Wednesday, 24 September 2025

its FanCatstic

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This post has been Years in the waiting! Every few months I push it to the front and then something else elbows it out. Part of the reason is that I needed to find my own notes and observations and choose from a plethora of in-progress pics. Now there is a spike in interest (of which I will tell you more in another post) and I had to keep my elbows in check and keep my fingers flying on the keyboard so that the story can continue. 

This is about a hybrid threadwork pattern from my tatting buddy, Anita Barry, where she tatted the body of a cat, sewed it to a purse, and embroidered the details! And she graciously permitted me to share her pattern which has meticulously laid out details. Thankfully I had saved some of our correspondence and am going to let her exuberant voice take over ....

Tatted  FanCatstic  Purse  Pattern © 2018 Anita Barry

"This is a one-of-a-kind purse. A keepsake and an heirloom. It’s usable, durable and glamorous!

This pattern was created for a competition with a “fan” theme. I didn’t want to create the normal handheld fan so I looked for quilted fan ideas and items you can make from the image of a fan.

One of the quilts I saw was of a cat. The body of the cat looked like a fan. I liked the idea and made this project.

Part of this project came from an existing pattern. So I give that designer credit right up front It’s great to like other’s designs! Give them credit.
Using Victoria’s lace Collar, by Gloria Crowther, Gloria’s Tatting book ©1988, for the fan paddles of FanCatstic

That’s how this project came to be. It was a fabulous creation even though it wasn’t a ribbon winner in the competition it was designed for.

Tell peeps to have fun creating this project."

I didn't want to interrupt the flow of her story with my own text. As you can see, the images are self-explanatory and show you most of the process. Other details are in the PDF. 
I will share my own tatted version in another post.

And this same pattern led to another mini-pattern which is travelling the world! Stay tuned!

Many Many thanks to Anita for this cute pattern and purse and hope you have fun!

Friday, 19 September 2025

timeline and play

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When I was updating the PDFs in our Endrucks' collection, it emerged that I hadn't yet worked on the prototype of the E37 Eye Spy Hearts #2 version (July 2022) which had been extracted from Eleonore Endrucks' E37 doily in 'Die Schiffchen-Spitzen', 1920 from rounds 4 to 8. I had only notated the pattern on the prototype pic, intending to improve on the design at a later date. This same heart, however, was used by Margaret Davies to enlarge it and then to convert it into an angel which incidentally hid a bell! Since we used this for our November 2022 game, her patterns were shared. 

When asked, my Partner in Crime, Ninetta, urged me to create a PDF. Hmm, that called for my shuttles to get to work on the improvement after over 3 years! And I can now show you all the version 2 hearts in chronological order along with future designs based on various arrangements. 

All blog links at the end; pattern links under respective pics.

 
Both tatted in July 2022 and most respondents preferred the left prototype, the pattern of which was shared here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2022/07/heart-pattern.html
However I was not satisfied with the proportions - the hearts were too broad. 
Before I could apply my mind, ....
 
... Margaret Davies shared her 'uplifted' version within days! A very clever adaptation except that the  inner chain pairs kind of flattened out. 
In the left model I tatted the bottom chains as per my own heart pattern, facing inwards. The pink model follows Margaret's pattern with the outward facing chain and thrown ring.
E37 Enlarged Endrucks’ Heart by Margaret Davies July 2022 pattern PDF (updated) - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G2AboS4amzg5HgLGKoZ6X-bGNrLZBLCt/view
 E37 Endrucks’ Angel & Bell Margaret Davies Oct 2022 pattern PDF (updated) -https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aq202-ESOzP_DLlA1bQ1mz3unyTTrpwr/view

 
Flash forward to Sep 2025! My new trials and tweaks running through four variations where I wanted to keep as close to the original doily from which these were extracted ...

 
Of these, the 2nd and 4th (2A & 2B) patterns are shared in the pdf. With the removal of one pair of rings, the last model (2B) is very clearly a continuation of E37 Eye Spy Hearts #1. Nevertheless, I liked the overall shape and decided to include it in the PDF.
 E37 Eye Spy Hearts #2 Muskaan July2022-Sep2025 pattern PDF (new, with 2 versions) --                        https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SLSSFybhPZHcy6zJ-JSKbCfNKj_a2ka5/view
 E37 Eye Spy Hearts #1 Muskaan Jan 2022 pattern PDF (updated) -             https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Auf-CIZYLUQdkA6jalQR4hkS7Ah-Deld/view

 
Ninetta Caruso, while reviewing the PDF, tatted the #2B version and shared how she joined the ring to the chain (as seen in the WIP pic on left). I included it as a tip in the presentation - it is always great to have options!

💗💖💗💖💗💖💗💖💗💖💗

With EIGHT models on hand, how could I not play with arrangements?! You can see a few of these possibilities below. Note, no two models are identical - they differ either in count, picots, or thread size.
 







Heart motifs certainly lend themselves to a wide range of arrangements and possible designs!

If you make and post any of these patterns, please use the hashtag #Endrucks1920Project, and also mention the name of the designer and the pattern clearly.

Many thanks to Margaret and Ninetta who never fail to come together to improve designs and inspire!
Related Posts -
https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2021/12/cupping-hearts.html - spotting the hearts

Friday, 12 September 2025

flower in flesh in thread

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This post has been waiting to be written for almost a fortnight .... I just couldn't form the words. While I miss chatting through my blog and through comments on other blogs, I was just not in that phase. While I read up most of the blogs during this time, sometimes I simply scrolled through the pics. I hope you will excuse and forgive me for being a lurker.

One morning my hubby brought me this portulaca flower from his garden. Can't say how it looks online, nevertheless it is a beautiful soft pink with dense layers - almost like a carnation! We usually allow these blooms to remain on the plant since they wither very quickly if not in water (unlike the jasmines I posted recently which remained in bloom even after 14 hours without any water). Of the two plants he has, one has already died away 'for no rhyme or reason' but this other one is flourishing quite nicely. We're hoping the number of blooms will keep increasing.
Pic was taken on 30th August 2025 as was the one below.

I had been engaged in doing up a block tatting pictorial in answer to a specific doubt. It spiralled into a virtual ready reckoner of various effects, methods, etc., etc. Had to shelve it for a while but will be back on it in a couple of days. Anyways, my dear friend surprised me with this pattern of Dora Young's Round Pinwheel Doily from her 'All New Knotless Tatting Designs' (2nd ed)! I just had to tat it!

Worked with Anchor Pearl Cotton size 8, ball and shuttle. I had started with grey in shuttle and a yellow ball. It dawned on me that a variegated or tinted thread should work well in such a pattern so I switched to this. 

This pic, taken on the 5th of this month has 17 picot-round completed. Since then I have added more rounds - I'm probably on the 21 picot round (amidst other Endrucks-related behind the scene stuff). 

The green scrap thread is a marker for the start of the round. It's not really required since the pattern is extremely simple and spirals around almost mindlessly. Haven't had to retro-tat even once. 

Not using a picot gauge - I prefer to eye ball picots as much as possible and while I know they are not all even here, it still seems to turn out fine.

The doily is so well-constructed, so well-designed, that it lays flat throughout. The frequent joins in the dense portions give it a nice texture. And it is exactly the type of patterns I enjoy working on -- tatted all from the front!