dancing or flying ?

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free tatting pattern

Peacock is the national bird of India and today we are celebrating the adoption of our Constitution in 1950. Seemed like a good day to share the pattern inspired by peacocks – one of my favourite birds.

Dancing Peacocks

Medallion & Earring patterns pdf

 UPDATE : Dancing Peacock Earrings updated pattern with count 

See blog post here. 

It all started with my desire to make a medallion enclosed with onion rings. If you remember I shared the design process & trials here...

There are reasons for choosing certain techniques and effects, most of which I have already explained in that post. I have detailed my own working in the pdf. 

However, it is left to the tatter’s own preference to work the pattern as s/he sees fit. I have deliberately not tried to work it in one colour, though.

I found it Extremely difficult to take a photograph of the blue/green model alone without having something else beside it. It always turned out hazy. Below is the only pic that survived the dump.

I find that if picots are added to the thrown rings, we can join medallions for a longer lace. Placed side by side, this is how they would look.

The previous post contains some more details and pics of the earring adaptations.

I got back to Inkscape after more than 2 months and it took a few moments to recover my motor memory for icons, etc. But once I got going, it was exhilarating. Which is how the earring schematic came about ;-P

And in the process I figured out another Inkscape hack on how to quickly draw an over-under thread - as a continuous curved line undulating around a previous element. Hope I have time to make a proper post.

Lots of links are included in the pdf. Click on the blue text to go to the source.

There are also suggestions for some variations and adaptations of the pattern.

download pattern here.

Republic Day is also celebrated by flying kites. The late afternoon/evening sky is filled with colourful kites! I don’t know how to string and fly a kite, but I can sure string and let my shuttle fly!!!

hope you dance & fly with this pattern as I have :-)

floating with tatting

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updated Jan 24, 2018 with schematic for earring

Pozdrawiam ciepło (I greet warmly).

This month’s task for “I Love Tatting” is titled “Goose Circle” – isn’t that cute! Justyna listed some tutorials and examples of bead(s) within rings and also alternate forms of beading. I’ve already used the bead in SR and in SCMR in a few of my own patterns & other projects. Since “floating beads” was also a listed option, I chose to float along :-).  

Peacock earrings and Charmed Cross pendant

I used the floating bead (FB) method to add both teardrops in the Charmed Cross pendant – yes, this is the final version. I’ve added more crystal beads and the horizontal arms don’t look like stumps any more. But more on that when I share the pattern.

There are 2 versions of the Peacock earrings. 

These are derived from this dancing peacock medallion.

Worked with 2 shuttles, 2 colours.

Anchor embroidery threads are used : 3 strands of each colour woven with 1 strand of silver.

The bead in the center and the teardrops were added when required, using floating beads method. Seed beads are pre-strung for the overlying string.

For outermost round, one can use seed beads instead of picots, but I didn’t have any in suitable size/colour.

In version 2, I tried a little heart shape in the green, and a slightly tipped point in the blue. 

For outermost round, one can use seed beads instead of picots, 

but I didn’t have any in suitable size/colour.

After working the outermost blue chain to required length, 

I used a shoelace trick (SLT) to lock it in place. This also created the sharper tip.

These earrings are free-style and I didn’t follow any strict stitch count. But I will share the sequence :

1. Start with topmost ring, attaching the findings.
2. Add large bead (red crystal or gold) using floating beads method (or pre-strung).
3. Work innermost ring in blue around the bead, with picot small midways.
4. Bring forth the seed beads and create a layer around blue ring. Lock join to base of ring.
5. Switch shuttles and work green chain. Join to blue ring. In version 1, add a small picot for linking next round; in version 2, make chain longer and lock join to blue ring.
6. Over and under or Alligator join across base of rings, switch shuttles, and work the outermost round in blue with decorative picots. In version 1, join to green ring then add FB teardrop midways. In version 2, make chain longer, SLT, add FB teardrop, continue around.
7. Tie and cut; hide ends.

UPDATE : Diagram included in the Dancing Peacocks pdf. Click to download

Beads give us the opportunity to add more colours without having to use extra shuttles!

One can pre-string the teardrop (or sew it on later) instead of floating bead method. But I like how the FB makes the bead dangle a little further from the stitches. Also, since I use Pony shuttles that are too small to load large beads, this is a convenient alternate.

I hope you take the time to check out what the other talented participants have created. 

to the love of tatting, with beads

Ice drop Enchained

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A few days back I bought assorted glass pebbles in order to make Jane McLellan’s Elana. Didn’t get to it (yet) but I had an idea when I made my charmed cross pendant. It has a large open space in center – ideal for an ice drop makeover!

Finally got around to experimenting with it this morning.

Ice Drop Enchained 

(a prototype experiment)

My idea was to have long picots all along the chain in front, then link to these picots when tatting the chain at the back. Well, it didn’t quite materialize due to my laziness – didn’t want to leave the warm winter sun to get a picot gauge ;-P

The picots turned out to be too short. 

This is the price I paid for being lazy and not leaving the warm winter sun to get a picot gauge!

But I improvised….by using a lock join with shuttle 2 (also called a ball thread join) leaving enough space to create a mock picot when encasing. Just like we do in Inverted Tatting.

I must say I’m not unhappy with the textured edge this creates.

This is worked in Anchor size 40 and is easily adaptable to any shape and size gem.

But all is not well.

• The stitchcount needs tweaking. I had to substitute the original gem.
• Worked in one pass, but I let the chains make a single point at the tips instead of having an all-round encasement/pocket.
• The picots need to be longer still.
• I ended up keeping the medallion at the back and working the other chain from front. Not that this should be a problem.

The fact remains that it Can be done ! A gem caged between chains within picots ! Even normal picots with regular picot joins. Some dexterity is required to hold the piece when joining, though. I held it sideways, ie., the side faced me, thus making it easy to pull loop through picot and make joins.

I had more ideas for this –

Tat the clovers on both sides – front and back – and join while tatting, inserting a large bead/gem within the space. This would create a nice pendant when chains were inserted at both ends later. For some other day….

Another idea based off Diane’s recent ice drop – tat a twin split ring braid, folding it along the middle to encapsulate the gem. Then add any more rounds as desired.

Also for another day. I do have nice glass pebbles now :-D

happy tatting !!!

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