Pattern or guide for the blue beaded bracelet

I revisited a small piece I did some time ago, made some small changes and it is not that bad as a result. 

This time it seems complicated, it is not. 

2 shuttles project, you must string the beads before: shuttle 1: 32 beads, shuttle 2: 9 beads. This amount may vary, according to your needs, to your thread.
Basic pattern: start with the inner rings then make the chains. I told you: simple and easy.

bp : the diamond beaded picot.


Shuttle 1
R1: 10 bp 9 - 1, close, do not turn work.
R2: 1 + 9 bp 9 - 1, close, do not turn work.
R3: 1 + 9 bp 10, close turn work.
Start chain:
15 - 1 + 6 + 16 + 16 + 6 + 16 + 16 + 6 + 1 - 15.
All the lock joins will be done in between the beads, but this you saw already. And if you worked the beaded flower from last year, there is no secret anymore.

You take from the shuttle 1 the next 8 or 9 beads (depending on your thread, beads) and climb to make the next element. You work the inner round (shuttle 1) the same way as before. 

When you need to start the chain, take from shuttle 2 the same amount of beads you used and climb to start the chain. Before you make the first join, the one with the picot you worked before, make sure to give a twist to the beaded chains. When you are happy with the result, just make the join. The rest is just the same: chains, lock joins...

This is the result. 

The original (black and red one) was worked with no join in between the rings. It is ok, but what I did not like: not that stable as this second one.

And if you ask how I placed the seed bead ar the begining of the chain, no, it is not a picot. I just had the bead on the thread, passed the thread through the chain, passed it again through the bead (in the other direction), filled my shuttle and did my chain. 

I like it, it is a happy project, it requires a bit of attention  without being too difficult. 

Again, do not stick with the amount of ds I gave. They fitted my thread (the Penny 30 this time) and my beads (Toho 11.0 rocailles ), for a Lizbeth 20 and other beads you must definitely adjust! But the principle is there, and this is more important than a fixed pattern. 

Hope it helped a bit. Happy tatting. 

Snowflake pattern

Since some time I want to start to work some little thing for the holidays... The normal little stars, snowflakes, a small wreath. All good intentions, everything planned. And then I opened my beads box. Big mistake! I got the idea to use bugle beads. Never tatted with them before, so, why not?

First was the traditionl drawing... I was tempted to scan it but then I remember what my son told me: "Mom, you were good in geometry, but drawing it not your strenght." He gave me some ideas too. Funny how a tatting free mind can lead to nice tatting ideas. His idea will come too, because is quite nice and challenging.

I tatted in a hurry this:

I was really affraid that I copied at least partially the Ice Queen of Frivole, but no, I had the confirmation that I did not do it. So I can now post the pattern of this star... or snowflake... you tell me what it is. It is not difficult, the only thing wich can disturb a beginner are the paper clips to hold the beads. You can skip them, bu measuring correctly the very large picots you will have to make.

You will need 2 shuttles, 12 bugle beads, a paper clip and a fine hook.
First of all, this would the way you add the bugles. I hope it helps.

  

Then the pattern. It has 3 rounds. The first 2 rounds are here.

Round 1
Ring: 6 ds s times with 5 small picots in between.

Second round: 
Split ring: shuttle 1: 6 vlp (2 bugles) 3 ds. repeat the same with the second shuttle. Do not turn work.
Chain: 16 ds (you can adjust to 18). Turn work.
Start ring: 3 ds join to the bugle picot 6 ds join to the ring 6 ds vlp (2 bugles) 3 ds, close ring, turn work.

You have then to repeat this sequence. You will notice that the bugles are a bit longer than the chain. At least, with my thread, it was like this. So make sure the are all on the same side of the work.

After the last chain, you have the rosette done. Make lock join and move to the next round.

Third round
This one is also easy.
Chain 16 (you can add more or make less). Turn work.
Start ring with the core thread: 6ds join in between the 2 bugles 6 ds, close, turn work.
Take the other shuttle and work the trefoil.
Finish with chain 16 and make lock join.

Hope it is understandable.
You have to adjust the ds according to your thread (and the bugles!) I used Frecia 12 and 5mm long bugles. Try to make sure that the bugles have the same size. In my case I had to choose them... And do not rush like I did... If not, the trefoil will not be that nice and the second part of the chain has not a nice start.
The snowflake is stable due to the bugles. Formine, I just have to fix it a bit, because of the uneven small rings. The next one was already better.

Hope you will like it and you will have no problem to follow the pattern.

Simple pattern for the bracelet white and silver

This is what I like with tatting: thre is always something to discover, to test, to try. It is not only the calming effect. How many times did I curse when I did a mistake I could not undo??
The word would be challenging. And rewarding. You know, that moment when you make the last double stich and your eyes are searching for the scissors? And then the little pice of some centimeters square (your worked for it some good 40 mins if not longer) lays in your hand and you say to your self: "Yup! I made it!"

So back to the bracelet I posted yesterday in Facebook... I played this time with a very basic edging, (what else?). Experimenting, tweaking, testing threads... It gave this: the white one were the first attemps, the black one has no picots for the exterior rings... It looks nicer, in my eyes. Both done in poliester thread Brildor 15.

Then I thought, what would it be if I make it in 2 colors? I had, after all, a rest of some silver thread already on my bobbin (strand of 3) so I used as second color a thread from Brildor, the 40, strand of 3.

Since the threads have different consistency, they behave differently and the effect surprised me: the lace has the stiffness I need and the white waves give a nice line.

The result :

  

I worked it with 2 shuttles. 

The pattern is easy to follow: 

All rings are 6-5-6, done with the silver metallic thread. 

All chains: 14, except the ends, white thread. 

Ring : 6-5-6, close, turn work 

Chain 14, turn work 

Ring 6 + 5 - 6, close, do not turn work

Ring: 11 - 6, close, turn work

Chain: 14, turn work... 

The only thing you have to take care of is to thake the right color for each element you will do. And, of course, not to rush, in order the make a neat colour transition. In my piece, I tried to carefully place the silver thread on the right side or on the wrong side of the lace when I started the next element. 

When you reached the needed lenght, then you use the following pattern: 

Chain 14 - 3 turn work

Ring 6 + 6 (join to the join picot from the braid). 

Ring: 3 + 14 - 3, do not turn work

Chain 3 +14. 

Of course, you may consider starting from the small 6-6 ring. Like this you can finish the lace with  the 3+ 14 + 3 ring and hide the thread you will not need anymore.

This would be it. Easy pattern for a newby... 

Just enjoy if you decide to work it and please let me know if there is something to improve. 

10 minutes tat

I had to finish the thread on a shuttle, so I played.

Pattern for a simple pair of earrings

1 shuttle pattern.

Fun fact: you can stop after various phases and you will still have something interesting.

Not difficult at all, fast to be done and if you have a young pupil, it is perfect to give it to her during the class... She will not feel that she made the folded join or the lock join, promise! 

I choose to make these instructions like this, with pictures, I know it helped me a lot when I found something in this form. Honestly, I spent more time by taking the pictures and to process them than for the actual tatting. 

	This is all you need. The bead has a large hole, large enough to let the chain pass through.
	Secure the begining of the chain with a paper clip.
	Start to tat the chain. 60 ds. Of course you can change the amount of ds as you like, this part will hang anyway behind your bext element.
	What you need now is to place the bead. Mine has 1,5mm hole, enough to be strung on the chain.
	Remove the paper clip and string the pearl.
	Make join lock to close the chain and to form it as a ring.
	Now start the flower. 7-7-7-7 in my case. I have a very fine thread, so my flower vill have max. 2 cm diameter.
	Without the picots for the upper ring now you have a small ring, or pendant, right?
	I continued. Still you can stop at this point, you will still have something to make a finished object.
	But I continued. Now this could be a pendant… Or with a pearl still an earring.
	But I finished my flower. I wanted it a six petal one.
	Why? You can fold it, see?
	And if yo add a pearl in a ring, it is happy enough.

Small, simple things may bring a lot a satisfaction. Remember when you made the first flower? This is the feeling you will never loose. I don't know you, but after I finish the simpliest flower, I take a break to feel it in my hands. Dumm enough.

Back to the pattern topic. I wanted to start to make some. Mined field, I know. I have already submitted 2 of them in my Etsy shop. They are very simple.

One of them is a beaded rosette. The pattern is simple but in the instructions I put clear explanations (diagrammed ones) of the beads placement on the shuttle (for 1 and for 2 colors) and the possible variations. It can be a pendant or, with some variations, a nice beaded snowflake.

The second one, is a flower, an orchid. This time it has the visual pattern and the pictures of the different prases.

Have fun! And if you decide to give a try to this 10 minutes pattern, please let me know. I am curious to see all your ideas, you are all sooo creative!

Pattern for the beaded flower

As I told before... beads phase im my tatting.
I just made this flower and someone wanted the pattern. It is not a big deal, it is not difficult at all.
Starting element is the most common 6 petal flower done with 1 shuttle. There are some beads on it. The second round just goes around the flower and the beads. This is the part wich gives a nice shape.
I guess someone else wiser and smarter tham me has to have found this idea before, but I never saw it. If it is the case, I apologize and I will be grateful if someone can point me the author, if there is one.

The pattern is done for a 12 Anchor Freccia  thread (like the 60 DMC, if I remember it correctly).

What you need: 30 seed beads.

Wind your shuttle and put the 30 seed beads on the thread.

Take 4 seed beads and start the ring. 8ds - 8ds - 3beads from the loop and 1 from the shuttle 8 close. The fourth bead from the loop will remain at the base of the ring.
Repeat 5 times, making the joins to form the flower.
Cut thread.
Easy.

Second round: all chains. (marked red)
Begin from the join picotsof the flower.
Chain 12ds, make lock join to the thread between the 2 seed beads.
Chain 4 ds - 4ds lock join after the bead on top.
Chain 12 ds lock join at the picot from the flower.
Repeat until the round is complete.

What I noticed while playing with this pattern.
For the outer round, you shoud add not more than 4 ds at the amount of ds used as a base for the flower. My case here: 8 for the flower, 12 for the outer chain. Less ds do not bring a nice shape, more ds will make a nasty join with overlaping chains.
When you make the lock joins for the outer round, you should consider passing the thread through the picot and not bellow the picot from the flower. Result: a smoother transition. When I made the join fom the lower part of the picot, I had a knottier join and a longer part of the thread was visible. Not nice.
The nastiest part: the join where the flower was closed... Patience needed.
If you use beads bigger than 1mm -1,5 mm, you should replace the 4 - 4 sequence with something fitting to your material.

Game of beads

I make all kind of tests, I play with a lot of ideas... Sometimes I end up by spoling thread and time, the beads I can always re-use. I should, once, take a snapshot of my table (it is the coffee table in front of the TV)... It is full of cut ends, tests, loose seed beads. A mess, I have to admit.
I learned my lesson the hard way: I play, learn, test with bad thread. When I am happy with the result, I will make the same pattern with a better thread.
The last two pieces are a bracelet and a necklace. They wait for the clasps and I will make them in other colours too.

For the bracelet you can recognize the starting pattern idea. I am pretty happy with the small flower, it enhances a bit the effect. 

The necklace started a a test and the idea got somehow body. Guess I am now in playing with beads mood. Still thinking about a pearl for the pendant...
Both of the patterns I will make them in white and in black for sure.