too clever by half

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or too lazy ... take your pick, LOL. So I actually completed a motif from scratch today as celebration of the International Tatting Day! Wanted to tat enough to upload to our Endrucks 1920 Project FB group and then continue tomorrow along with a blogpost. Wonder of wonders, my smart take meant I 'finished' the motif et al much before the end of the day! 

I had decided to tat a butterfly when I realised it would mean a line/row bingo as mentioned in my post here. And my first search was in the EP directory of butterfly derivatives. This was one motif I hadn't tatted, so mind made up. That it would happen so soon, well .... and that it had block tatting was something I hadn't planned on either.

This is the E16 Grazia Butterfly derived and designed by Pina Pinto for the #Endrucks1920Project; pictorial and written pattern by Ninetta Caruso. with a bit of input from me. Here is the direct link to the PDF - https://drive.google.com/file/d/10mqdUjIcdRADIuGt5il0C2PUvGn0HthK/view

And as you can see if you compare the models in the PDF to mine, this is in profile! After tatting two wings it looked pretty complete for a butterfly in profile! I think it looks good even though it is only Half the pattern. Folded the central (body) ring and added one more antenna and voila, it's ready to fly or alight.

The decision was possible because I followed my alternate path (diagram on page 9 of PDF) and tatted the wings separately. However, I also followed my own tip to tat the antenna in one pass which is why the first antenna is too long. Shortened the 2nd one at the end, though.

In Anchor and Red Rose pearl cotton size 8, the butterfly is 3cm high and 5.5cm wide (without antennae). In Lizbeth size 20, these measurements should hold true. I didn't want the ombre tinted colourway to overwhelm the pattern, hence paired it with ecru/cream.

And so I submit my 4th motif for Natalie Rogers' Picot Bingo 2026 Level 2, crossing out two boxes and one line, yay!

• Block Tatting
• Tat a Butterfly

Here's where I stand at present ... please note that I have a couple more motifs already tatted but not shared, which is why I did not cross out any of the respective boxes.

PICOT BINGO for the last row, teehee! (Details here - https://www.patreon.com/posts/happy-new-year-147124370)

Hope you had or are having a great ITD. Ciao for now!

a winter butterfly

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 Trying to catch the last golden rays of the wintery sun! 

Ninetta Caruso has shared a lovely new butterfly pattern with us! She was updating the E13 edging  pattern which Silvia Passaquieti, one of our original volunteers, had reworked back in Nov 2020. This update is part of the ongoing exercise to systematise all presentations in the Endrucks 1920 Project.

And that's when Ninetta noticed that ....

... a motif from the E13 edging looked like a butterfly's wing in profile! 

I was privy to all the trials, thoughts, doubts, and discussions - the various stages leading to this final pattern. Let's hope she shares her design process, too.

 

E13 Disclosed Butterfly by Ninetta Caruso pattern PDF link - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yxSqjL2ZpKPnwcqhG9YkbhBG_wjfLQmT/view

TWoT Notes: Habitually, I worked it directionally, starting the first wing (on the left in above pic) with the first ring frontside. For the right wing, I started the first ring backside to get a mirror image.

The pattern itself is a scroll - alternating rings and chains - throughout.  In fact each wing is worked with a ball and shuttle. Yet, it is not a pattern one can easily commit to memory. The rings and chains are cleverly arranged and attached and require mindful tatting.

 

An upended view with the butterfly playing dead ;-P 

Each wing is worked separately. Then the split ring braid attaches to both simultaneously. I chose to do the body in a different colour and twisted the head ring from vertical to horizontal .

I really liked Ninetta's version of the antennae where she lightly twisted the picots [actually she cheated by twisting them afterwards, LOL] so unlike all my earlier tightly twisted picots, these are less tight.

Now there is cupping in the wings which I kind of like, except that mine face downwards as if the butterfly is just getting ready to lift off; contrary to Ninetta's model where the wings are uplifting!

I really must make my chains less taut or add one or two extra half-stitches to avoid cupping. I seem to have this problem in several patterns.

The proof of how much I liked the pattern is that I just had to squeeze in time and energy to tat it! It took two sittings only, but took several days to finally take pics and blog. Incidentally, this is my first E13 pattern/derivative. Can't thank my dear PIC, Nin, enough, for this pattern and all she does for the Project!

E15 from Eleonore Endrucks' 'Die Schiffchen-Spitzen', 1920, reworked by Silvia Passaquieti Nov2020  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qZ0BsgjQ81es0J7G1FI3mng3xwjjeHOT/view

For more butterfly patterns and inspiration check out our Butterflies from Endrucks Directory - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dtWGgZZEGBBwLDpJgRChAEo91l4uuXq-fxRNzKDc6r8/view 

Please do not forget touse the tag #Endrucks1920Project in your social media post, and please state the name of the designer and the pattern, too. 

hospital tatting

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 Its been over 10 years that I took any tatting along with me. This time I felt like taking my shuttles along to my doctor's appointment. In our minds it was supposed to be a routine visit after 6 months and since everything was stable, we thought the regimen would just continue. We spend anywhere between 3 to 5 hours there, mostly just sitting around. 

A question that has constantly plagued me .... Which came first - patient or patience?!

So anyways, turns out we started a new line of treatment (basically injections at stated intervals) in order to get rid of the oral steroids. I only have a 50/50 chance but any little decrease is better. So off we tromped to the hospital again the next day which required a few hours of hospitalisation for observational purposes, and along came my shuttles again. Following are the motifs I tatted as a patient patient. All in Anchor size 20.

I gave away a couple of butterflies. One lady noticed the hook on my shuttle and asked whether this is how crochet hooks are made nowadays! I explained to her that it was a shuttle used to make tatted lace. She bemoaned the fact that nobody wants to wear or use handmade stuff any longer.

I kept each motif different. Couldn't bring myself to repeat the same counts, LOL.

All tatted with single shuttle or one thread aka single tatting.

These are all very generic patterns hence feel free to copy-tat ;-P

These came home with me. I have decided that it is better to glue them on cards or bookmarks and then gift randomly. Easier than explaining what one can do with the motifs, how to wash and block, etc. So, whenever I'm in the mood, I'll be gluing them to card stock and adding a bit of background. 

And while I had no side-effects from the injected biologicals, I did come home with viral flu which later shifted to my stomach and I lost about 10 days doing hardly anything due to the fever. Back on track now and tatting up samplers, etc., writing an article, creating PDFs, and catching up with blogs.

taking wing

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Just as I had visualized and hoped for! The wings with gathered picots! Yes, I'm doing the happy dance for sure, soaring on wings of fancy :-D

The Pattern -- 'Life is Bliss' butterfly by Antonia Lai, derived from Endrucks' pattern #32 (or E32). Here is the pattern - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F_2y-JQn-noKF2AvegujNQIP4IYXRqWZ/view . For all links to Endrucks' docs and patterns - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w1TZBg-HIzseGEUoJ-rko7tNbtSgZY5A18Oy2Y9Hh0Y/view

The Game -- This is my entry for the #PicotMeEndrucks April 2024 game in the Endrucks 1920 Project FB group. I had this in mind ever since I was preparing the presentation, etc., yet could not get around to tatting it for various reasons. One morning probably a week back, I actually woke up reaching out for the butterfly I had finished tatting (in my dream literally, but it was oh so vivid!!!). Yesterday I finally took hold of myself and belted it out for real.

The Thread Colour -- Deliberately chose a bold but lighter shade. Variegated or dark hues would probably mask the picots or appear too busy. Worked in Anchor size 20 (equi to Lizbeth 10) mercerised cotton. The lower ones are my butterflies for the #PickMeEndrucks game last Feb (https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/02/indisciplined.html) These two models were a great help in deciding placement and size of picots.

The Decorative Picots -- gathered picots; double picots and some variations; twisted picots (floating) with Josephine ring/picot at the tip; twisted double picot; chain picot; graduated picots. Phew! 

I had roughly sketched my idea of where I wanted which picot. Once shuttles were picked up, some of these were changed.

I have labelled the various picots in this pic. Easier to show than explain. All picots used a 1/2 inch picot gauge, though the long picot was made with the gauge held horizontally. The graduated picots were eye-balled.

You can find a whole visual list of decorative picots here - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1D6l4gQWeGu1Se1ZXAhP2vWLQMd4lfzMJ/view

It wasn't all smooth sailing especially since it was to be both a first trial and the final. I often had to retro-tat, including opening up closed rings. But so worth it!

The Sequence -- I started with the inner onion ring, going clockwise. The entire body and right wing were tatted continuously. However, for bilateral symmetry of the gathered picots on the left wing, I had to join the threads at the base of the onion ring and tat the wing from the back. This also meant joining the picots from the back. It took me three trials to get it right. 

The Tweaks -- The only addition I made was to add a shadow chain with graduated picots along the outer sides of the top rings. I think this provided the motif with balance and body. I didn't use a CWJ for the onion ring, opting for a lock join so that the chain picot could be made properly. For the double picots I divided the 6ds of ring to 4 picot 2. One inadvertent mistake was 2 stitches instead of 3 between the joining picots of side rings. 

The Finish -- I needed to dampen, shape, and let the motif rest to tidy up all elements. However it could've done with some better blocking but I was too excited to see 'finished' and photographed ;-P. 

🦋🦋🦋Now that the metamorphosis is done, let me enjoy my flight to the skies 🦋🦋🦋

Related Posts
https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/03/happy-itd-2024.html
https://lelia-stitchesoflife.blogspot.com/2024/04/picot-me-endrucks-april-2024.html
https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/04/no-excuse-to.html

what a heart

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Hearts are great motifs to learn and apply new techniques, practice and hone skills, embellish, and create new designs! Look at where this tiny little heart has travelled so far .... without forgetting it's origins!

It all started with Endrucks' pattern #3 (1920), an edging which was reworked and presented by Anita Barry (2020), which inspired AlenAlea Rako to turn it into squares (2021), from which I espied a heart (2022) and Sue Bradham saw a butterfly (2022).

A few months later, when we chose this heart pattern for one of our games (Pretty Me Endrucks Aug2022), more adaptations came about! These include a key chain by Marina MadJar tatting, an enlarged heart motif and one-pass bookmark by Margaret Davies, a coaster by Ninetta Caruso, and a butterfly by Stephaine Mc (Tattimic). Pattern links here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2022/09/aug-roundup-1.html

During our game and later, several arrangements were shared including 3-in-1 Earrings, Collar, Bookmark, and other ideas. https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2022/09/playful-hearts.html. 

This heart continued to inspire and Ninetta, through her coaster, designed the Tat Me Snowflake (2 versions) in Nov - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZENvdgxihM0YI3Ar_UxP9lqRwprmFotP/view  

2023 started with the pattern being tatted and published by Judith Connors in their Talking Tatting, Feb2023 newsletter. She kindly permitted us to share her complete article  - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aJ34xgaE67A0aI8LTj2xYpvx-NQLrBx1/view 

Later in June, Michelle Forclaz made additions to the hearts to make the Inside Out Flowers. https://drive.google.com/file/d/13L0NCvkqJM94Bnbnbf4ogVUzhhYjuaSN/view  The pdf also shows a few other adaptations she tried such as a little teddy bear, fox head, and butterfly.

Meanwhile tatters have often picked up the pattern and shared their versions, many with beads, and applications. And 2 new patterns emerged in December.

E3 Heart Butterfly by Jiamrat Supapol https://drive.google.com/file/d/19DWVrfGhrbb-l80icUsFiq4msQhmJTjl/view

and the E3 Heart Square Motif by Reiko Akamatsu where she adapted the E42 doily center to fit snugly inside the square. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YxBre5DlW3RcW3ZJFY7-VrDnzvWeuN6m/view

For more heart derivatives, check the Hearts Directory - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MpYw9XMB8Asz8zusj1ZpHvX8A8Ww424-rEVORtxcL1w/view

For more E3 pattern derivatives, check out the other Directories as well. We now have a composite doc listing all directory links (making it easier to reference, etc.). Endrucks Directories  - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w1TZBg-HIzseGEUoJ-rko7tNbtSgZY5A18Oy2Y9Hh0Y/view

Please note that in this post, I have included pics of only the 'new' models that haven't been shared here so far. 

Hearty thanks to each and every Endrucksian mentioned here! Hope you continue your exploration and experimentation, sharing the beautiful results.

happy Endrucks 3

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 Continuing from part 2 (https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/09/happy-endrucks-2.html), this is the final batch of pics. All tatted solely by Krystyna Mura, and derived from just one doily pattern #31 of Endrucks' ‘Die Schiffchen-Spitzen’, 1920. And if you were amazed by the first two batches, be wowed by the following! 

Link to the pdf - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lcQrl0f6PdLYApe4YVM2ZVorLsHToAm1/view and part 1 - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/09/happy-endrucks-1.html

YOUNG  EINSTEIN

I for one could never in my wildest dreams imagine this! Would somebody be inspired to tat the iconic older Einstein, too, LOL?!

 

STRONGMAN

And flipped over, we have this! Tatted optical illusion.

DOG  ROSE

One more version in pale lilac tints is in the pdf.

POPPY

Krystyna had derived a 3D poppy from pattern #12 as well. (https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2022/04/show-stopper-or-show-topper.html)

PURPLE  DHALIA

There are more models in different colours in the pdf - Bright Pink and Sea Shell Dahlias.

RED  LILA  BUTTERFLY

PURPLE  STONE  BUTTERFLY

Both butterflies have one more version each with minor variations.

BUTTERFLY  BROOCH AND EARRINGS

GOLD  MOTH

BEETLE

SCARLET  DRAGONFLY

WISE  OLD  OWL

I especially like the horned ears ;-D

3D  MOUSE

Didn't expect this, did you?!

Ninetta and I cannot thank Krystyna enough for her wonderful and beyond-imagination work; way beyond what she volunteered for and what was expected!

Many many many thanks, Krystyna! You have gifted us a plethora of ideas and patterns. Frau Endrucks would definitely have been amused and amazed. 

pickme roundup 3

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 And this is the final batch from our #pickmeEndrucks Feb2023 event! At least for now. Because motifs are allowed to trickle in whenever they wish to! Enjoy the visual delight of the first two batches here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/04/pickme-roundup1.html and here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/04/pickme-roundup-2.html

15. Paola Emilia Rotuletti - is always a prolific participant with beautiful tatting to share.

Garden Cosmos (E12) & Life is Bliss butterfly (E32) 

Krystyna's Butterfly (E12)

Pretty Me Butterfly (E3)

Grazia Butterfly (E16)

16. Roberta Porati - cheerful display!

Happy Hands Butterfly (E1) & Happy Hands Shamrock (E1)

17. Ruth Palsson - made this linked pair of hearts as an engagement gift!

Eye Spy Hearts - linked (E3)

Eye Spy Heart (E3)

18. Sally Biggers - Adapted Krystyna's Garden Cosmos into a 3D version with beads and also shared the pattern! 

3D Garden Cosmos (E12)

19. Silvana Buonvino - another prolific tatter and participant!

Calmful Heart (E32)

Pretty Me Butterfly (E3) & Calmful Heart (E32)

Happy Hands Shamrock (E1)

Pretty Me Butterflies (E3)

Happy Hands Butterfly (E1)

19. Stella Marina - hearts around a butterfly!

Happy Hands Hearts (E1), Pretty Me Butterfly (E3),
Calmful Hearts (E32), Eye Spy Hearts #1 (E37) 

20. Vani Kattoju - Unfortunately alphabetical arrangement means Vani comes in last, but not least.

Pretty Me Heart (E3), Grazia Butterfly (E16),
Life is Bliss Butterfly (E32) 

Hope you enjoyed this collection of beauty. You might get to see some of these motifs arranged in our next game - #giftmeEndrucks March2023. We took a break in April and hence our Feb and March events continue into April.

Even if you are not on Facebook, you can join us any time - leave a comment here or email me. After you show us a pic of your first Endrucks' motif, we would love to send you a gift!

Many many thanks to all our participants for their lovely motifs - keep them coming