Folded Join in Tatting

This is how I do a “folded join”, which prevents a twisted picot when joining the last ring to the first ring of a tatted motif.

Whenever all rings are facing outward from the center of a tatted motif, then that’s when a folded join is used. There’s other ways to do this kind of join, but this is what works easiest for me.

The video speed is faster than my actual tatting!

Through the magic of an app on my smartphone, I figured out how to flip the video to show the left-handed version as well!
Here's the left-handed view:

"Lake Effect" hand dyed

New colorway "Lake Effect" and I've saved the "recipe". 

Actually, what I was trying to do is reproduce the pastels of an old batch I did years ago which I never did write down. But, the result of my experiment has colors that are much more intense, and I like it! So, calling this batch "Lake Effect".

Tatted necklace and earring set from an older batch of hand dyed thread. The pattern is my own, which I'm calling "Loopy", but I don't have it written down! I only got as far as naming a folder for it on my computer.

By the way, the spring concert I played cello in was a shining success! The community orchestra that I play with is the Wisconsin Intergenerational Orchestra (WIO), which has just been awarded a Creative Communities Grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board.

Spring Corsage in 3D Tatted Flowers

 My spring corsage is done, just in time for Easter! I used the daffodils tatting pattern in Christel Weidmann’s book "Ostern" plus small tatted flowers I made up myself.

I really like how Christel's 3D daffodil design imitates the live flower so well. The book is written in German, with a list of the tatting abbreviations translated into English. There are about 15 designs in the book, including several animals and flowers, each with a diagram and stitch counts. The daffodils are the only 3D patterns in this book. The larger daffodil has more detailed instructions than the smaller narcissus, so I'd recommend trying the large daffodil first. (I started with the narcissus and had a bit of trouble, but eventually sorted it out!)

I used size 20 thread (Lizbeth, mostly) for finished flowers that measured about 2 inches (5 cm) across. After that I tatted small flowers (to suggest scilla and violets), finishing each with a tiny single shuttle split ring at the bottom so I wouldn't have to sew in ends. When all the flowers were done, I joined them together with lock stitch tatted chain. The joining was not an exact science - I just made it up while going along until I had an arrangement I liked.

I'll wear it using a corsage pin, just as if they were real flowers!

Connecting the flowers into an arrangement

Joining the cup of a tatted daffodil in progress

The book "Ostern" by Christel Weidmann

Lilac Sea

 "Lilac Sea" hand dyed thread is a combination of purple and aqua shades. I've just added it to my Etsy Shop.

Recently finished earrings made using the Lilac Sea hand dyed thread. The color gradation shows very nicely with repeated tatted chains!

More of my tatted jewelry projects that were put together using this color combo:

Freshly dyed thread "Corsage" purple and orange

Hand dyeing in progress

The colors were inspired by a Cattleya orchid, which I think would make a stunning corsage for a special occasion, hence the name Corsage. Several sizes of cordonnet thread and embroidery floss now listed in my Etsy Shop.











I haven't had much time for tatting lately, since I've been very busy practicing music. I'll be playing my cello in a Wisconsin Intergenerational Orchestra concert on May 5 and still have lots to prepare! Also, I sing in the church choir + some cello there too, and Easter will be here soon.

I did make a start on tatting a daffodil from the book Ostern - Easter Motives by Christel Weidmann. The plan I have in mind is adding some leaves along with other tiny flowers to make a ... (you guessed it) ...corsage!

Tatting a daffodil in progress

The book Ostern - Easter Motives by Christel Weidmann.

Made room for the long bead

Based on my Unfolding Heart pattern, I tatted this heart from hand dyed size 10 thread featuring a long red glass drop bead in the center. The pattern as written isn't long enough to make room for the 7/8 inch (2.2 cm) drop bead, so I added an extra ring with corresponding chain stitches to each side of the heart. 

Earrings from Heart Aglow pattern, using the same 11/0 seed beads on size 20 thread, with a 4 mm Swarovski faceted round bead at the top and 11 mm Czech glass dagger bead at the bottom.