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




"Building Blocks" by Our Online Tatting Classmate, Carolyn Groves

Once again using an existing pattern as the basis for new designs, Carolyn has taken the two antique motifs from the June lesson and given it a whole new application.

Carolyn Groves (jcgroves@gcnet.net)

Georgia's Antique Motif


For the online class of June 5, 2000 Georgia Seitz presented a rescued antique motif. You can review this lesson at:
Two Wheels and a Corner

The class discussed the construction and possible usage of this design. It was mentioned that the piece resembled an old-fashioned quilt block, grandmother's flower garden.



During the discussion several things grabbed my attention. First of all the motif is done all in one round and has alternating large and small rings. The rings give the impression it is done in 2 rounds. Also, the unfussy appearance appealed to me. Picots are very lovely but they are a pain to deal with!


After class the design stuck in my brain. I could just picture it done in the configuration of the quilt pattern. The next day I started working on it. First I constructed the basic motif in variegated purple. Then started the second motif in cream and attached it at the appropriate points.


In the middle of the 3rd motif it suddenly dawned on me that the 5 sided design was not going to work. My brain kept saying "no way" but my eyes kept seeing a lovely purple motif surrounded by cream ones.


Before continuing, I went to the computer and loaded up MsWord. Using the drawing toolbar and the autoshapes I laid out 20 5 sided shapes on a page then printed it. Then I went back and did the same thing with a six sided shape and an 8 sided one. Now I had all these little pieces of puzzle parts to play with. Sure enough, the 5 sided ones would not fit together to make the quilt block. But the 6 sided ones did!





So back to the tatting. I had a 5 sided design started. Do I quit and move on or continue? Well, I really hate not finishing things so I kept at it and attached 5 cream motifs to the sides of the purple one. It will be working a round of green encompassing all the motifs.



So now the next step was to create the 6 sided motif. To accomplish this I simply added another repeat of the design element to the original. Again worked in purple, then started the surrounding motifs in cream. The 6 sided did exactly what I wanted! It creates the quilt block grandmother's garden. Now I will continue using various colors for the center motifs and surrounding them with cream.





Creative idea, Carolyn, thanks for sharing with us.


AKTATTER@aol.com