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Saturday 27 May 2017

Tiny Bows and a Wheel


Tiny Dots Bows
The angles were discovered while experimenting with different coloured Dot Picots. SLT to switch shuttles for changing thread colour was the necessary step. While threads at the beginning were still there, it looked like a bow after making another triangle on the other side.
                                      
The tiny Bows pattern going to be discussed in Online Tatting Class OTC 2017
look for detailed  PDF Pattern here. Video Link on How to make Dot Picots 
Tatting Bow Step by Step……….
And my discovery didn’t end with two triangles on opposite side,     
I added one more triangle to the two,became a trefoil.
                                                          
   Fourth triangle added looked like a beautiful
tiny flower with red dots.
                                                         
The Wheel pattern explained in PDF also out of experiments.
Its fusion of normal picots on rings and Dot Picots on chains inner side.
      
   Another color variation

Muskaan has developed perfect diagram to make this pattern easier.

look for detailed  PDF Pattern with diagram here.

I see many possibilities for number of patterns using technic of Dot Picots.
What do you think? 
Ready to experiment?

All suggestions, variations, comments are welcome.

Happy Tatting ...............







Thursday 25 May 2017

The Dreamcatcher updated.........

Dear Tatters,
Have you gone through my previous blog post- The Dreamcatcher??
I have been working on making the pattern easier to tat.
You will find the revised PDF pattern here :  PDFrevised 
Muskaan tatted this Dreamcatcher and found that some modifications and clarifications were needed with links.

Here are.......
The Techniques explained with respective links-

1.Dot picot : is a thrown ring of 1 double stitch, made with second shuttle
    All about dot picot , Video demo

2. Decorative lock join : is made exactly like a lock join with core thread, but at a distance, such that the loops of the join are visible. Joining loops should have just enough tension to span the distance without pulling too tight. Also find this technique in this Video demo by Daniela Mendola 

Displayed below some close up pics (see steps 1 to 4) which I had taken while tatting another color combo shown in the previous blog post- The Dreamcatcher
  
3. Decorative picot join : is made exactly like a picot join, but at a distance such that the joining loops are visible. Pictorial instructions  by Muskaan.

Hope this update will fulfil your dream to tat the Dreamcatcher with ease.

All your comments, suggestions remarks are welcome.

Happy Tatting 

Thursday 11 May 2017

The Dreamcatcher

Hello all

                                                 Pattern explained and updated on 25.05.2017-UPDATE
I am really thankful to Georgia Seitz for giving me the opportunity to explain my new Dot Picot technique in her Online Tatting Class OTC 2017 session. I hope some of you have tried the Dot Picot and now well acquainted with the technique. 
I shared the video with tatters in Online Tatting Class of how to make a Dot Picot i.e. a thrown ring of only one double stitch. Here is the link for the same -  How to make Dot Picots

Muskaan as you all know her, is a well experienced tatter who is the inspiration behind my blogging career. Muskaan helped me to prepare for the presentation for the class session. She drafted the layout and text of the PDF and drew diagrams for my Dot Picot Flower and Wonder Lilac Pattern DotPicotLilacPdf .She test tatted my both motif patterns and posted on her blog with perfect explanation. 
A must visit: thumb-nailed-it

I had posted some Dot Picot motifs in my previous blog Dot Picots Explained !!!!!!!!!
Today I am sharing with you the Dreamcatcher medallion having outer round of dot picots and layers of contrast thread colors tatted in different sequence of rounds.
The pattern shown here is for Blue and Golden Yellow Dreamcatcher. Other two color variations are shown at the end of this pattern.

The medallion starts with the 2 outer rounds in  blue, tatted continuously by climbing out with split rings. Next we tat the 2 golden rounds separately - first the outer one, then the inner one. Here, lock join threads are made visible purposely to enhance the beauty of this design. The Dreamcatcher is finished off with the central blue round of rings
                                    

Pattern for my Dreamcatcher motif:
 Two contrast shades of threads to show separate layers.
I have used Anchor 20 for both Blue n Golden yellow thread.
Detailed pattern given in this PDF Link
Updated Pattern 25.05.2017 in  PDFrevised

Few points to note:
       ʘ is a new symbol for  Dot Picot i.e. 1ds thrown ring on chain   
For  Round 1  Wind SH1 n SH2 Blue color CTM for rounds 1 & 2.  
                        climb out by tatting SR  and complete circle of 16 rings.

 Tat Round 2 with Dot Picots and thrown ring
       Round 3 is tatted over rings of second round in golden yellow
       Wind shuttle with golden yellow thread and leave attached to ball, do not cut
                      Let the joining thread be seen, to create V shape of joining thread
     Round 4 is joined over base of the rings of Round 1 using only single shuttle with
     golden yellow thread.Here joining thread to be seen
     Round 5 is tatted over base of rings of Round 4 in blue with only single shuttle.
          All rings should be tatted closer without gap.
                                                   Other variations in different colors
                                               

           

    Catch the dream to tat this medallion and let me know your experience !!!
   
     Your comments, suggestions are most welcome.

    Happy Tatting always………………..           



Wednesday 3 May 2017

Dot Picots Explained !!!!!!!!!


Dear Tatters,

My Dot Picots have generated some interest in the last few weeks. This effect, along with practice pattern, will be shared with the Online Tatting Class soon. I take this opportunity to explain a bit of the background.

This new idea of making a single ds ring on chain came to my mind while working with two shuttles. To my wonder, a beautiful tiny dot was created and I just loved it. Instead of regular picots on a chain, I made tiny rings that sit above the chain. They are 1-stitch thrown (or thrown-off or floating) rings and since they are used in place of picots, 
I called them Dot Picots. Video Link on How to make Dot Picots updated on 27.05.17

What a fortunate coincidence !
Dot is actually a vintage term used for tiny rings of up to 4 or 5 stitches only. http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art3217.asp

Dots are also described by Muskaan in her blog

So dot picot is basically a 1-stitch dot!
I practiced the Dot Picot by tatting self-designed motifs. 
Few of them shown below. First two patterns already shared in the blog. 
I will be sharing other patterns too.
 I also found that I could change regular picot motif into a dot picot motif too.
To name few, I tatted Rosemary Peel’s Heart
for transforming into Dot Picots.

 Dot Picots are not possible on regular rings. They require a second shuttle and can be done only on chains and mock rings.

Tatting designer, teacher Nina Libin says, "I think Dot picots are really good for edgings, while decorative long picots may get squashed or distorted with use, Dot picots will hold the solid outline"

My IndianTatting group friend Shalmali Bapat says, “I liked dot picots not only for its delicate look but the uniformity it gives. Else maintaining same size of simple picots is bit tedious.”

As long as one is using 2 shuttles, decorative picots in any pattern can be converted to dot picots for an alternative effect. It will give your tatted work an ornamental look and they look like tiny beads.

Lets try to tat a dainty Dot Picot step by step
ʘ symbol denotes 1 dot picot
                                           
Take two shuttles SH1 Blue, SH2 white (See Pic 4)
Start *R 5ds, Long picot for center, 5ds cl. RW.
Start  Ch 6ds, drop SH1, With SH2 make ʘ (dot picot is a ring with 1ds, cl), 
pick SH1, ch 6ds. RW

Continue from * three more times, joining all rings in center picot.
 Tie n cut threads.

Before I shared Dot Picots online, I didn’t know much about the symbols and terminology in tatting. Experienced tatters Muskaan, Georgia Seitz and Nina Libin helped me a lot in choosing perfect symbol for the Dot Picot. They also guided me about already existing terms on similar technique like Dots, Knotted Ring Picots etc.

Karen Cabrera has tatted the same picots differently leaving bare thread on both sides of the double stitch, such that the tiny 1ds ring floats at a distance. 
She called it Knotted Ring Picot in her Tatting Lesson 141. 

And here is a comparison of knotted ring picots and dot picots used in the same motif I shared above.
                                            
                                    
You can make out the difference between two types of picots in above pic. Karen has left some bare thread before and after making a double stitch. The ring is at the tip of a picot.

The Dot picot exactly sits on the chain without any gap, an easy alternative to beads.

So start working on Dot Picots now!!!

I welcome your comments, queries, suggestions.

Happy Tatting……….