Today I made this flower to continue with the 25 Motif Challenge.  I'm trying to catch up in this one.  The flower is easy to make.  There's only 1 ring and it's in the center, the rest is made with chains.  I called Aquamarine because the petals looks like little seashells.    The pattern for this one will come later also and will be on my web site.

I used Coats Dual Duty (T3) in White.  I never worked with this thread before.  Naida got it for me like 2 weeks ago, in white and royal blue.  The thread is a polyester/cotton mix and it's not so bad to work with.  The only thing that is a little annoying is that the thread's twist is altered (too tight or too loose) when doing big rings or long chains and I have to "drop" the shuttle or the work to get the correct twist back.  I "walk" the shuttles when filling them, so I'm not adding twist to the thread and also I "walk" the ball when working, but the twist problem continues.  Anyway, the final result is a crisp motif and I like it.  The thread is cheap and comes in several colors.  I think I'll get more colors and play with it, may be using another thread as a core.  It tat's like a #50.

A few weeks ago someone post in a blog (Blogger site) this pattern that she found but didn't dare to make because it looks very complicated.  Today I was looking something to make and remember the pattern, which I saved.

The pattern is really simple.  The only "tricky" part is the last round because is a little ackward the joining of the chains to make the overlay petal.  The original pattern has 1 ring only, the one in the center.  The rest of the motif is worked on chains.  I changed it a little and instead of making the "petals" as chains I made them as rings.  Also I made like 3 rounds less because the threads on the shuttles where finishing.

I used Altin Basak #10 in white and pink and measures like 3 inches.

Here is the pattern if you want to give it a try.  Click on it so see it bigger.

This one is basically the same as motif 14.  It has an extra round.  The scanner flats it, but the flower stand very pretty in 3-D.  Tonight I will finish the hat and will sew the flowers and post the photos.

The threads used are El Beida in red and light pink.  It's  a super quick pattern.  I'll write it and share it later as with the Patty flower.

I have been busy this week tatting some flowers for a crochet hat that mom wanted me to do.  This is one of the flowers I'm making.  It's an original pattern.  I called it Patty because I made it Monday (St. Patty's Day).  The pattern is pretty simple and I'll share it later on the weekend.

The threads are El-Beida cotton perle #8 in light pink and bright pink.  Measures like 2 inches.

Last night on the Online Tatting class the discussion was about if it was possible to make a ric rac ribbon tatted.  It was a very interesting challenge.  Ruth Perry came with an ideaand was explaining it on the classroom.  I was at the same time tatting and didn't understood really well Ruth's explanations and after the class finished I sent the piece I tatted to her; thinking that it was what she was explaining.  Well, it was something totally different!  Here Ruth's Ric Rac method:


It looks like a real Ric Rac ribbon.  She got the inspiration from the crocheted ripples patterns.  It's made in 3 rounds.  Now here is mine:

My version are small blocks with a tiny chain between them.  I used 2 colors because that was the 1st thing I had near the computer. I think that the use of 2 colors gives a very interesting effect to the braid.

Then someone (I think it was Ruth) mentioned about adding beads.  Oh!!!  Another rush....  I had to try my Ric Rac with beads!  It looks amazing!!!  I made it short because the thread was finishing on the shuttle and was too lazy to get up and find the thread I was using.












But the thread was enough to finish a quick bookmark:
















It's a little stumpy-chubby bookmark.  But the idea is there...  So, this morning, after sleeping like 6 hours I woke up and had to work with the idea again.  I tried to make the Ric Rac bookmark I made several years ago but using the tatted ric rac instead of the fabric.  Anyway, I don't have ric rac here in Egypt.  It worked again so beautiful! 


I think I'm in love with this technique!!!

Now I'll try the same but with Ruth's version. 

I was thinking now...  This kind of block can substitute clunny leaves. 

I have to write the instructions for what I did, but you can find Ruth's version here and on her blog.  For my original Ric Rac bookmark you can go to my site.

This is a cute little flower I came up from one of my digital tatting designs.  The color thread is Valdani and the cream is Miquita.

I don't have a name for over 2 dozen of the new designs so if you would like to help me naming them I'll appreciate.   

I'll post the pattern for this one later.

Jane Eborall started a challenge called "Tat It and See".  She will release a pattern bit by bit and we're suppose to tat it as she post the bits.  The blog for this challenge can be found here.

For this one I'll be using DMC Petra #8 in ivory color.

This was the 1st bit:

And here is the 2nd bit:

Nothing fancy or difficult until now.  But I think I need to practice my Split Rings.  They look crappy today!  Will keep you posted about this one.

This cute little flower is a pattern from Jan Stawasz.  He is a great Polish tatter.  Yes, a man!!!  Recently he publish a book with his designs.  You can visit his web site for information about his book and his tatting method.  There are 2 pictorials with flowers.  I want to make them.  So I'll be doing the flowers and use them for the challenge.  I'm not in a good mood to design.  Well, more of a lazy mood here.    But at least I'm tatting.

This is a classic 1-shuttle flower.  This motif is used a lot in different patterns and in different ways.  I used Miquita in the light ecru I have been using lately.  It measures around 1 inch.  Here is the pattern:

Center Ring:  2 (- 2) x 7.  Mock Picot.
R:  5 - 5 - 5 - 5.  Join to the next picot.
*  R:  5 + (to previous ring) 5 - 5 - 5.  Join to the next picot.
Repeat * until 7 rings are made in total.
Last Ring:  5 + (to previous ring) 5 - 5 + (to the 1st ring) 5.  Join to the Mock Picot and cut.

Yay!  It's done!  I'm still hitting myself why I didn't added the between ring from the beginning.  *sigh*  But at least now is done and I think that the ds counting works fine.  Now I'll write the pattern.  So now from a flower it became a snowflake. 

I'm already starting in another design.  Also I have to make a new "schedule" to use my time better because I'm spending way too much time on the 'puter.  I want to publish my new books and I have to start from zero because all of them got lost in the last reformatting of the HDs due to a virus.  But I have all the patterns and diagrams on my notebook.  It's just that is SO BORING to write again everything and make new diagrams on the 'puter.  At least I want everything ready for when I travel back to PR.  I want to see if it's easier for me to sell my books from there.  From here is difficult because of the shipping and the postal service is crappy.  That is IF people want to buy my books.  The 1st one was a hit, selling over 100 copies but the last 4 books just flunked.  May be I'm not that good... 

Okay, back to my tatting!

It's been a long time since my last motif for the 25 Motifs Challenge.  Tonight I was playing with some "digital tatting" and came with a design that I really like it.  I was thinking it was going to be easy, but geesh!  I'm out of form!  I had to make it 3 times and even this one have a mistake.  I made 2 of the big rings with 5 free- picots instead of 4.  So I couldn't make the last round.

Anyway I think it's pretty and looks like a symbol used by the Tainos (Puerto Ricans native, who are now extinct).  It's not exactly like the symbol but I associate this with it, so there's why the name Taina.

The thread used is Miquita, a Peruvian thread similar to a size #20, a little thinner, in light ecru or cream.


I will writing the pattern and will post it here.  It will take a couple of days may be.  I need to come back to designing.  Soon is my BD and I need to make my BD pattern.

This pattern is from Lyn Morton and she shared it with the Online class. We discussed it last night. The 2008 IOLI convention will use the poppy as logo and tatters are going to make some of them.

I used 2 tones of yellow, the darkest in the center. Also I added an extra repetition on the 2nd motif so it was a little bigger. The flower cups a little. It's a very quick pattern. I think I spent like 1 hour only.

I made this one yesterday while I was listening a song by the Spanish group Amaral called "Rosa de la Paz (Rose of the Peace), so the name stuck on me.

It's just a doodle I started using some mother-of-pearl teardrops that I got in Cairo. The hole is from the side near the pointy end. I added it as something added on a picot and tat tight so they pretty much stand alone. Then I tatted the petal around. I placed a drop of glue at the top of the teardrop so the thread wont's slip form it. If I find a golden shank-button and place it in the middle would look much better and can be use as a pin.

This rosette is base in an antique pattern. I can;t remember from which book 'cause I lost them all. I know that pattern is from a book circa 1890 or something like that. I like it because reminds me of the crochet rosettes that the petals are stock one over another but in a 45 degrees angle. I mean, you can see the petal of the bottom layer between 2 petals of the top layer.

I'll write the instructions later.

To continue on the Flower challenge. I made this Sunflower. It's my 1st attempt with a 3-D design. Well, it's like a 3-D but lays mostly flat. I think this can be adapted into a Daisy also.

I used El Beida thread. That's the cotton perle #8 that I can find here. It's not a very bad thread, but I notice that some colors are more stiff than others and the thickness can vary slightly even if all of them are the same size. The good thing about this thread is that it comes in over 20 different colors and I discover they also have some ombre and variegated colors too!

This is a cute flowers that have some Josephine Knots on the petals and center. This is another of the patterns included on "Quick Tatting". As you can see the book is full of pretty flowers. Also there are patterns for butterflies, an angel and even a sand clock (2 versions)!

This is Summer Blossom III and it's also on the "Quick Tatting" book. I made this one using perle #8 and it's around 2 inches, so it's perfect for cards or anything like that. I made a bag for my passport and it's decorated with several of these made in #80. So cute!!!

This is a flower that I made using the Daisy Picot or Floral Picot technique. The pattern will be available later in a book with patterns using this technique. It looks like little flowers inside each petal.

This motif is called Summer Blossom I. I made it while in Egypt in 2004. It has dimpled chains and long picots that can be fluff for a charming effect. The pattern is included on my book "Quick Tatting". It takes around 1 1/2 hour to make.

If you're interested in the pattern you can buy the book by clicking on the link. It's $8.00 and I'll send it via e-mail on PDF format.

Quick Tatting

Well, I enjoyed so much the first 25 Motifs Challenge that I want to start again! Clyde suggested flowers and I think it's a lovely idea. I will designing 25 flowers. I already have some flowers done but I'll try to make new ones. I'm not into 3-D so I think most of them are going to be flat.