Plate 1, Figure 3 Final!

It's taken me so long to finish this last bit up that I feel I need a reminder of where I started with this specific part. This is the original Plate I, Figure 3 insert in Therese de Dillmont's Tatting D.M.C. which is found at The Antique Pattern Library along with a host of other vintage publications for free.

I started this project as part of the 25 Motif Challenge and this is a continuation of motif 6. You can see the bags I made from the first inserts HERE and HERE.

I wanted to play a little more with the pattern, adding more beads and in different ways. The beads I used in the pink insert were at the top of the ring where the crochet header joined. This time I decided to put them in the bare space between small rings. I only used 2 beads, size 11 seed beads and when I was done, I wished I'd used 1 more bead. I also used a smaller thread for this one, size 30 I think. I don't think I made notes anywhere since I thought I'd be writing them here (bad decision) and now I don't remember the other changes I made. I'm pretty sure I made fewer single and double crochets in the headers and that made it fit much better.

I really wanted to see what it looked like with another bead so I tatted this one with 3 beads in the bare thread space. I liked it. I also liked the strip as it was, before I tatted the other side so when I tatted the other side, I did not join them. I'm not going further with this right now but I can see making this into a necklace, but it would take some manipulation of the stitches, a change somehow, to get it to curve into a shape that will drape nicely around the neck. For you jewelry designers, feel free to take off with the idea.

I also only used single crochet for the headers. You could probably use some form of block tatting to get a similar effect.

I've had this part done for a long time and knew I would showcase them in a pincushion this time instead of a bag but was having trouble coming up with the time and energy to follow through. Life has a way of taking over.

I visualized this little pincushion with pin tucks but once I started pinning, I felt it was too bulky to look nice. Pin tucks look better on lighter fabrics. So I just stitched the two pieces, which would correctly be called edgings now instead of inserts, using the end threads to baste them down on the backside. Then I folded the fabric up over the crocheted header and machine stitched it down. The rest is simple pillow construction.

It seemed very plain as it was and I've mulled over adding an edging or tassels or buttons. I may still do so later but for now, a skinny ribbon did a good job of dressing it up. The fabric produced such a shine when I photographed it that I probably took 30 some photos just to get these few. It really is pretty and elegant looking in person but it doesn't like camera flash!

I decided to just use this insert as a surface trim. Again, I used the end threads to pull through the back and tack it down there. It's secured well. I didn't really want to make another pincushion so I decided to turn this one into sachet. Here's the bag of scented salts going in.

I spent all evening yesterday trying to tat an edging for this. All of my finer white threads are more ivory colored compared to the insert so I finally found a purple thread that will work. It's very slow going and I keep asking myself if I really want an edging on there. It's a Coats hand quilting thread which must have some polyester in the outer wrap. It tends to grab when I close a ring so it's taking longer. It's very crisp too and I'd kind of like it to drape a bit instead of standing out so stiff. My brain is tired of thinking about it though!

Next in line is figure 4 which is a floral based insert. This one will be very interesting too!

I finished up the stems for the other dagger hearts and grouped them together for a scan. I'm done with this diversion for awhile.

I'm still working on the figure 3 insertion. I haven't done any sewing yet but I did feel inspired to tat with beads in a different way. These are only little snippets. Once they are stitched on fabric like an insertion normally is, it will look yet again different.

The difference between this one and the one before is the number of beads...and....I haven't joined them together. I'm anxious to see how this will look stitched on fabric too. Once I get the sewing done, I'll be finished with figure 3.

Yesterday I was exploring some crochet on Ravelry.com and found a new source for vintage tatting. I followed the link for a free crochet button pattern and it was at an online archive of Australian articles. Just for kicks and giggles, I entered "tatting, tatted" in the search field and was amazed to see it come up with 24,656 pages of articles, notices and patterns. The text is electronically translated along with the original and you can get it as a pdf or text version. And it's FREE!!!!! I found several articles/patterns by Norma Benporath, a well known Australian tatter. As with all vintage material, much of it is hard to read in terms of pattern writing but certainly worth a try. I only looked at about 5 pages and much of it was notices about tatting awards or programs but there was still a significant number of patterns. Edgings, motifs, doilies. The black and white photos are hard to see but if you're up for a challenge, go for it! (update - apparantly tatting is only in the first 10-11 pages. 26,000 + is the total of pages archived, not tatting references.)