muskaan's T*I*P*S

Friday, 12 July 2024

what the heart wants

.... the heart follows! I hadn't planned on playing the game of this month - Pattern Me Endrucks (July2024) because I wanted to focus on other tasks and had told Ninetta. Yet the heart yearns and one gives in to that knotty call.

E43 Pattern pdf - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JRu7OggaSna0eXDRA2P18dRu6uE4-1J7/view

Some entries have already come in and wow, each of the participants has seen a different aspect in this motif and followed that direction! Can you blame my heart for wanting to join them? I could see an orange segment, but you know my penchant for complicating my life. So, while not a very unique idea or shape, I decided to go for a 3D flower.

Mind you, this is a prototype with a few mistakes, lots of retro-tatting, and Dr. Downplay ruling. Hopefully the next petals will turn out better.

My goal was to deviate as less as possible from the original pattern.

My Notes, TIPS, and Future Ideas -

Since I wanted to work with two colours, here's how I started without tying the threads together -

A] Started with false CTM, pulling out a short length (A). from the shuttle.

B] Attached a marker/luggage tag loop to the starter picot (B).

C] Using A as core thread, finger-tat the chain using thread (C) from shuttle for the stitches.

D] 2nd shuttle with thread in another colour was added at the end of the chain. The A thread is cut short and hidden in the next element (tat over tails).

For more False CTM scenarios: Part 1 ; Part 2 .

The tatting proceeds from right to left, unlike the diagram. I think the reason could be that if one direct tats the chain (reverse stitches), it will proceed from right to left. This dawned on me when I noticed the inset diagram showing the start! The written instructions are for normal tatting.
As it turns out, on reaching the other end, I decided to keep the chain maroon, hence you can see the colour difference between left and right.
In order to position colours lots of Reverse Join (RJ) is used.
Midways I decided to use the Catherine Wheel Join (CWJ). However I was tatting the return chain backside. I have done the CWJ from the back before, several times, including my cheat trick of a half-stitch shift! However this time I watched Marilee Rockeley recent video CWJ from the back side - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqxTqb8UMww

The outer row of chains is done with Victorian sets or zigzag tatting. Continued down.
The left chain was made first and is a bit longer than needed.
I decided to use the small motifs on the sides (in original pattern) to cover some of the negative space. Added a 3rd colour to make the twin rings and cut off the thread. I've deliberately left short tails instead of hiding them.
Then picking up the original shuttles I continued with the chains to complete the first petal.

The shuttles are still attached and I can easily continue with the next petal. I'm thinking a total of 3 petals should complete the flower. While I'm not too thrilled with my colour choices, Dr Downplay rules!

I have deliberately created a 3D version for the petal. Otherwise the motif lies flat.

You can find tutorial links to the terms mentioned, here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/p/tatting-resources.html

FUTURE IDEAS:

This same petal, with a bit of tweaking can become a peacock plume!
Or joining 3, 4, or more motifs in the round to create a broad round for a doily. And then design inner and outer rounds to complete the doily. This, however, will be a big project for another year!
And of course, orange fruit carpels/segments!

Do you have any suggestions for improvement or any more ideas? Please share ....

More to come; hoping to finish tatting this today so that I can get back to the other stuff.

Many thanks to Maria Grazia and Ninetta Caruso for the reworked pattern, and to Marilee Rockeley for her demo.

Monday, 8 July 2024

E44 motif arrangements

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Ninetta has been showcasing the E44 cover doilies (links at the end) from our tat-along in January last year and asked me to write something for her final post on the topic where she will share her pattern for continuous tatting. Had to refresh my memory and discovered I hadn't posted the motif arrangements mentioned in my post here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-cover-covered.html So, like Ninetta said, better late than never.

One of the advantages of working in pieces rather than in one pass is that one can play with arrangements and combinations! So without much ado, here are some quick pics I had taken back then. Perhaps it will inspire some one to tat one or more.

Pattern : Motif G from E44 cover doily TAL Jan2023 - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1km6Fy-tS-1o5LRW2TMI-KFb3KWlzRiCp/view

Four motifs in a closed circle

Two individual motifs that look like they are flying away! Angels? Birds?

A single motif fits nicely under Round 2 of the doily.

Holding hands

Same arrangement but with an overlap

Repeats of the above for a bracelet or belt

Straight border or bookmark?

A ladder or tower arrangement

Close-up of above. Good for a bookmark.

A different tree-like arrangement of four motifs.

A more symmetrical arrangement for a cross.

In my previous posts, too, some ideas from this doily have been shared. Links at the end.

Hope you enjoyed these. In single colour, with beads, or in different colour combinations, and with a bit of tweaking/adaptation some of these could be brought to life.

So many possibilities but so little time.

Saturday, 29 June 2024

evolutionary addiction

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What can I say?! As mentioned in my previous post, 28th June was the birth anniversary of Eleonore Endrucks nee Leichtenstern and couple of days before that Ninetta came up with the idea to derive and tat '28' to accompany her celebratory post. She had found the number in pattern #21 from Endrucks' book! We discussed some tweaks especially since she wanted to tat the digits continuously, joined.

E21 pattern - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jDCqMLQ8ZhYOmlWA_po8hJqzO4aLJdW5/view

Life intervened and since we didn't know whether she'd be able to tat it in time, I volunteered to tat the two digits which would serve as a backup. Here's the design story as it unfolded. Tatting individual trial/prototype motifs takes less time and easier to correct than if the digits were attached.

Digit 2 version1 - This is almost an exact copy of the motif from E21.

IDEAS - Doesn't it look like a little duck with its head in the sky - is it Huey, Dewey, or Louie I wonder?!

Digit 8 version1 - A simple extension of the lower chain to link to the top circle, and we have an 8.

IDEAS - To me this looks like a little pig, a teddy, or even a cat.

Number 28 version1 - The '2' just wasn't making it, right!

After some deliberations, I decided to tat it again.

Digit 2 version2 - I had folded the base of version1 and it looked nice, hence incorporated the idea here. Keeping the rest of the motif same, only the base chain was reversed.

IDEAS - This looks like a flower, a snail hopping along, or a little girl with her head down and knees bent perhaps reading a book or something. It could also be the bust of a lady doing needlepoint!

Number 28 version2 - both together and done in time.

This is the image Ninetta used since she couldn't manage to tat her number.

IDEAS - The little piglet seems to be curious what the cartoonish girl is doing, LOL.

IDEAS - When the two digits are placed one over the other, our cat gets it's tail! Or perhaps it's a squirrel or chipmunk.

Digit 2 version3 - Call it addiction, call it a quick tat, call it design evolution.... not being happy with the previous motifs, I decided to give it a quick whirl again and give Ninetta a surprise (shhh, she doesn't know what I've been up to today, LOL)

As you can see, I removed the upper ring and separated the top arm. Finally happy with '2'.

Digit 8 version2 - And in keeping with the style, I removed the upper ring from this motif, too.

Number 28 version3 - Both together. The small ring could've been removed altogether, but I didn't want to deviate too much from the original pattern, if it could be helped. And of course, it is always easier to start with a ring.

So what's your verdict? Third time's the charm?

Pic showing the design evolution of digits 2 and 8 derived from E21 (initial idea - Ninetta Caruso)

I have jotted down the pattern for all 5 motifs. Can't say when it'll be shared, though.

Models tatted with Olympus size 40, shade 283. Except for ver3 2 which is 1-1/4cm high, the rest are 1.5cms high. Width ranges from 1cm to 1-1/4cm.

⛈🌦⛈🌦⛈🌦⛈🌦⛈🌦⛈

And we finally have cool temps! It rained (another freak record leading to water-logging and other woes) and while it is very humid, the change to 30s is welcome as is the cool water from the taps!

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