spring magic

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 It certainly feels like it! A mere week before there were no buds, no blooms. The potted plants were just about awakening from the cold winter months. And then here we are with such beautiful vibrant flowers! Spring magic or magic springs? Let's not forget the mighty role of the sun, though!

I haven't curated my pics .... sharing all I took, though a few were not rotated back to how I had taken them. Also these are only some of the plants in my hubby's balcony garden.

Petunias -

Love the vibrant shade! It is a darker magenta/purple than what I see here, though.

Dormant throughout winter. And now it can't seem to stop growing ;-D

 

A single plant. The very first flower dropped today after five days of giving pleasure. The buds just keep emerging and opening up. I'm glad they stay a while. 

Madhukamini or Orange Jasmine - 

These are not as fragrant as the mogra, and are also quite small. It is fun to look for them among the foliage each morning!

 

There are quite a few buds springing out almost daily and it has red berry-like fruit. Cute aromatic flowers. Expecting the plant to show many more flowers as the temperature and sunlight increases.

Ajwain or Oregano -

We have two plants and both have been fairly prolific even during winter. 

 

Last week I pruned and snipped off a Lot of the leaves and they are drying out in the fridge. Within a few days the branches and leaves are growing! 
Very happy and satisfied with their growth.

Money Plant -

It was difficult to take a good pic of the entire climber. The above pic shows only the leaves at the base.

We had to let go some of the plants sadly. Cycle of life. But the remaining potted plants continue to provide pleasure and hope. The moment the French doors are opened in the morning, we are greeted with enticing fragrance from the blooms and aromatic leaves/herbs. All this is my hubby's handiwork (including the title of this post!). This time my only contribution was to spot the first buds and/or leaves every morning and give him the good news! :-D

a lasting lacy legacy

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 Marigolds are an auspicious flower, present in almost all Hindu religious ceremonies, festivals, rituals, and pujas. Garlands made of marigolds (often combined with mango leaves) commonly adorn entrances, houses, temples, halls, etc. Garlands are used to welcome guests and dignitaries, placed around statues, even on a new car or vehicle. The florets are used for floral rangoli, natural dyes, etc. Not merely for happy occasions, even in death marigolds are an indispensable part of the ritual, adorning the body as well as the pyre reminding us that life is transient and we are here for a short period. 

It was sheer coincidence that hubby and I had taken pics of two fully bloomed yellow marigolds in our little garden when my buddy Anita sent me this heartfelt and heart-wrenching article. It was as if the universe was trying to send auspiciousness and peace to my friend and to her friend. 

Here is the full article which I have also saved as a PDF since Anita feels that this article is an incentive to tat everywhere and to tell people you tat, too. And I'd add - keep your lace stock as full as you can; share and replenish frequently. 

It is so interesting that what looks like a fully blossomed flower is actually a collection of a large number of little flowers or florets! Hopefully our lace collection reflects this - lots of lace to give away and spread cheer or fulfil a wish. 

A Lasting Wish by Anita Barry, Oct2025 - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vYhQCPt5LREnw6ULUcMuY3g69tjPItpY/view

A lasting wish.

We’re Lacemakers. We receive requests for items. Requests may be for family, or for friends, maybe for churches or for historic places or societies. Grab a tissue. I received this recent heartfelt request.

 

A friend I knew 15 years ago contacted me on Facebook Messenger. I recalled her name in an instant. We had been in an organization together.  I responded to her correspondence and she later telephoned me. She updated me.  She had been stricken with Covid last year and again this year. Her heart had been severely compromised. She hopes to live through Thanksgiving and hopefully till Christmas. I was speechless.  She is younger than I am.  She’s only 60 years old.

 

Like me, she has two sons who are about the same age as my sons. Both her sons are married. One son already has a daughter, my friend’s granddaughter.

 

She told me when she was married on her wedding day, it was sentimental for her to carry her grandmother’s lacy handkerchief.

Now, with a short time to live, she wanted to provide lacy handkerchiefs for her granddaughter and for her future unborn grandchildren for their wedding days. She was asking for four lacy handkerchiefs from me. She was guessing maybe her sons would each have two children of their own and she’d need a total of four handkerchiefs. (Yes, you better believe I was grabbing for tissues as I was trying to steady my voice. Steadying my voice was a monumental task, but I needed a strong voice on the phone to keep her from crying.)

 

Remembering me as a tatter, she sought me out for this last and lasting gift. 

 

Absolutely. Absolutely!

With chills, rolling along my spine I responded I would surely provide her handkerchiefs with tatted lace in a quick manner.

 

I checked my stash. I sorted through my handkerchiefs with attractive tatted lace edgings, examining each one. I counted three suitable for her future grandchildren on their wedding days. I didn’t have enough in my stash to honor the request. So, I contacted another tatter to assist me.

 

I telephoned my dear friend and fellow tatter, Bonnie Swank. Although Bonnie and I now live many states away from each other, I knew Bonnie would have a collection of handkerchiefs with tatted lace. While on the phone Bonnie and I talked about our assortment of handkerchiefs, and about the request, and about future weddings. She selected two very lovely handkerchiefs in her collection trimmed with tatted lace appropriate to be carried on a wedding day.

 

Within two days, miles away from each other, Bonnie and I both prepped the handkerchiefs, ironed them, wrapped them in tissue, placed individual notes with the handkerchiefs, packaged the handkerchiefs, and mailed them destined to my friend.

 

Within days the handkerchiefs arrived in the mail and were received with deep appreciation. 

As Lacemakers, we were able to fulfill a last wish.

 

Lacers, you never know when you’re creating a memory.

You never know when your lace making is becoming a lasting memory to someone else.

You never know what type of request you’ll receive.

You never know when your talent, your skill, and your passion will be used to create a lasting wish for someone else.

 

Hugs to all of you who make lace,

Anita Barry

If you wish to save, print, and share the article here is the link again....

Julie's Request A Lasting Wish by Anita Barry, Oct2025 - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vYhQCPt5LREnw6ULUcMuY3g69tjPItpY/view

Feel free to share it and we can only send our wishes that Julie gets to spend Christmas with her family and has a peaceful transition.

Related Posts with my tatted marigolds

my tatted marigolds, with pattern PDF - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2017/03/marigolds-in-row.html  and

  

spring garland with pattern PDF - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2017/04/sights-n-scents-of-indian-spring.html  

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!

 

a collective gift 1

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... of so many snowflake variations and patterns in one place, from a talented group of generous designers!  Perhaps you recall my invitation to design the next round(s) for a Celtic interlaced center - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/05/lets-design-round-3.html... the DAL Celtic Snowflake 'challenge' as several called it. I loved the response and the models that turned up, some almost overnight! And later, when I requested each participant to share their pattern, they readily complied. I compiled them all in a Google Doc, listing them chronologically as they came in. 

The main reason for this inordinate delay in sharing with you is two-fold: 1) I wanted to synchronise the patterns, adding a diagram to each or filling in any 'gaps', and 2) I wrote an article on this project for the IOLI Bulletin and wanted to wait a decent amount of time. The first objective hasn't been achieved, unfortunately, though I did begin diagramming. For this I sincerely apologise to my designers, but hope to work on it in future.

I have decided to share the document as is since it is the season of tatting up snowflakes! Please note that the patterns are not tested and there is diversity in presentation styles. We hope you enjoy the individual flavour and range of effects, tools, and techniques and also the story behind each! All details are in the doc, the link to which I will share at the end of the visual display of models. Between my article and the Google docs, the entire backstory is laid out . hence I will not repeat it here.

Presenting them alphabetically ---

1. Aleksandra Pawlik - Round 3 designed and tatted within a day!

 

2. Anita Barry - Two different versions, both with Round 3 designed!

 

The difference in backgrounds brings out the mandala effect differently.

Clever use of split rings.

3. Anna Bonelli - Rounds 3 & 4 designed. Makes a nice wheel impression.

4. Antonia Lai - Round 3 designed in single shuttle with bare thread spaces!

5. Barbara Slodka - Round 3 designed with Josephine rings and pleasant pastels

6. Daniela Galli - Round 3 designed and tatted in two shades of metallic threads

7. Donna McDade - designed Round 3 for Five versions! All 5 models have been appliqued on a quilted wall hanging (pic in the doc).

8. Jean Inglis - Round 3 designed. Appears like a flower or wreath.

9. Ladyphoenix tatter - designed Rounds 3 & interlaced Round 4 after discarding two other attempts since it caused cupping.

10. Margaret Davies - designed Rounds 3 & 4 and tatted multiple models till she was satisfied! 

11. Lella Loops - designed Round 3 and also styled a Celtic shuttle to work the interlacing in this round! She is a needle tatter.

continued in next post along with links ....