what the heart wants

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.... the heart follows! I hadn't planned on playing the game of this month - Pattern Me Endrucks (July2024) because I wanted to focus on other tasks and had told Ninetta. Yet the heart yearns and one gives in to that knotty call. 

E43 Pattern pdf - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JRu7OggaSna0eXDRA2P18dRu6uE4-1J7/view

Some entries have already come in and wow, each of the participants has seen a different aspect in this motif and followed that direction! Can you blame my heart for wanting to join them? I could see an orange segment, but you know my penchant for complicating my life. So, while not a very unique idea or shape, I decided to go for a 3D flower.

Mind you, this is a prototype with a few mistakes, lots of retro-tatting, and Dr. Downplay ruling. Hopefully the next petals will turn out better.

My goal was to deviate as less as possible from the original pattern. 

My Notes, TIPS, and Future Ideas - 

Since I wanted to work with two colours, here's how I started without tying the threads together -

A] Started with false CTM, pulling out a short length (A). from the shuttle.

B] Attached a marker/luggage tag loop to the starter picot (B).

C] Using A as core thread, finger-tat the chain using thread (C) from shuttle for the stitches.

D] 2nd shuttle with thread in another colour was added at the end of the chain. The A thread is cut short and hidden in the next element (tat over tails).

For more False CTM scenarios: Part 1 ; Part 2 .

• The tatting proceeds from right to left, unlike the diagram. I think the reason could be that if one direct tats the chain (reverse stitches), it will proceed from right to left. This dawned on me when I noticed the inset diagram showing the start! The written instructions are for normal tatting.
• As it turns out, on reaching the other end, I decided to keep the chain maroon, hence you can see the colour difference between left and right.
• In order to position colours lots of Reverse Join (RJ) is used.
• Midways I decided to use the Catherine Wheel Join (CWJ). However I was tatting the return chain backside. I have done the CWJ from the back before, several times, including my cheat trick of a half-stitch shift! However this time I watched Marilee Rockeley recent video CWJ from the back side - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqxTqb8UMww

• The outer row of chains is done with Victorian sets or zigzag tatting. Continued down.
• The left chain was made first and is a bit longer than needed.
• I decided to use the small motifs on the sides (in original pattern) to cover some of the negative space. Added a 3rd colour to make the twin rings and cut off the thread. I've deliberately left short tails instead of hiding them.
• Then picking up the original shuttles I continued with the chains to complete the first petal.

The shuttles are still attached and I can easily continue with the next petal. I'm thinking a total of 3 petals should complete the flower. While I'm not too thrilled with my colour choices, Dr Downplay rules! 

I have deliberately created a 3D version for the petal. Otherwise the motif lies flat.

You can find tutorial links to the terms mentioned, here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/p/tatting-resources.html

FUTURE IDEAS: 

• This same petal, with a bit of tweaking can become a peacock plume! 
• Or joining 3, 4, or more motifs in the round to create a broad round for a doily. And then design inner and outer rounds to complete the doily. This, however, will be a big project for another year!
• And of course, orange fruit carpels/segments!

Do you have any suggestions for improvement or any more ideas? Please share ....

More to come; hoping to finish tatting this today so that I can get back to the other stuff.

Many thanks to Maria Grazia and Ninetta Caruso for the reworked pattern, and to Marilee Rockeley for her demo.

Related Posts -

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/07/so-many.html
https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/07/tadaaaaa.html

the cover covered

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 It's February already and instead of posting the arrangements I spoke of last time, here is the completed doily. The former will be shared at a later date.

This is Reiko Akamatsu's reworking of Eleonore Endrucks' doily on the cover of her book. It is tatted as separate parts, unlike the original which is worked continuously using shadow chains to climb out. 

For our Jan 2023 tat-along game Ninetta released the pattern in 6 parts and the doilies are still coming in - exquisite works in a range of colours/shades!

Part 5 motif (the orange and green one) was worked separately (I will share it next time) and then in Part 6 we attached it to the main body. I used the same green as the center, but as you can see the blue seeped into it. 

Something interesting emerged, though - notice how Yellow the same thread looks when positioned on the side of the orange/green motif?!

The three Part 5 motifs attached. Ninetta had to tweak the count for it to fit. I guess our tatting tension is way tighter than Reiko's.

The same but rotated. Different angels and all that ;-P

This the 2nd little motif of Part 6. I added 2 different shades to work it, using a shuttle and ball and reverse join instead of lock join to return.

Completed in 7 colours/shades inspired by a dancing peacock. In size 40, using different brands of mercerised cotton. It measures a wee bit over 16cms tip-wise. 

This was not a doily I would've tatted since it did not appeal to me. But at Ninetta's request to work it in 2 colours, I started and have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. However, after seeing some of the versions that have come in, I can't but admire the design and the vision of both the designer and the tatters. And some of our tatters have worked it multiple times already!

Meanwhile our February event has started which will segue into our March event. 

Related posts -  

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/01/tat-along-doily.html  - Parts1 & 2

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/01/double-juggle.html - Parts 3 & 4

Many many thanks to Reiko and Ninetta for their wonderful commitment and work

balancing act

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Vintage pattern in modern format and pictorial showing some of the options available especially when using 2 or more colours.

Pattern Updated - March 17th, 2021 (in this colour). 

Pattern #1 (Happy Hands) from Frau Eleonore Endrucks Leichtenstern's 

book ‘Die Schiffchen-Spitzen’,1920

Original book in pdf - http://www.georgiaseitz.com/public/endrucks/eleonoreendrucks-leichtensternschiffchenspitzenbook1920.pdf
Diagrams & patterns Insert - http://www.georgiaseitz.com/public/endrucks/endrucksinsertsdiagrams.pdf
for Endrucks 1920 Project -
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17LEVftXweztBIOWh4sL4BB7bX65ssoOsOn4oXIgCepY/view

original sequence of work

Then - The above is an old model from 2015, tatted as per original pattern. Look closely and you will see that the left and right side of each motif is not a mirror-image; all chain stitches face the same way.. as in block tatting. It makes tatting very easy as seen in the notated sequence. You start with a chain, holding a picot with paperclip and work up and down towards the right.

modern sequence of work

Now - We would shudder at the nonsymmetrical nature of the original! We now prefer that everything is laid out properly, symmetrically. And when using 2 colours, their placement is balanced. Which led me to the reworked 2-colour model inlead pic, and a pictorial to describe the steps as well as options we have. The modernisation involves a bit of complexity in tatting sequence, but it is the best/easiest of all I tried/could think of.

Notations/Abbreviations used : 

-,p=small picot; --=decorative picot; •=lock join; rw=reverse work/turn work; SS=switch shuttle; dnrw= do not reverse work 

Techniques used :

2 shuttles; thrown/floating ring; lock join; fs/bs tatting (optional); reverse join (optional); 2-colour tatting (optional) and related colour placement methods like SLT, etc. 

NOTE: 2 colours are used in pictorial to highlight which shuttle is in play.

Shuttle 1 - blue thread ; shuttle 2 - mustard thread.

All joining picots are very small.

OPTION 1 - 

When working with single colour, follow the directions from 1 to 15. 

    1. A ring: 4-4-4--4-4-4. rw

     B chain: p 4•4•4-4. rw
    2. C ring: 8-8. dnrw, SS

    3. D chain: 4•4• SS
          E ring: 3-3. SS
       F chain: 4•5•

NOTE: As often happens with concentric chains, you may need to adjust the count with an extra stitch or half so that they lie flat.

  

    4. G chain: p 4•4•4-4. rw

TIP: For smooth curves, use CWJ (Catherine Wheel Join) instead of LJ (lock join) wherever possible

    5. H ring: 8+8. dnrw, SS
       I chain: 4•4• SS
        J ring: 3-3. SS
      K chain: 4•5• . rw  (Instead of lock join at end, I prefer making a picot join as in Motif#2)
    6. L chain: 3-3-3-3. dnrw, SS
First Motif Complete.

NOTE: Unlike the original, with our tighter stitches and tensioning, this edging tends to curve (as in lead pic). If you want a straight edging, make L chain: 3-3-3-3-3.

Leave bare thread space before starting nest ring (as seen in #7 pic above)

    7. A ring: 4-4-4--4-4-4.
    8. reverse or rotate work

    9. B chain: 4•4•4-4. rw

 

    10. Make ring C & chain D as before

    11. Join to ring E above and lock join to chain below. Keep Both threads on same side (I prefer to keep them above). Continue chain F

    12. Make normal picot join and continue to other side, as in 1st motif.

NOTE: I found this normal picot join is neater than the lock join used in motif#1. I had even tried the under-over join but was not satisfied. You can choose whichever join you prefer.

    13. 14. 15. – continue as first motif. 

Second motif complete. Repeat this motif till you reach desired length.

OPTION 2 - Tatting with 2 colours.

Reverse Join for bilateral symmetry of colours 

    16. After making F chain, start making lock join and

    17. Entrap other thread between loop and shuttle before tensioning.

    18. Notice the shuttles switch positions after Reverse Join. Complete 3rd motif. See how the colours are positioned.

 

    19. 4th motif continues with shuttle positions switched, and another RJ while crossing over to right side. Notice that there is bilateral symmetry of colours, but they alternate with the 3rd motif.

TIP : See Lock Join Plus tutorials for more options on switching colours (shoelace trick, reposition, twist work, etc.) whether within a motif or between motifs.

Thus we have several options on how to place colours, which join to use, which sequence to work, etc. It is up to the tatter to play around with the options to create and adapt. 

This will be converted into a proper pdf with stepwise diagrams and uploaded to the Endrucks 1920 Project document. There are more adaptations of this pattern in the works - sunflower coaster, beaded necklace, interlaced bookmark, besides the heart already shared. In fact there are now adaptations of the heart by inspired tatters which I will share in another post!

Yet another idea is from the multi-coloured Girotondo here. I can visualize each motif in a different or alternating colour, and the connecting chains in another colour, encapsulating the motif thread(s). I plan on doing this for the bookmark adaptation. 

I hope Frau Endrucks will not be too unhappy with our 21st century style....

applying techniques rakhi

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It's that time of the year again - Rakshabandhan is round the corner and Indian tatters are already posting lovely tatted rakhis. Here's my rakhi for 2020 ... AppliTech rakhi/bracelet!

The portmanteau 'AppliTech' refers to the fact that it is kind of a test or trial or experimental piece for applying a few techniques. It started as an observation piece for the Lock Join Plus methods as posted here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2020/07/lock-join-plus.html where lock join, reposition threads, SLT, and reverse join (and switch shuttle) were all used in batches, resulting in randomly placed colours on one side.

Then, in response to a question on facebook, I re-demonstrated what I had discovered last year - whether you hold the gauge above the core thread or below it (as in Ninetta's Tuft picot), provided it goes through the leg of half stitch, the final result is the Same!

All tutorial links here, including my study of picots (Interlocking, Mrs Mee, Tuft} - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/p/tatting-resources.html

I will share my detailed comparison in next post, along with more observations.

I continued on to make the 3rd Josephine Ring placing the gauge above core thread.
Each ring starts and ends with 1ds, and has a picot after every half-stitch.
Each JR is made of 20 1st half-stitches with a 5mm gauge.

Many of us have already come across this beautiful Lavender sprig by tatting_art on pinterest or Instagram and she has uploaded a how-to video here (thanks for sharing the link, Karen Cabrera).

Next, I started mock rings with treble tat stitch. I started each chain with an Intruding picot which served as the starting picot for first tds, also to join back the chain into a mock ring!

Why mock rings, you ask?! Because I did not know how big the ring should be, what the count should be.  With mock rings,  I had the freedom to keep 'bending the curve' to gauge the chain length.  Hence, no tds count. 

Close-up of the dimensional/stacked flower. Bead was added before starting the last mock ring, by pulling up a loop...

Continued with the Priscilla edging (Fig 29 from her Tatting Book 3), though this time I followed a symmetry in colour placement. Lock Join and Reverse Join are used in alternating chains to move up to the next chain. By direct tatting (unflipped/reverse stitches) every alternate chain, I could tat all from the front. No RW or turn work!
Added findings after it reached 7" length. Anchor Pearl Cotton size 8.

Perhaps with a bit more effort, I could work the 2nd part of the edging to face opposite, rather than appear continuous. But there are a lot more things on my over-full plate ;-P
See you soon ....

Oh, but before I go, Sue Fuller taught my 2017 rakhi (in March) and Bonds of Love rakhi/bracelet (in April? she liked the blue, red, white version) in the Online Tatting Class earlier this year. I didn't get a hold of the logs, though, so have no idea what transpired in the class ;-D

lock join plus

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Many months back, in response to some curiosity and confusion among several tatters, I decided to illustrate the simple progression and functional similarity between a few techniques. Here the underlying common factor is the ubiquitous Lock Join. Add one extra step to the LJ, and it opens up the canvas to change colours, shuttles, and even direction of chains.

I took stepwise pics for each of the combinations back then, but preparing a proper stream-lined article has taken way more time than intended. I am immensely grateful to Anita Barry, Master Tatter, for her proofing and editing.

In order to make the document manageable, it is uploaded as a series of 5 pdfs, each a stand-alone (click on each title to download) –

PLEASE NOTE - Most of these are also Reposition Methods which can be used even without a lock join to change direction, create points or curves, etc.

1. Lock Join Plus – Executive Summary and practice Patterns for further exploration. (3 pages)

 

How one extra movement after a lock join can open up the canvas to change colours, shuttles, and even direction of chains. 

For starters, a simple 2-colour motif is used where all chains face the same direction. But for further exploration, more patterns are listed. 

2. LJ Plus - Lock Join (LJ) pictorial (1 page)

 

How to make the lock join using both up and down loops. 

Notice how the colour blips in the 2 right joins are larger than the remaining 3. If the down loop LJ is followed by a 2nd half-stitch, the blip is almost hidden completely.
Links to undo a LJ and variations that include making a LJ with 2^nd shuttle.
See also Lock Join in Mock Rings - 

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2018/06/mock-rings-2-lj-mock-onion-rings.html

3. LJ Plus – Reposition pictorial (1 page)

 

A laissez-faire crossing of threads. Simple, quick, vintage. Compare how chain segments change colour and the slight overlap at the start of each chain.

4. LJ Plus - Shoe Lace Trick (SLT) pictorial (1 page)

 

Tying a half knot outside the LJ – overhand tie or SLT. Again chain colours get switched. SLT also allows us to switch the core thread in instances when the shuttle is running low on thread.

5. LJ Plus – Reverse Join (RJ) pictorial (2 pages)

 

Encapsulating or entrapping the other thread within the LJ. Created by Elaine P Gan (tattingbox). 

Pics showing an up loop and a down loop. The latter 
minimises the colour blip in a RJ as well.

Functionally the same as crossing and SLT after LJ, but more elegant and efficient – a smooth transition.

After each or either of these, if we turn work, reverse work, switch shuttle, and/or direct tat (unflipped stitches) the next chain, we add another dimension – changing the direction of the chain! Along with colour. Our choices multiply! And we might even be able to work throughout with just one shuttle and ball. To explore these choices, some practice patterns are listed in the main pdf. Besides block tatting, think also of filet tatting, especially in 2 colours, where these can be used effectively. I forgot to mention the role of lock join plus in mock rings and mock onion rings, but you get the idea, right? Wherever you have 1 or more chains joined below, play with LJ Plus!

I used all the above 4 in this vintage edging from Priscilla Tatting Book3 Fig 29 where the chains move to and fro. We can turn work after each chain or we can work every alternate chain directly (reverse stitch - unflipped). I started with LJ, then tried reposition, SLT, and RJ after every 3^rd chain. Shuttle in hand changes depending on our choices.

So I'm sure there is no need to spell out why I presented this article/pdfs in the way I did? There is lot of scope to play and design because each method has it's own pluses and minuses!

Do you see a butterfly in the above arrangement? Time to pick up my shuttles again and work out a pattern ;-D
Before that you might get fed one more lesson, so stay locked in ;-P

UPDATE 1: (2021) When working with only one shuttle and ball, changing the direction of chain using direct tatting - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2021/06/2nd-shuttle-or-ball.html 

UPDATE 2: (2021) Carrying on with functional movements, see pictorial Twist Work (TwW) -

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1To6YwZSkh2ffQH3XBcKZ-Ed3l4myW34c/view 

UPDATE 3: (2026) The Catherine Wheel Join pictorial accompanied by diagrams by Ninetta Caruso- https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UmmjBqNwwQYIb9Ms9_-T5K6dPnZENCwl/view  

UPDATE 4: (2026) Beaded Lock Join (based on Vicki Clarke's suggestion) - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rL7ZLsSUwKqmkZy210yqP03RgVAsUOxN/view