The "Flutterby Heart" pattern and video

"Flutterby Heart"

Using my new smartphone camera (which I'm not yet used to, hence some focusing issues) I made a quick video demo of tatting my free, original pattern "Flutterby Heart".

Link to YouTube video: https://youtu.be/JI5hxX3leRk 

Link to written pattern: https://www.keepandshare.com/doc/8248626/flutterby-heart-pdf-411k?da=y 

The video is in vertical format because I also edited a 1 minute version for Instagram and TikTok from it, and I didn't want to have to video everything in both orientations. But, no worries, I plan to do more YouTube videos in horizontal (landscape) format, since that works better for YouTube.

I've noticed that YouTube viewers tend to prefer short videos of a specific technique, rather than a whole project. so moving forward that's what I'll plan for YouTube. 

On the other hand, both Instagram and TikTok viewers seem to enjoy being "dazzled" by speed edited 1 minute videos showing quick in-progress clips finishing with a completed project at the end. That's how it seems to me, at any rate. 
 

More Tatting Added to the Jacket

 Using the medium shade of green thread left over from the center leaves (plus yellow and orange), I made up the 1st long floral side motif as I went along. Then, I used the finished piece as a guide for tatting the 2nd motif to match. The techniques included are encapsulation, daisy picot, Josephine rings, and a little bit of spiral chain near the bottom.

After pinning the tatting in place I sewed it on using white thread to match the jacket. 

For the jacket lapel, I wanted a 3 dimensional button look, so I sewed around the center of the flowers only, leaving the petals free. Pattern is Double Flower Celtic.

Butterflies on the shoulder. Pattern is Flutterby Heart.

I'm already happy to wear the jacket as it is. But it will continue to be a work in progress.

Flutterby Heart

Free tatting pattern for you! 

Instant download:
https://www.keepandshare.com/doc/8248626/flutterby-heart-pdf-411k?da=y 

This is a design that I actually came up with in 2017. For some reason I set my experimental sample aside and forgot about it. While looking through some pictures I ran across a photo and thought, "Hey, this is cute, who designed this?" Uh...well...I then noticed my own name on it! 

To make sure that it was really not someone else's design, I asked in an online tatting group if anybody had seen it before. They hadn't! Except the sharp eyes of Sue H. had noticed it on my own Facebook page! 

Well, I guess I have to admit to a "senior moment". \(^_^)/
But, for you, a new pattern!

Brilliant Sunset

 A new hand dyed thread batch, "Brilliant Sunset" has been added to my Etsy shop. These bright colors really cheer me up while I'm getting very tired of these dreary cold winter days. Usually about now I do my annual "Extremely Very Early Spring" giveaway, but since I've seen absolutely no sign of spring whatsoever around where I live, it'll have to wait a little longer.

Meanwhile I can't resist leaking just a hint of a few "spoilers" about what I've been quietly working on. I have a very big project in the works that involves designing and writing up several new patterns, so that's why I'm sort of quiet lately. Can't say what they're for yet and can't post photos until closer to summer...spoilers! ;)

The butterfly necklace in progress below is my own design (well, actually inspired by a vintage pattern but I added changes and the beads to it). If you would enjoy the challenge of tatting your own, the pattern is in my book Boutique Tatting. I will post another photo of the necklace when it is done, It's for a custom order. I don't do many custom orders, because hand dyeing thread for my shop takes so much of my time, but occasionally someone makes me an offer that I can't refuse. 

Black Bedazzled Butterfly tatted necklace

The necklace that I've been working on is done! The pattern is from my Boutique Tatting book. I did some extra embellishing on this one, adding tatted connectors to the neck chain and making the antennae a bit more fancy, but otherwise it is just as written in the book. The thread in this model is Lizbeth size 20, the beads are Swarovski pearls sizes 4mm and 6mm, and the seed beads around the outer edge are size 11/0.

Here's a short video showing the outer chain tatting in progress, with lock joins and bead picots.



Note to experienced tatters: after trying the lock joins both ways (pulling UP through the picot, or DOWN through the picot) I decided that the up join worked best for this design element. The reason: the up join tends to make the edging turn slightly upwards, which is what I want for the front of the necklace. A detail that most people won't notice, but that is just how it is with details, we do them to please ourselves, don't we :-)

Other news: someone asked if I had thread dyed in grey to crimson like my I.D. photo. Well, at the time I didn't (the photo effect was created digitally) but, I do now! At least until it gets scooped up by Etsy shoppers!

So much guild activity!

On Monday, I not only attended the guild meeting of the Loose Bead Society, I managed to coax Sue Anna into making over an hour's drive to come too! During open beading time - well, throughout the whole meeting, actually - Sue Anna and I were both tatting, which caused quite a stir among many of the guild members, who came over to see what we were doing! I think they were surprised to see that Marilee is not the only person who tats ☺The top photo shows the black butterfly (pattern is in Boutique Tatting) that I started on Monday at the meeting, and that's how far I'd gotten by early Wednesday morning.

Then, later Wednesday morning I headed over to the mall food court where I'd heard the Embroidery Guild was gathering for Stitch in Public Day. Another super-nice group! They greeted me warmly, and let me tat with them while they worked on projects ranging from counted cross stitch to needlepoint. They seemed quite eager to have me come "stitch" with them again!

Then, I found out that there is a Crochet Guild in town, too! Still more creative people!

Anyway, this 2nd photo shows how much more I got done on the butterfly during my visit with the Embroidery Guild - while chit-chatting away!

Experimenting in the "Twilight Zone"

While I was painting this batch the colors looked so dark, that I was afraid that the whole thing would just turn out black. Instead, the purple and blue areas are bright! Whatever - you just can't predict what will happen in the "Twilight Zone".

I tatted a rough idea for a butterfly viewed from the side, attempting to continue my current fascination with streamlining shapes. It needs work, but at least I did manage to tat it all in one pass with no ends to hide, and it shows how the new dye batch looks worked up.

I also tatted the center from my "Amoeba Triangle" design into earrings. For these I used Lizbeth bright aqua. The color is so bright my camera just couldn't capture the exact shade.

In June I will be teaching a tatting class, and it is already full to my maximum of 6 beginners. So, I don't know why I'm posting about it - except to let it be known that interest in tatting is alive and well!

Polymer clay butterfly with tatting

It's done! This butterfly measures 6 inches (15 cm) across. The entire necklace weighs less than an ounce.

First, I made the polymer clay pieces, punching holes around the edges for attaching the tatting later. I baked the clay according to the manufacturer's directions.

Then I got out size 20 thread and a size 13 steel crochet hook. Most of the edging is just chains, attached through the holes with lock joins. Doing the body was a little trickier, and I experimented as I went along...well, you know...I just sort of "winged it" :-)

I discovered that I needed to finish both wings first, before attaching to the body in progress.

After completing the butterfly, I added the neck cord, improvising with Victorian Sets, split rings,
and rings with chains.

The closure is a toggle of polymer clay. It makes for an adjustable necklace by fitting into any of the spaces between the rings and chains.

Here's a neat trick to avoid extra cord length from sticking out around your neck: put the toggle through the last space first, then again through the desired space.

This necklace is one-of-a-kind, and I'll proudly wear it myself. But, who knows, now that I've got one figured out, I may get others finished to sell later.

Butterfly not done yet

The polymer clay butterfly with tatting is still in progress. The photo shows the 2nd wing being attached to the butterfly body. The thread is pulled through the hole in the polymer clay with a crochet hook, in preparation for a join - a normal join at that particular place. Around the outer edges I've used only chains with lock joins.

What I've learned so far is that the 2 wings needed to be completed first, then the body worked, attaching wings to the final round of the body. I'm planning to tat antennae last...well, actually the last part will be the neck cord. I'll probably have to use a slightly different thread color since I'm running out of the hand dyed color I'm using. Isn't that always the way, running out of thread! This is definitely a one-of-a-kind project, and not for sale. Just to exhibit and keep.

I hope to finish it next week, and also dye more thread for my Etsy shop.

Butterfly with polymer clay

Work in progress on a one-of-a-kind, whimsical butterfly combining polymer clay with tatting.

By the way, the new "Up and Tat 'Em" book has been selling like the proverbial hotcakes, so I haven't really had much time for anything outside of filling orders. I started this butterfly last week before the books arrived from the printer. Today, I'll have to go to the printer to order more copies, before I run out!

Another tiny peak at doily in progress, and what Vicki did

This is still the same doily that I have been designing using only one shuttle and ball method throughout. (Some celtic interlacing included). I'm sticking to it!

I thought the design needed some small motifs, which necessitate "tie and cut" and ends worked in. I plan on sewing them in using "Lily's Way".

I think the doily will be finished after a few more rounds, yay!

The butterfly in the next photo was tatted by Vicki, and is her interpretation of the "Bedazzled Butterfly" pattern in my book, "Boutique Tatting". I think Vicki did a terrific job! And thanks go to Celtic Dream Weaver for sending the photo.



Dye batch in progress is "Peace".

"Bedazzled Butterfly" in white

I call this design "Bedazzled Butterfly", and it is one of the patterns included in my book, "Boutique Tatting".



It is challenging, but some tatters may be happy to know that there are no split rings in the butterfly part of the pattern. I've put some in the neck cord, but that is optional.

More experimenting

The white hanging out of the cool project bag is the start of the "Bedazzled Butterfly" from my book. The scraps in gold are some early "rough drafts", that with more work may lead to new earring designs. I bought the cool project bag from DS9Designs at the I.O.L.I. convention in August. I have really not done many blues in my dye batches, so no matter what, I've got to do blues next. Check out the gorgeous blues in these Morning Glories!

Purples, finally!

I've been wanting to do purples for ages, but there was always another color that seemed more "urgent". So finally I have some purple in this colorway, which I have entitled "Lola".

The butterfly was just something made up while playing with the new thread.

Sherry's Butterfly

Here is my attempt at Sherry Pence's Continuous Tatted Butterfly.

I used Size 20 Flora for the black, and the colored thread is my own hand dyed DMC Cordonnet Special.

The long chain on the outside of the wing in this example has more double stitches in it than on Sherry's pattern. Different tatters tat at differing tensions, so sometimes it's a good idea to make slight adjustments.

Sherry is also known as the "Lady Shuttle Maker" and has this lovely pattern for sale in her etsy shop at http://ladyshuttlemaker.etsy.com/

Nice that it is tatted in one continuous flow, and needs only one shuttle. Cool pattern, Sherry!

Butterfly bookmarks

Simple and quick! I took the pink butterfly and some of my other tatted bookmarks and jewelry to the consignment boutique where I sell some of my work. The shop owner, (who loves my tatting) didn't want to carry bookmarks at first -- "I've had other bookmarks here, and they just sit..." but couldn't resist keeping just a few of mine at the shop. I got a phone call a few hours later from the shop owner, "I just sold the pink butterfly! The lady would also like one in purple!"
So I did a variety of purples!
These are done like the flower bookmark here.
R 2-2-2-2. T. Ch 5-5, sj to p of r.
Ch 7-1--1-7, sj to next p of r.
Ch 2---1---2, sj to same p. Ch 7-1--1-7, sj to next p of r.
Ch 5-5. J at the bottom same as the flower bookmark.

For a pdf copy of this pattern Click Here.