celebration tatting

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We celebrate the brother-sister bond of Rakshabandhan on the 9th of August this year. So I had this strong urge to collect motifs into rakhis, as I have done a few times over the years. 

I had a collection of these rose and floral motifs from past test-tatting and tutorial exercises, and I had intended to arrange and attach them into a necklace or collar to celebrate International Lace Day (June 22nd, 2025). 

Both motifs are adaptations of the central rounds of Eleonore Endrucks' pattern E42 in her 1920 book, ‘Die Schiffchen-Spitzen’, and reworked by Paola Emilia Rotuletti (2021). (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NgPuAzM83cjVoWvzFaiAIp7UDbuueBB0/view)

The small motif on top is the E42 Roses by Daniela Galli (2025) which she kindly shared for the ILD 2025. Pattern PDF - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HiDjl4A_CkRcRGqpjhEItWqgEI1bGMhE/view 

There is a small and a large rose, both of which can be worked with a ball and shuttle in one pass.

The large motif below is the E42 Flower Motif by Muskaan (2023). It is my 6-repeat adaptation for my E42 Antiks Snowflake (2023). Pattern PDF - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U5J5sjuAA7D0qGPOGnK9RJ83MKdNkWSZ/view

I had used the large motifs to demonstrate three ways of climbing out without the need for split chains. https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/11/game-antics.html

PDF - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VFk4ZnBT9ObJxnEKgI6hUkk2wtd_gOD4/view

I love lock stitch aka lock chains and simply picked up the knitting cotton size 10 threads in contrasting colours. I worked with one ball and shuttle. The rakhi motifs are all worked in size 20 crochet cotton from various brands.

 

Just so I remember for future, here's how I brought the motifs together with a Swarovski faceted bead (4.5mm) in the center. Pre-string the bead onto a length of thread and slide it to the center; bring both ends through the layered motifs; adjust and wind one end on a shuttle. 

Now from the ball pull off a length similar to one half of the first thread, leave it aside and start tatting a lock chain from the center. When desired length is reached, remove shuttle and again wind it with the other end and repeat the lock chain with ball thread on the other side. The bead remains locked in.

And for the tips, I inserted a bead through both threads at one end, tied a knot niched with the bead and trimmed off the tails. Repeated it on the other side. This seemed the quickest way to finish off the rakhi/bracelet.

The above large motif is from the original E42 center - notice it has 8 repeats.

In fact each E42 rose is also slightly different with tiny tweaks. It's fun to play around.

All together again. Rakhi traditionally has a thin string for tying. However, for a bracelet, one can use broader braids, which are shorter in length with relevant findings instead of ties.

Of course if tatted specifically for a bracelet or rakhi, one can embellish the motifs with beads, picots, etc. Mine are SOUP rakhis hence plain.

💥💥💥💥💥 

Now I had initially collected the motifs back in May with the intention of making a necklace or collar as stated at the beginning.

I played with arrangements using all the motifs at hand. The above could become a necklace with addition of beads and bling...while the one below could be a collar.

Besides these, I had several other arrangements, including asymmetrical ones but deleted the pics someway along the way.

After several possible arrangements, this is what I found the most appealing and settled on it. Tatted ring or curled ring connectors would be used to link adjacent motifs. However I couldn't get myself to accomplish even this simple task and the lace day passed by without any tatting. 

Who knows if the mood takes me I might even free the motifs from the rakhis and rearrange as a necklace. What is your verdict/preference? Leave as rakhis or make a necklace?

NOTE - These are free patterns but please name the designer and the pattern when you make and post And also use the hashtag #Endrucks1920Project.

Many many thanks to Daniela and Paola - always ready to help and share 💕

Related Posts
Antiks Snowflake pattern and more - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/search?q=Antiks
Patterns for Rakhi/Bracelets - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/p/patterns-designs.html - listed under Holidays, Festival and Jewellery - Hands.

Endrucks, Holidays and Jewellery directories also have some rakhi models -https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w1TZBg-HIzseGEUoJ-rko7tNbtSgZY5A18Oy2Y9Hh0Y/view

more than a butterfly

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I have finally completed the pattern for Butterfly Bandhan in pdf. But it is so much more than a butterfly as you shall see, scrolling down .... 

Butterfly Bandhan 

jointly designed by  muskaan  &  Harsha Creations

Butterfly Bandhan Pattern pdf - click to download

Pattern is for a single colour, one-pass pattern. Hence there is a bit of mindfulness required, especially for first try. I tried to break the pattern into blocks with respective diagrams, to make it easy to follow. Not too happy with my diagrams (hand-sketched), but will have to do for now. I was going to get it test-tatted, but life got in the way and instead of delaying further, I went on a roll working non-stop since yesterday. 

This is the 2-colour model by Bandini, worked in separate pieces. A much easier option if you don't mind hiding tails, or find the one-pass method confusing. With this method, one can make all 4 rings a different colour!

Above is yet another working alternative. This 2-colour version is worked in one-pass, using 2 shuttles. It uses lots of Lock Join Plus techniques (SLT, reposition/TwW, RJ, etc) to position colour as desired.

This was one of my trials, hence not exact.

If the instructions are followed, threads/shuttles will be in the correct position for next element. However, tatter is free to choose their own method and techniques.

As detailed in this post, the butterfly would have remained cocooned as a potential idea if Bandini of Harsha Creations hadn't taken it upon herself to start with the early trials of converting 4 separate motifs into a proper butterfly! I cannot thank her enough <3

Future Ideas !

So how is this motif more than merely a butterfly? 

Check out how well these motifs work, creating different shapes, depending on where adjacent motifs are joined.

A broad Straight Border or edging if top wings are joined at 2 picots.

A Bookmark when adjacent butterflies are joined at single picot between top wing of one and bottom wing of other.

A Circular Collar or Doily when top wing and bottom wing of adjacent motifs are joined at single picot.

A Square Motif or Coaster when 2 picots of bottom wings are joined. Of course, we need a fourth butterfly to complete the square, but notice the interesting negative design it will create in the center? A few smaller motifs can fill in any spaces for a larger square and fabric.

 

• Adaptation into a Maple Leaf - in the earlier post Linda Reiff saw a possible leaf and this is my first trial adding a motif in the center of the same purple butterfly. (the green is merely playing around with the photo effects ;-D)

Although it all lays flat, I feel the 3 chains are incongruent with the 4-chain 'wings'. I received some valuable feedback from experienced friends, and will try it again with 5 chains.

Meanwhile Bandini tells me she will be finishing her leaf version in a couple of days - eager to see what she does again!

• Adaptation into a Peacock - When viewed from this side, does it not look like it could become a dancing peacock?! Of course, a lot more work is required, including shortening the 'legs'.
• A Tree - And with a tiny bit of adjustment, the antennae could become the trunk of a tree, obviously in the right colours!!!
• Angel Wings! - Grace Tan noticed these.

Butterfly Bandhan Pattern pdf - click to download

I invite you to work the butterfly alone, or to make any of the ideas displayed here. Please don't forget to show me what you've done - I could add your model as part of the pattern instead of working them all myself ;-P

teach me to count

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With shuttle in one hand and thread in the other (and toes curled in under me) how can I count on my fingers? Can you? No wonder I made mistakes... I need tutoring!

A while back I stumbled on to Liisa Maarit’s blog - Handmade by Liisa showcasing some beautiful lace along with pictorials and a few patterns.

I really liked her ‘rescued’ circular motif. So how many repeats can you count here? 9, right? Hmmm, that's 1 extra repeat extra! Irrespective, it turned out fine and lay flat.
Just over 5½ cms diameter in pearl cotton size 8 (white, & green  00225).

TIP : One can use Catherine Wheel Join in the 3^rd round for a more perfect circle. 
Here, I went with lock join followed by half stitch for a bit of floral arching.

In order to give it company I hunted through my books for a motif to go along and Lindsay Rogers' Repetition mat (with 9 repeats) in 'Mastering Tatting' appealed.

Worked in size 40 (shade 00368).

And guess what?? Yup, counting error Again. There are supposed to be 2 chains between clovers and I made one! So how many repeats did I need to complete the circle – 30!!!

The mistake led to some design-learning ...

DESIGN TIP :  Do you see how the little rings rise above?

If the rings were linked to each other through tiny picots close to the base (stabilising picots), it would’ve led to squishing and cupping. But since each ring was ‘free’ at the base, the little rings lifted above that constricting space. Textural effect!

I like the texture created. With beads, it could make a beautiful necklace! Looks nice as a collar, too.

Since it was meant to be a short round, I left the thread attached to ball. But shuttle ran out at 25th repeat. There was quite some length left, but not enough for a true ring.

TIP : So I used a slight variation of adding new thread within ring. I started SCMR with new shuttle thread acting as core, and old tail for stitches. The entire ring was done with the old tail. Then the tail ends were hidden in next 2 elements.

I now have to design/adapt rounds inside and out to make a snood. Sigh, and here I was going for something simple....

Many thanks to Liisa Maarit and apologies to Lyndsay Rogers

off to The Pentagon !

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I totally forgot to post the pentagon trials in my previous post! These were accomplished before I started on the triangles.

I realize you may be getting bored seeing the same stuff in the same colours. 
No, I do Not like pink! Which is why I chose it for trials – trying to finish off the ball ;-P

However, I think it goes fairly well with the ecru.

I’ve made 5 of these with slight tweaks in stitch count. Arranged in a semi-circle they make a lovely collar. Or continue around to complete the circle fore a lacy edging.

The best part – it can be tatted in one pass !!!! Easy to trace the path, if you enjoy a bit of a puzzle :-)

I'll have to consult my sketchy notes to determine the details here & that is all boring stuff. (In fact I stopped writing notes early into the project, shhhh!)

The size 20 one is ready, so that's what matters.

I've found that size of picots makes a difference in these shapes lying flat. 
The placement of joining picots in inner rings also makes a difference.
And where the ring is split causes the shape to widen/spread out or remain closely packed. 
Fun to experiment with these factors, especially since all rings are 24ds each. And working it in 2 colours adds to the fun factor.

With Wimbledon over, I’ll be able to get back into this pattern-writing and diagramming stuff more seriously & diligently now.

I’m thinking of sharing all 4 shapes in one pdf.

Next I’ll do the bookmark in a separate pdf.

After that I hope to tat these one-pass magic shapes and share as I go. And I promise to use different colours, but in size 40 - it's the size I enjoy working with.

I’ve added ‘quatrefoil’ to the Labels’ list on the right panel. Click or use the search engine to scroll through my previous posts.

 happy tatting always - whatever the shape/size of the building :-)))

a long wait

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I've been waiting for a lot of things this past week, and the wait continues.  The only silver lining is that today I finally took up my shuttles with enough focus & gusto to start tatting my new surprise pattern for spring.

I did fill up a few more pages of my sketch book with prospective patterns.

For the present,  though, let's turn back time. I worked on a couple of antique/vintage patterns a while back. Here's a peek ....

This sampler is from Coats and Clark book #121. Georgia asked for a volunteer to diagram the pattern. I went a step further and tatted it as well, along with a notated pattern in modern terms.

My sampler curved a bit, looking like a lacy collar. But I probably know the reason why. I'm sure it will lie straight if I tat it again.

This was a single-sided scalloped edging from Book 5 by Marie Antoinette Hees. But return back along the same path, and we have ourselves a bookmark. And add a tail with charm, all in one pass.

The pattern was shared in the Jan 12 newsletter from Bella Online. But there a few inconsistencies between diagram, notation, and tatted model. I finally chose to work off the tatted model ; the diagram was too confusing. 

I called this 'Bookmark for a Queen' because of its specially chosen colors, lending a bit of oriental flavour. I 'dedicated' it to the protagonist of these 2 books - Mehrunisa who later became Empress Nurjahan. 

Recommended by my dear friend & mentor Georgia, I had a great read !  And ironically, I liked the 2nd book (sequel) better than the first ! So many memories passed through, having visited many of the places and mausoleums, having studied the Mughal dynasty in our History classes, being acquainted with the architecture and cultural nuances (Mughal culture has confluenced so much down the generations, that some of it was an eye-opener). For a brief few days, I just did not want to take up any other book, so strong was the characterisation by Indu Sundaresan.

Peeping out from between the books is the mini 3D carnation. Perhaps it can be a Persian rose ! The bookmark, to me, symbolises her rubies.

Once my waiting is over, both patterns will be shared. 

Till then,  happy tatting as usual :-)