tatted ball or bead - a puzzle

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free pattern pdf

 For a creative person, inspiration can strike any where, any time, any how! Keep one's eyes and brain open all the time....

This is what Anita Barry wrote to me on Oct 31st, 2018 -

" 23 years ago my mother, a quilter, gave my young boys a quilted fabric "Amish Puzzle Ball. I looked at yesterday and saw a series of joined rings. I tatted the Amish Puzzle Ball! It's 3-D "

The above pic shows both the sewn and tatted versions. 

This also happened to be her First 3-D pattern! She filled the empty space inside with cotton.

She quickly sent me the pattern - written as well as a hand drawing.

Tatted Amish Puzzle Ball pdf - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rOEnNcKfYqdly8QitJiJcUibt-SvYYcF/view

It is made with 2 shuttles, ctm. It consists entirely of equal-sized rings and split rings. 

Using the same concept, the size of the rings can be altered to change the size as desired.

They could well be tatted beads!

The Italian Chiacchierino FB group is holding an event 'Braccialetto Pandorino' or pandora's charms with tatted beads. One example is this pallina or small beaded ball by Ninetta Caruso - https://www.flickr.com/photos/ninettacaruso/8743041975/

There are several variations and beautiful versions are being uploaded enthusiastically, worked in metallic threads, beads, and imagination!

This triggered my memory of Anita's tatted ball or bead. 

I had been so excited, that before the end of the day I had tatted the ball using leftover Anchor size 20.  Before closing the final rings, I inserted a playing marble inside. This was a simple trial tat and I hope to do justice to it some time.

I haven't found my original; only the image from 4 years back. And it led to Anita's pattern and diagram which had slipped my memory.

I surprised her with an Inkscape diagram (I am currently in drawing mode!) and we put together the pdf for all to enjoy.

Click on the blue text to download the single page Tatted Amish Puzzle Ball pattern - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rOEnNcKfYqdly8QitJiJcUibt-SvYYcF/view

Many many thanks, Anita, for always sharing your creativity and fun patterns 

with me and the tatting community. 

EP medley 1

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Activity in the Endrucks 1920 Project continues with tatters chipping in with their versions. Some are shared in respective blogs, others in our Facebook group. A section called ‘Gallery of Possibilities’ in the EP doc features the more clear variants or adaptations. [If any adaptation is accompanied by a dedicated pattern, it is shifted to the main entry of the respective pattern]. But beyond these are several more versions that can inspire us.

Although we can pin an image from a public FB page/group, it will not lead back to the source or provide any information about the tatter, pattern, etc. 

All these factors made me realize that sharing them through blogposts will not only reach a wider audience, but will also help us pin correctly. Under the title ‘EP medley’, I will occasionally share the projects (and blog post links) with due credit, for all to enjoy and pin correctly.

Description will be at a minimum, and images are in no particular sequence. More details and information can be garnered in the Endrucks 1920 Project Facebook group or the respective blogs. The medley is in no particular order. (links at end)

EP Medley #1 

pattern #17 adaptation: 

1. Recently Coretta Loughmiller uploaded 2 versions of ‘Upended Endrucks Snowflakes’, adapted from an adaptation! Check out her beautiful models and other details here- http://corettadeesign.blogspot.com/2022/03/endrucks.html

2. Molly worked a beaded version of the Upended Snowflake and draped it beautifully over a tree ornament. ---

3. Eulalia worked the same snowflake in 3 strands of sewing thread as a trial while incapacitated! ---

I had extracted a motif from #17 and used it in several adaptations, starting with the Lace Day earrings, edgings, snowflake. 

4. Marie of West Pine Creations tatted a beautiful rendition of the earrings here - http://westpinecreations.blogspot.com/2022/04/lacy.html

5. And this is Kathleen's lovely beaded version from last year. ---

pattern #1 + #40 combo:

6. Reiko tatted the central rounds of #40 and edged the circle with #1! Happy Hands know no limits :-) ---

pattern #2 adaptation:

7. Ninetta is still not back to blogging, and has dumped her images on me for the present! My tiny fragile shoulders carry a heavy burden, LOL.

This is her bracelet adaptation extracting and repeating only one motif from #2,  reminding her of fishbone. ---

Notice how cleverly she has attached the tatting to the clasp?! Seamless. The rings look like they are part of the clasp.

pattern #43 adaptation:

8. Agnieszka (Aga) tatted an exquisite Jewelry Set extracting a motif from #43. Her beautifully tatted necklace and earrings are displayed through several pics here - https://agaszowopapierkowo.blogspot.com/2022/03/komplet-bizuterii.html

9. Pop Maria followed suit adapting the motif slightly for a bookmark worked in her own delicious hand=painted thread, here - https://maryshandmade.blogspot.com/2022/03/proiectul-endruks-1970.html 

10. And several years back, Patty Dowden inserted some freeform tatting to create this yummy Strawberry Doodle using almost the entire motif.  ---

This is a small window into the possibilities with so much still to explore and adapt. Hope you enjoyed this display and will leave a comment if you want some changes in the presentation. 

All pattern pdfs can be downloaded from Endrucks 1920 Project document (EPdoc) - https://docs.google.com/document/d/17LEVftXweztBIOWh4sL4BB7bX65ssoOsOn4oXIgCepY/view
Endrucks 1920 Project FB Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1235560633606162
#Endrucks1920Project - https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/endrucks1920project

Endrucks 1920 Project Pinterest board - https://pin.it/16AYBmv

honoured and humbled

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I wanted to share this post on 1st April but got delayed. My bag of expected and unexpected gifts had arrived just 36 hours prior!!! But let's start from the beginning ....

Last November I was approached by an awesome designer whose blog I have been following for some years now - Erika Tashiro, better known as Tat-Marmelo (or tass_tat on Instagram). She was going to publish her 1st book of doily patterns in English (the Japanese version had been published in September) and needed some help with the Techniques. How could I refuse - it was such an honour.

This is her fabulous Lotus Flower motif she sent. Each stitch is perfect, each chain arched evenly, the thread has a stiffness that I haven't normally encountered in Anchor, Red Heart or Lizbeth. The tatting is so seamless, that one cannot locate the start/finish. Such a joy to hold in my hand.

She offered me a generous fee and free books (up to 30!) I immediately declined the former but asked for 4 copies. When they did  not arrive after a month and she couldn't get any clear response from the postal service, she kindly sent me 4 copies by air, along with the motif. So now I have 8 copies, 2 messages in her neat hand, and all these goodies! I am truly humbled.

I have always admired her artistic patterns and had printed out a couple of her free patterns years back. To have them all compiled in this spectacular book is bliss. Colour-coded diagrams accompanied with textual patterns, tips, and techniques. Clear pics of tatted lace. Very high quality throughout. Impressive and inspiring!

In the foreground is a cute cherry blossoms pop-up card with birds. 

These small Clover shuttles are ideal for tatting with size 80, and am so happy these are bobbin shuttles since post shuttles refuse to move in my hand.

See that reddish circle? It is April Fool's (Reiko Akimoto) 2016 Rose Circle Doily. Erika remembered my attempt to decipher the inserted rings and sent me the diagrammed pattern and technique! One more doily coming up, besides all the lovelies in Erika's own book! 

5 balls of size 40 thread - yummy!!!

Erika's book provides plenty of minute engineering and visual tips for impeccable tatting using Jan's method. Normally we have a few simple 'rules' for directional or fs/bs tatting. Her minute observations have revealed aspects I never even considered. She has micro-managed Jan's method and the above motif bears witness. 

For years now, I do fs/bs tatting and often choose to start a ring or round backside. Erika has done the same and lays out her philosophy in a prioritized list of which elements/rounds to start frontside or backside.

Clover polar grids that double up as design guides and blocking sheets. The last pages in her book have these grids, too! These, however are made of non-woven fabric and I'm sure they are washable, too.

This cloth fabric from Atelier Shishicass, has 2 halves of large polar grid printed on it. Very functional and practical. Now I have no excuse (except laziness ;-P) to not pin out my lace instead of using the rolling pin.

'Tatting Lace, Marmelo. Pattern Book 1' has so many gorgeous doilies, motifs, and jewellery to tat. I haven't been able to start on any, but treat my eyes on them frequently. And of course, she made my ITD memorable!

I mainly helped with the techniques section, that too at the final stages, and did not deserve the Supervisor tag, but she insisted. It was such a pleasure to communicate and work with her. She has been very receptive to all my suggestions and made respective edits, including some on one of her patterns. Her graphic depiction of beading and some other schema and legends are so clear and I hope to learn and apply the same to my patterns.    

Erika has already started to design and tat in preparation for her next book! Yet for close to 2 years she worked on her book, leaving little time to create new designs. Her 'inside story' of the entire process with lots of relevant information is something any designer wishing to publish a book would find useful. She uploaded 3 consecutive posts, the last of which is for her English version - https://tat-marmelo.blogspot.com/2022/03/3.html. 

Many many thanks for the opportunity to work with you, Erika, and for all your generous gifts! I wish you success and creative satisfaction in all you do.