DAL2026 roundup 2

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 So let's just continue to enjoy what emerged from Muskaan's DAL 2026 Challenge where you have to design additional round(s) on the given base/foundation motif. Details: https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2026/08/time-to-play-again.html   

Continuing from https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2026/08/dal2026-roundup-1.html 

7. Anita Barry - She has played so many of my games! And this time she has remembered Frau Endrucks through the little blocks in her round.

(pattern awaited)

8. Donna McDade - the one who put it into my head about the next DAL and because of whom this 2026 challenge came about! And as always she tatted 8 starter motifs to add rounds to, 4 of which she has already completed with patterns! She says her motifs are not blocked yet.

Version 1 - her upside down clover round.

(pattern ready)

Version 2 - Using up some of her leftover stars from her award-winning quilt.

(pattern ready)

Version 3 - Clever application of colour with frequent use of the shoelace trick! I call it the Mind-Twister motif.

(pattern received)

Version 4 - Snail!!! Who would've thought to use the square motif to create a snail?! And she has something up her sleeve which will be revealed at the very end .... curious.

(pattern ready)

9. Ninetta Caruso - If Donna takes top position in the number of versions she is tatting, Ninetta is at the top for the number of rounds she has added - 9 rounds!!!

(pattern awaited)

10. Linda Mazerat - created 2 rounds for this very elegant motif with 'trees' in the corners. But guess what? She only learned tatting in February this year!!!! And this is her first attempt at designing. Could've fooled me - it is so professional and masterful.

"I had a great time participating in this challenge. That's when we realize that creating a pattern is not that easy." 

She has also started tatting more of this motif for a runner. She uploaded a video on Instagram.

(pattern received)

11. Marie-helene Longau - She readily 'accepted the challenge' and added 3 rounds in this beautiful motif!

(pattern ready in French & English)

12. Silvana Buonvino - has been quite active in our Endrucks group and here she added several rounds to the base motif. The 7 additional colourful rounds create a rangoli or mandala effect.

Silvana let her shuttles do the work and is regretful that she does not remember the counts.

(no pattern) 

13. Muskaan - I've already shared my thoughts here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2026/08/my-round-3.html and no progress on the pattern presentation. Got busy with all the rest that have arrived ;-P

(pattern in the works)

14. KRine créatif - This is KRine's first attempt at designing, too! I think she did a really nice job and I love how well her colours fit. She even sent in her diagram!

She tried many and finally chose this as her last model for now. She has decided to train on patterns shared by professional designers to understand and learn and return to improve on the above piece when she has gained more experience. We wish her well!

(pattern ready)

There has been some incidental consequences and learning pertaining to this challenge. I have already touched upon some and will share more in the next post. 

... to be continued ...

There are no words that can fully express my gratitude to each of you for participating so enthusiastically and creating more beauty!

DAL2026 roundup 1

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 So many DAL 2026 models have come in that it is better to start sharing in batches than to wait till the end. Fewer pics also mean you get to enjoy and admire each one at a better pace. For now I have arranged them according to the designer who first uploaded an image whether it was competed or not. But for the roundup, I chose only the completed projects. Plenty of time for the WIPs to work on their designs and/or tatting. 

I have privately shared the Google doc with all participants - it contains all details and entries and pattern links, but will make it public at a later date when more patterns are converted into PDFs. So let's just enjoy what emerged from Muskaan's DAL 2026 Challenge where you have to design additional round(s) on the given base/foundation motif. Details: https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2026/08/time-to-play-again.html

1. Sheetal Kakodkar - Her very first time designing and after her 3rd round design she was so motivated that she added two more and was happy with the result!!! I'm happy, too.

(pattern ready)

2. Carolyn Craig - went on a spree belting out Five additional rounds, one of them with 'flat solid tatting'. Then she thought that since the center motif was square, perhaps I was looking for an ultimate square. So, she got to work again with another round and also filled in the large open space with pretty motifs. And now she has gone back to her 3D birds, refreshed with this break. 

(pattern ready)

(pattern received)

3. Barbara Arango - tried out her round in one pass but later modified the design and added two rounds. She even tatted this twice since the first piece had some experimentation.

(pattern ready)

4. Jagruti Joshi - quickly worked a 3rd round which imitated the 2nd round. Her use of vibrant colours makes it look like a flower in full bloom.

(pattern ready)

5. Julie Villegas - created a nice square motif with lots of thrown rings.

(pattern ready)

6. Wanda Salmans - was in a tatting slump and this challenge brought her out of it! She created two versions and shared her thoughts in her blog here - https://wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com/2026/08/muskaans-2026-dal-design-long.html

(patterns awaited)

As you might have noticed, several patterns have been received and are in the process of being presented as PDFs. Instead of putting all patterns in the master doc, this time I am creating separate PDFs for each and sharing the link there. I think it looks more organised and focused and tatters might also find it easier to download and work with it. 

to be continued ....

Many many thanks to each and every one of my dear participants!!! You make these challenges worthwhile!

time to play again

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I wasn't going to, honestly, I had no intention of doing a design-along challenge this year! But then I made this simple motif to show the common picot and it looks cute, quick, and easy enough to work as the starting motif for a DAL, right? 

Disclaimer - The design is so basic that I did a quick image search for a similar pattern done before, but couldn't find any. I used my own count without referring to any previous pattern. Yet, if you know of any, please do let me know.

So what is a DAL, you ask? 

• Design-Along (DAL) is a little game I 'invented' where I give you a starting pattern. You tat the motif and then you have to continue by designing and tatting your own round or rounds to it. 
• In this 2-round motif no special techniques, no special effects are used, hence it can be a good stepping stone for relative beginners to design another round.  
• The motif can be tatted as separate rounds (like in my model) or you can climb out with a split ring.
• Feel free to add more picots to these two rounds if you need your 3rd round to have more attachments.
• You might even think of repeating this motif to create a larger piece, BUT you still have to design a round around them for it to be considered a DAL.
• Send me a pic of your tatted-designed piece and as before, I will include it in a Google doc for everybody to see. You can upload to Facebook (tag me - MuskaanM), or in your own blog (leave a comment here to let me know), or send it to me privately through email.
• Tatters are always looking for new patterns. Hence we would all appreciate if you shared your pattern as well in whatever way you can. All participants in my previous DALs have done so.

So here's the pattern. I hope you can find the time and enthusiasm to participate and display your budding or experienced talents! It is always such a huge inspiration to see the wonderful designs you come up with! In case of any doubts, feel free to ask.

Muskaan's DAL 2026 Motif pattern - 

Round 1 - (pink in diagram) Rosette, single shuttle. 

  NOTE: Common picot (△) - height is about 3 stitches across when folded.

  NOTE: For continuous tatting, use two shuttles and make the last ring a split ring followed by a mock picot, the same size as the common picots.

ringA: 2 - 7 △ 7 - 2. close ring, Do Not Reverse Work (DNRW).

ringB: 2 join to last picot of A, 7 △ 7 - 2. close ring, DNRW.

ringC: 2 join to last picot of B, 7 △ 7 - 2. close ring, DNRW.

ringD: 2 join to last picot of C, 7 △ 7 join to first picot of A), 2. close ring. Tie, cut, hide ends.  NOTE: This last join is a picot join to the right or a folded join.

Round 2 - (black in diagram) Scroll, ball and shuttle.

ringA: 6 join to any △, 6. close ring. Reverse Work (RW)

chainB: 6 - 6. RW

ringC: 6 join to same △, 6. close ring. RW,

chainD: 6 - 6. RW.

Repeat from A to D all around. Join back to base of A, Tie, cut, hide ends.

Round 3 - Your Design!!! You can design and add more rounds, too.

You can find links to tutorials here - http://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/p/my-tut.html and here https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/p/tatting-resources.html

Feel free to scroll through my previous DAL challenges and see what emerged from the shuttles/needles of participants.
Past DALs - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/search/label/DAL
DAL 2023 - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pVqM6S5Ng49xk6erSsDyRm3y7SdV2tCIUOCgltze4lM/view
DAL 2025 - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mQmdXWXQmcbXQ48nRz9FBeTJf_DoJqKz/view

Hope you join!

incredible spirit

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Indomitable, indefatigable, inspiring spirit! This is how I see Donna McDade, my incredible 86 year old friend! You might remember her previous participation in my DAL 2023 where she belted out 5 Celtic snowflakes. This time she broke her own record. Read on to be impressed again .... 

All the DAL 2025 challenge entries can be found here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mQmdXWXQmcbXQ48nRz9FBeTJf_DoJqKz/view

This post is long long long delayed! My main delay was because I wanted to diagram all her versions for clear patterns. Unfortunately only one has been done so far. But the task is still in my to-do list, just pushed further ... And then I couldn't get my head to cooperate and so many other distractions kept creeping in. There is also lots of celebratory news from Donna's creativity, too, which I will share in a 2nd post. 

Donna started by tatting 6 DAL 2025 motifs as seen below ... Note that there are only 6 motifs here while later she added a 7th and a larger 8th, too.

And following is how the outer rounds designed and tatted by her turned the basic motif into such lovely versions!

Version 1 - Curled Ring at Chain

This is very interesting. At first glance it looks like a repeat of the previous round. However, using two shuttles, she makes two rings one of which curls over the previous ring. I think it is a clever application. 

Version 2 - Topped with Trefoils

I was able to complete the diagram for this single-shuttle round that she designed.

Version 3 - Spot Me

I chose this name because I couldn't really spot the 'mistakes' which had Donna cursing the 'Evil Tat Demon'! The pink shade, though, is the red bleeding into the white. 

Version 4 - Flower

The model says it all!

Version 5 - X & O Rings

 

This is what Donna called her 5th version (A and B) with simple split ring round and then weaving another split ring braid through the former. It suddenly gets uplifted from a simple split ring round, doesn't it.

Version 6 - Curls and Folds

Can you identify the variety of rings used in this version? Besides the normal rings in the center, there are curled, split, and folded rings and well as folded chains! Some of the folded rings didn't quite measure up since it was her first attempt at them inspired by my Folded Fun motifs published in the IOLI Bulletin.

Version 7 - Beaded

Quite festive! With plenty of potential for more embellishments.

BONUS! Curled Rings Cross

Donna increased the repeats from 6 to 8 enabling her to design the cross with lots of curled rings. The cross is already sewed on to fabric. 

And all the 7 versions together. These motifs also found their spot on a quilt as seen in the lead pic above! Donna's twin passions - quilting and tatting. Most of her tatted motifs are appliqued to her handmade quilts.

I would like you to return to read my next post and see the creative talents of this incredible lady. Adding it here would not do justice to her work and accomplishments.

💦💦💦

If you wish to try your hand at designing more rounds, jump in any time and contact me with your version.
Pattern: https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2025/02/dal-2025-challenge.html
1st round-up: https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2025/03/colour-me-happy.html
2nd round-up: https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2025/06/design-tatting.html

All participant patterns:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mQmdXWXQmcbXQ48nRz9FBeTJf_DoJqKz/view

Many many thanks for your enthusiastic participation ... hope your indomitable spirit rubs off on me, too!

leaf me roundup 4

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I can guarantee that you haven't yet had your fill of the Leaf Me Endrucks Sep2024 leaves that have been gracing the last three posts. So here's the final installment, for now at least. Showcasing what our members made with the E15 Leaf Doodle versions 1,2,3 pattern! Details of the game and links to the pattern PDFs can be found here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/09/leafy-game.html and pics from our members in Part 1 , Part 2 , and Part 3 .

27. Paola Bevilacqua

Tatted with Sanbest metallic thread with quite a nice sparkle!

"Earrings, Sanbest metallic yarn,"

"A small composition of leaves and pumpkins, (interpreted by me, shrinking the form and the small leaves). Sanbest gold and green-gray metallic yarn, gold-red master of E. Goosebumps."

"I combined the August job with the September one." 

This is quite a composition! The August reference is to the Veg Patch Endrucks Aug2024 game which required us to tat a pumpkin from either of two patterns. Details can be found in our EP Events doc here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZiNdE53cvqj2cLlxVP-wlga8aocPtzs5/view

28. Reiko Akamatsu

I notice that Reiko has used different colour for the rings and chains in every leaf, making each one almost unique.

Quite an enticing assembly! 

29. Sally Biggers

"For my contribution to the September Game #Leafmeendrucks, I have created 5 leaves from the E15 patterns Doodle #1, #2 and #3. In the photograph, leaf # 1 was created using Doodle #3, leaf #2 was created using Doodle #2 and the ones numbered # 3, #4 and #5 were created from Doodle #1, modified only a little at the base. I attached each leaf to a cloth-wrapped florist wire then bound them all together using floral tape. Lizbeth size 20 threads in the colors 181 Cranberry Bush and 683 Leaf Green Light. Almost ready to add a flower to the mix!"

"#leafmeendrucks leaves and flower completed. The flower petals are based on the E15 Doodles #2 and #3 although they have been oriented with the pointy part facing downward toward the center of the flower and an extra edge of picots added to enhance with some frill. That extra edge hides some 26 gauge silver beading wire so the petals can be shaped more easily."

Clever inversion of the leaves to create the flower petals, and a nice sprig or boutonnière is assembled!

30. Stella Marina

On a tatting spree for sure!

Stella hopes to fill the tree with more leaves since it still looks a bit bare to her. We must ask her if she has a new pic! 

31. Stephanie Mc

"Inspired by the work of Ninetta Caruso. I changed the way to add the wire so that it’s completely hidden by the thread (it’s a sewing thread. So time consuming!!!). I would love to finish it for the end of the weak . Wish me luck and perseverance!"

"So, I haven’t finished yet, but the project is well under way. About 10 more leaves to reach the 24 leaves suggested by Ninetta before assembling the plant!"

Hmm, another update reminder in the works. Hats off to such fine miniature lacework! 

32. Ulrike Klauser

All three leaf doodles tatted!

"Two leaves in a new context. Many thanks to Muskaan. The snowflake is a spontaneous variation of an etsy-pattern."

Ulrike enjoys displaying tatted lace in a mixed media composition.

33. Vani Kattoju

From simple leaf to compound leaf!

An eye-catching 3D flower.

"The leaf doodles from E15, I enjoyed tatting them & have so many ideas & ways to use them .
Here are some simple & compound leaves, great as book mark or a small framed piece and a 3D flower (brooch, clips or just for decorating a vase)"

So we had 33 participants who sent in easily over a 100 leaves, probably closer to 200?. As you would've noticed hardly anybody tatted one single leaf! They not only went in for multiple models, several tweaked, but also creatively gathered them into inspiring compositions and applications ranging from flat to 3D, in  diverse threads, sizes, colours, shapes, and uses! Yet the fount of ideas hasn't dried.  

As with most of our games, new patterns emerged. We encourage our members to share their notes, tweaks, patterns. At least a couple PDFs are currently under construction, a couple already shared, and soon I will post about one such star offshoot which members immediately picked up and tatted within a few days.

For details and links of all our events starting Aug2022, check out our EP EVENTS doc here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZiNdE53cvqj2cLlxVP-wlga8aocPtzs5/view and these are the links to each pattern : 

E15 Leaf Doodle #1 by Muskaan - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NL5KHsLxOHkfILCTTKojfhHy6B9v9EG3/view

E15 Leaf Doodle #2 by Muskaan - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i8XWpjtcrvK8C_cfa8KyGvJiXNn_KPP7/view

E15 Leaf Doodle #3 by Muskaan - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m8chbwS1oD6Xjq4Uwm2R291zdAUL1VJ1/view

Please use the hashtag #Endrucks1920Project, and cite the name of the designer and pattern when you post your version on any social media platform. And the hashtag for this game is #LeafMeEndrucks.

My heartiest thanks to Ninetta Caruso for her constant presence, action, and support, working shoulder to shoulder with me on this ever-growing Project. We both rue the fact that we cannot accomplish all that we want to and only wish life would give us more time ;-D

Many many thanks to all our participants for all your hard work, enthusiasm, encouragement, and contribution!