Flower bookmarks

Easy, beginner level project! For pdf click here.
Leave long tails when starting.

R 2-2-2-2-2. RW. *Ch 6-6, shuttle join to p of R. Repeat from * around.

Abbreviations:
R ring
Ch chain
- picot
RW reverse work

All the joins in this pattern are "locking", or "shuttle joins".

Finishing tips:
Tie the last 2 ends by taking the core thread (the one that matches the color of the ring) through the 1st ring, bringing the chain thread around to tie the 1st half of a square knot. Then gather all the ends together and tie one big overhand knot, snugging it up to the base of the bookmark. Trim ends as desired.

Tatted "Rock" Bracelet

This bracelet has tatting surrounding polymer clay beads. It's based on a very simple tatting pattern: R 3-3-3-3. Ch 5-5 (for the short ch) or ch 5-3-3-5 (for the long ch). The large beads are added during joining. So the picots that hold the beads need to be long enough -- when measured open, they are twice the length of the bead plus a bit extra.

I swirled several duller colors together and used an organic (lumpy!) shape in an attempt to come up with a "rock" look for the beads. (Actually, they came out resembling a mixture of concrete and brick -- not all that attractive, but I still used them -- tatting makes any bead look great!) After baking them I painted on a coat of "Sculpey" glaze. The glaze gives a marvelous shiny finish but tends to pool in a blob at the bottom of the bead while drying; I tried to minimize this by standing the beads on pins stuck into a disposable aluminum pan.

The way I get the beads on is, I put the bead onto a small crochet hook, then hook into the picot I am joining to, pull the bead onto the picot, and finish making the join.

The smaller seed beads were strung on the ball thread before starting to tat. Since I used a chunky thread for this project (size 10 "Flora") the seed beads were size 8, a little larger than most common seed beads.

I used a lobster claw clasp for closing the bracelet, but I'm not sure if I care for that type of closure on this bracelet. I'm going to try something different next time.

Beaded Shamrock

My beaded shamrock instructions are found on the tatting calendar on March 11. I've also done it in a darker green with some gold beads added. I've worn it as a hair ornament by sticking a bobby pin around one of the center chains.

I finally got my things mailed off to the Shuttlebird's garden party. I do hope a lot of people will enter; it isn't often that a juried show is offered for tatters.