Ribbonwinners Tatting Patterns & Shuttles by
Georgia Seitz
11460 Via Appia
Anchorage Alaska 99515-2905 USA
AKTATTER@aol.com
www.georgiaseitz.com


Ideas for Spring! Let's Get Tatting


Here are some projects which will give you practice in many of the techniques we have recently studied. Remember class is on hiatus April 11 - 30. Email help for the newbies round robin and tatting questions will be available but please expect a short delay in reply.





The Classic Rosette in Tatting

The familiar tatted rosette begins with a ring with picots. It uses a false picot to climb out into the chainwork which surrounds the center. Outer decorative chains or ring and chain work individualize each pattern.


Part of the following description is an excerpt from Book 3 of the Ribbonwinners series, "Tatting Tiny Treasures: Miniature Tatted Lace for Dollhouse" by Georgia Seitz.


The classic rosette is formed with a ring and several picots. The number of picots determines the number of petals on the rose. Begin and end the ring with the same number of stitches and create one less picot than the number of petals desired. For example:


R 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 close ring.
Tie the ball and shuttle threads together or create a lock stitch to make a false picot which is the same length as the other picots.
DO NOT REVERSE WORK.
Simply rotate the ring a quarter turn clockwise and begin chaining around the ring making a shuttle join into each picot.
8 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 8


Join last chain into same picot where the chains started. This join may be made directly into the exact spot as before. This means, however, that the thread is pulled up and over with each succeeding join and it becomes highly visible. Or, the shuttle join may be made into the short length of thread from the ball which is on the back side of the join. Remember the ball thread is not involved in the shuttle join so it is just carried forward that short space on the reverse side.


On the second round of chainwork the length of the chain needs to be increased and each segment of chain should have the curve enchanced by gently compressing the stitches to the left before joining.


The number of rounds of chainwork are at least three traditionally, but may be increased or decreased as desired. Additional patterns may decorate the edge.


(The next round of chains are: 10, 12; then the chains with the picots begin and end with 2 DS and have 3 DS between each picot; the last chain segments are 16 DS. Compress before each join.


Variations:

The length of ball thread behind the shuttle join can be deliberately lengthened on each succeeding round. The negative space created then becomes a design element. It also allows the chains to lay flat. (See Phyllis Sparks' "Practical Tatting", page 78 Yoke Circle 4 for an excellent photo and diagram of this technique.)


If the same picot space is used for each succeeding join, the join (as noted above) becomes highly visible. The chains, also, tend not to lay as flat. ( See Mary Konior's "Tatting in Lace", page 87-88 Rose Garden for a good example of this method.)


Again, if the same picot space is used for each succeeding join, a ruffled effect may be created by grasping the side of the picot and sliding the join to the left as far as it will go, so that the joins lay next to each other instead of on top of each other.


On the initial starter ring, instead of tatting individual picots evenly spaced out, tat the entire ring in picots, gathering 2-3 picots together to make the initial shuttle joins to create a multi-flora look to the rosette.


If joining many rosettes to form a pattern, remember to allow picots on the last row of chainwork.



The 3 DS Cross aka the Boo-boo Cross


The 3 DS cross decorated for Spring with flowers
of tatted rings, butterflies and greenery.

Easy Gift Idea shared by Karla MacSwain




Any tatted edging can be created and glued into place on a garden flowerpot for a quick and easy gift.


Here is a simple ring and chain repeat by Karla

R 4 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 4 close ring RW
** CH 4 - 4 RW
R 4 + 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 4 close ring RW
Repeat form ** around.





This is an edging by Rosemarie Peel. Reprinted here with permission of the designer.
"Edna"
R 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 close ring RW
**CH 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 RW
R 5 + 5 - 5 - 5 close ring RW
CH 3 - 3 RW
R 5 + 5 - 5 - 5 close ring RW
CH 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 RW
R 5 + 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 close ring RW
Repeat from ** around.



Introducing Cristi and her first written tatting pattern!

Crist is almost 30 with a wonderful husband, Aaron. My kids are Rebekah (11), Jimmie (10), Zach (8), and Caiti (4). I am a professional storyteller and origami artist. I love nearly all fiber arts. I taught myself tatting from a book when I was 14. I showed my great grandmother who had always wanted to learn, but sadly her hands would not allow her. I have never seen another person tat, so a couple of months ago I looked on line and found great inspiration. Split rings, clunies, fun stuff! I generally tat from my own sketches that I keep in a little notebook. The basket was my first attempt at writing out directions for a pattern. Many ideas are waiting in the wings.


See Cristi's Little Easter Basket at:

http//pages.pinkpig.com/maus/pattern/basket.html

And if that is not enough to keep you busy take a look at this pattern by Phyllis Klosterman (#1 from "More Snowflakes" 1987) and determine if it is possible to work it without cutting the thread!


A Mystery Doily to Intrigue the Tatter



Here are the results of a challenge issued recently. This is what happened. I rescued this doily from a bin at an antique store. I have been intrigued by it ever since. You will note that it is not a regular round after round. I have tried several times to write the pattern without success. My last try had it going in a serpentine fashion. But I got lost in the maze.


Take a close look at it and see if you can write the pattern or diagram it.







And here are two solutions to the puzzle:

http://sr2.xoom.com/_xmcm/Elizabeths.1/doily.html


http://www.fortunecity.com/millenium/jamestown/494/mysterydoily.html



Best Wishes Georgia