Earrings like the "Grape" ones are quite a bit of extra work, but the results really "pop"! This is not my design. It's found in the Italian magazine IL MIO Chiacchierino October/November 2014. I bought my copy from Handy Hands Tatting.
I do the base rings a little differently than described in the magazine. I use a self-closing mock ring with "floating" rings thrown off from it, so there are only 2 sets of tails to sew in.
For the coils I like Liz Metallic thread. Each coil is a long chain. What I do is start the chain on a paper clip, tat the long chain and leave tails long enough to tie. Remove the paper clip, sew 1 tail through the space left by the paper clip, then tie the 2 ends together with a double knot. I prefer to cut the tails leaving a little bit sticking out, apply some glue, and then let it dry. After that cut the tails very short and then use a crochet hook or small latch hook to pull the knot inside the coil to hide it.
This project is still in progress. The "leaf" at the top is added last. My notes on the first pair of "grape" earrings are in this post from 2019.
