April Mystery Motif Revisited

Right before I left for Hector, NY, I posted the text in a tatted pattern from the January, 1921 issue of Needlecraft. It didn't take long to figure out the text was wrong so I posted the photo very quickly before I left. The pointed edging, as you might remember, was actually a combination of the square and round motifs from the pattern. The round one was correct, but not the square one. No one told me if they got it figured out from the photo so worked it up myself. The following instructions are written in modern notation....sort of. I've tried to write it in a a way that a beginner can read and understand, explaining a bit as I go. The shortest notation would actually be like this: Ring A (2-)2X, 4 -- 4 (-2)2X but I thought that would add even more confusion for a newbie. I also used "ring A" and "chain A" where the same sequence was repeated. When it involved a variation, such as a join in a different place, then I gave it a different letter. I hope that isn't too confusing. If you have any questions, feel free to email me!

April Mystery Motif – Square

Clr = close ring
Rw = reverse work
P = picot
Ch = chain
+ = join
CTM = continuous thread method (wind 1st shuttle, do not cut thread, pull 4-5 yards off ball and then cut, winding 2nd shuttle from cut end)
Inward Facing Picot – see any of the following websites: http://groups.msn.com/TheSocialShuttle/inwardfacingpicots.msnw
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art18859.asp
http://www.georgiaseitz.com/2002/hansonbfly.html


~ ~ ~ ~
1 shuttle with approximately 18” thread

Central Ring – 1 ds (hiding end in stitches as you go), (p, 2 ds) 7 times, p, 1 ds, clr, cut & hide final end. Set aside.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2 shuttles CTM

Ring A: (2 ds, p) 2 times, 4 ds, long picot (1/4”), 4 ds, (p, 2 ds) 2 times, clr, rw
Chain A: (3 ds, p) 5 times, 3 ds, rw
Ring B: 2 ds, p, 2 ds, + (join) to 4th p of prev ring, 4 ds, + to long p of previous ring, 4 ds, p, 2ds, p, 2 ds, clr
Chain A, rw
Ring B, rw
Chain B: (3 ds, p) 5 times, 3 ds, + to long picot that three prev rings were joined together in, rw
Chain D: You continue with a chain here but with the opposite shuttle so you “switch working shuttle” or if you happen to use a ball and thread instead of 2 shuttles, you can do the shoelace trick to get the ball thread in the proper position. This next chain should arch in the same direction as the previous chain.
5 ds, p, 5 ds, + to p of central ring that was set aside, 5 ds, p, 5 ds, rw

Again, you need to switch the working shuttle or do the shoelace trick. Hang a paper clip on the working shuttle thread to make an inward facing picot. This picot replaces the long picot used for joins in Ring A in the remaining sequences around the square. This needs to be a long picot so to keep it from snugging up, make the first ds a lockstitch by not flipping. Then
Chain C: 2 ds (with lockstitch just made this will be the same as 3 ds in Chain A), p, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, + to center p of last Chain B, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, rw
Ring C: (2 ds, p) twice, 4 ds, + to long inward facing picot (remove paperclip), 4 ds, ( p, 2 ds) twice, rw
Chain A, rw
Ring B, rw
Chain A, rw
Ring B, rw
Chain B, rw
Chain E: (SS or SLT) 5 ds, + to last p of Chain D, 5 ds, + to central ring, skipping one picot from last j to central ring, 5 ds, p, 5 ds, rw
Repeat from Chain C twice, but with last Chain E, + last p of chain to 1st p of first chain D, rw
Switch working shuttles or SLT and make Chain B, + in middle picot of opposite Chain A and then join at end in base of 1st ring.



This is a heart bookmark I made for someone as a gesture of goodwill. Someone won the bid on a book I sold on ebay. The customer wanted it sent media mail and did not request insurance. I packed it well, using bubble wrap and a good size envelope. This was back in January. The customer just recently contacted me saying the dustjacket crinkled and the spine was dented and felt a small refund was in order. I didn't, of course, since I have no control over what goes on in transit and no insurance was purchased...and it's been a few months. If contacted immediately, I probably would have offered to buy it back but not at this point. Still, I feel badly that it was not in as good of shape as when it left me so I sent a small check that will cover the insurance on another purchase of equal value and included this bookmark. It's the Puppy Love heart by Susan Fuller and I've added the set stitch or ric rac stitch chain for the tail. For those who don't know, this stitch is made by tatting a series of the first half of the ds and then tatting an equal number of the second half of the ds and repeating this sequence over and over for the desired length. You keep snugging it up to keep the spirals even. It makes a very pretty and sturdy cord.

Next post should be photos and stories of Hector.