a year. This is the time for her next two back-to-back TALs - https://victats.blogspot.com/2023/06/coming-soon-very-canadian-tat-long-2023.html 

The IOLI Bulletin Fall 2022.

It often happens that my complimentary copy of the bulletin (when my article is published) does not reach me. Anita sent me her copy and she had been thrilled to see the back cover.....

...these are a few images from my 2nd of 3 articles on Endrucks and the Project!

The Complete Book of Tatting - Rebecca Jones.

Would you believe Anita sent this separately because she forgot to include it in the earlier shipment. So, her bundle of gifts actually reached me in three shipments! Another treasure in my library!

This is something she had received at one of the Palmetto Tat Days. These were all done by Phyllis Schmidt! I believe she does some sort of giveaway every year. https://phyls-handwork.blogspot.com/ 

I placed this last as the perfect way to say Thank You to Anita for all her gifts  especially the books, and not least for her solid friendship through the years!

I have made it a point to periodically read from all the books and make good use of the knowledge and perspective. Even cleared out an entire shelf from the wall cabinet in my bedroom to display all my tatting books in one place and keep them within quick reach! And each one has a lace (mostly tatted lace) bookmark.

There might not be enough time to try out stuff from the books at present, but the literature is equally interesting. And there is that beckoning light to try out patterns and experiments and ideas as time progresses!!!

patterns galore

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 In one of my recent posts I mentioned how we are curating patterns, models, ideas derived directly or secondarily from Eleonore Endrucks' ‘Die Schiffchen-Spitzen’, 1920, and collecting them in categorised Directories. The format is similar to the EP doc with pics of the model and link/details to the pattern. So far we have released 7 directories listed below (click on the blue text).

1. Hearts - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MpYw9XMB8Asz8zusj1ZpHvX8A8Ww424-rEVORtxcL1w/view

2. Butterflies - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fKXsc8OyQ8Z2qAuzLeS_jR9CGJKsmSn_KsFnD5U71tM/view

3. Flowers - https://docs.google.com/document/d/10tmXv6I3ybB8dv69SV7V3OjlhcEMbNE4N-NSaqjLt4g/view

4. Foliage - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EIgPKHH9V2Dg4gDZNefVfSVNRZQC6LbSfhiaWA_s-G8/view

just 'coz every post needs a pic!

The top 4 directories include patterns we chose for the #pickmeEndrucks Feb2023 event - the roundups of which you enjoyed in my last 3 posts. These include hearts, flowers, foliage, and butterflies including some 3D patterns. Above is the collage used as cover pic in our FB group that month.

And Judith Connors shared the Eye Spy Heart pattern (with slight tweak) derived from Endrucks' pattern #3  in 'Talking Tatting', Feb2023. She very graciously shared the pdf with us.

5. Baskets -https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v2hfFk2Nhg3ZpqUSW9vRCV_0AmQYp4qOx7gs3uJEr-g/view            This directory consists of patterns/models/ideas for baskets, boxes, bowls, including egg decorations, which we shared for our #gitftmeEndrucks Mar2023 event. 

6. Coasters & doilies (round) -https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Xc1hiwrg5yPEvi77jj2uxWqlkECuyZjFjuCJ08VcoLA/view

7. Bookmarks and Insertions -https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dtWGgZZEGBBwLDpJgRChAEo91l4uuXq-fxRNzKDc6r8/view

At present we have two more directories close to finishing, and one completed directory that will be released for our May event!

Creating these directories is helping us keep track of the derivatives from each original pattern. Otherwise the increasing volume of new derivatives/adaptations was making it difficult to get a bird's eye view of what our Endrucks 1920 Project has brought forth. It is also easier to update each directory with new derivatives.

Earlier we were including these in the main Endrucks 1920 Project document (EP doc) - the size kept increasing yet not everything could be included. Hence this solution. Eventually we will keep only the main patterns in the EP doc and move all derivatives to their respective directory. There will be no need for the Gallery of Possibilities there either.

Our heartfelt thanks go out to all the wonderful tatters who continue to make the Project grow beyond expectations!  - Ninetta & Muskaan

indisciplined

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Yup, I cannot remain disciplined for long, LOL. Spending too much time at the compy made my fingers itch to pick up my shuttles after a longish break. Well, the perfect foil was our February game which has a bunch of small motifs to select and tat. Another reason was helping out with presentations ....

In chronological order ... tatted for Pick Me Feb 2023 (#pickmeEndrucks)

Judith Connors published her variation of Endrucks' pattern #34 in her newsletter a while back. And Antonia made a slight 'mistake' thus leading her to call it Butterfly edging. The butterfly was clearly visible, but also a heart!

Antonia Lai's Calmful Heart is extracted from that same edging #34.

And these are the Life is Bliss butterflies from the same, as they were being tested and tweaked. The final pattern is the one like the right, but with the wings attached towards the base.

Tatted in size 20.

Stephanie Mc (Tattimic) joined and improvised 2 hearts from #3 to create this Pretty Me Butterfly last year. I enjoyed tatting it, using a SCMR instead of SR for the center. The diagrammed pattern has been updated with written instructions.

Tatted in size 20.

Three butterflies together.

Krystyna Mura adapted #12 into soooo many patterns, one of which is the Garden Cosmos. I haven't used this Lizbeth size 40 shade much and chose it, Turned out the ball had leftover lengths on the ball. 

The original pattern has 11 petals. I ran out of thread on one shuttle and the other was close on its heels. Hence tied off after 8 petals to create this slightly 3D form.

Instead of beads at the tips, I used Victorian sets on the middle third of chains.

Krystyna adds a single bead in the center while on the go. I waited to see how large the negative space was to choose the appropriate bead. In the end I strung fine seed beads (yellow and black) on one of the tails, coiled it around and sewed it down.

This was made possible because of a gift of large-eyed beading needles from Madhur! Now I nave no reason to not use beads, except of course my own lethargy, LOL.

The tails are left coz I might add a stem and leaves later.

So this is my indiscipline - my strong tendency to get distracted!

Many many thanks to all the designers for these beautiful patterns!

who knew

Pin It now! Well we already know that so many variations, applications, and derivations have arisen from one single edging from the German book ‘Die Schiffchen-Spitzen’,1920, by Frau Eleonore Endrucks-Leichtenstern. The edging #1 was first taken apart to create a heart which was then put together to create a shamrock (and so many butterflies as shown in previous post! 

But who knew a butterfly still lurked in the folds of the shamrock leaf?! 

However, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me first share a proper pattern pdf of the Happy Hands Shamrock by Diana Howe - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_D5xY68NyfsKMB4LDr0GUv-WYC0VCba6/view which was first posted here- https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2021/03/lucky-hands.html

As I worked the leaf I found myself following a slightly different path to tat the heart from those described and drawn by Diana or in the Happy Hands Heart pattern. The reason was that I followed the threads when climbing into the 1st heart; the threads formed a nice false picot.

However, this simply reinforces the fact that there are multiple paths and options and the tatter can decide.

In Anchor size 20 shamrock approximately measures 5.5 cms across and 4.5 cms high. (without stem)

And after completing the 2nd heart motif, look what emerged! A butterfly with a built-in head.

Folded the 'wings' a bit and loved the shape of the butterfly enough to tat another with a proper head....

Added beads for eyes, too. Everything, except a slightly tweaked count for the head, remains the same.

And the final tails make the antennae so no ends to hide. The head pattern diagram in included in the pdf. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_D5xY68NyfsKMB4LDr0GUv-WYC0VCba6/view

The Happy Hands Butterfly in different stages of flight and motion :-D

In Anchor size 20, it is 6cms wide and 4.5cms tall.

Future Ideas : 

• Add a 4th heart to the shamrock and we have a four-leaf clover. 
• Hubby thought the inverted shamrock looked more like a capsicum or apple. Hmmmm, something to think about for the future!
• How about decorative picots, and gems, etc. to embellish the butterfly?

☘☘☘☘☘

And great news! My complimentary copy of the IOLI Bulletin Summer 2022 (42-4) issue finally landed on my doorstep after 2 whole months of flight. This carries the 1st of a 3-series article on Endrucks 1920 Project.

☘☘☘☘☘

Find all original and adapted patterns, and a whole lot more, in our Endrucks 1920 Project document (EP doc) here - 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/17LEVftXweztBIOWh4sL4BB7bX65ssoOsOn4oXIgCepY/view

Many many thanks, Diana! It's been a pleasure corresponding with you ...