Tuesday 28 March 2017

marigolds in a row !

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a free pattern

This is the first of 3 patterns celebrating spring.
A garland (toran’) of marigold interspersed with mango leaves is often seen on entrances and is considered auspicious. My visualization here is a symbolic of the explosion of marigolds with advent of spring in India and can be used as a necklace. Incidentally, marigolds are centuries-old migrants from Brazil !

Spring Garland 1 –
Marigold Necklace/‘Toran’


This garland tats up straight but has enough play to be worn as a necklace. Single flower(s) can be used as applique, brooch or other embellishments. A cluster of flowers can be tatted, too. Add beads and the applications/uses multiply.

Materials : 2 shuttles - orange in shuttle 1 for flower and green in shuttle 2 for foliage.
Techniques : Layered Onion rings (OR), long picots, thrown rings, onion ring join (ORJ), long picot join or decorative picot join.
Measurements : A little over ½ inch wide and length as required.
Abbreviations :
R
ring

RW
reverse work

CH
chain
ds
double stitch

DNRW
do not reverse work

SS
switch shuttles
p
long picot

ORJ
onion ring join

normal picot
               italics – worked backside in fs/bs tatting (optional)


Basic Pattern :
Since there is an element of freestyle in this pattern, the instructions can be considered as guidelines.

With shuttle 1, start first flower :
R1: 1ds, ( p, 1ds )x7. DNRW                               (7 picots total)
R2: 1ds, ( p, 1ds )x7, ORJ, ( p, 1ds )x7 . RW       (14 picots total)
CH: 7ds  SS
R3: 4 – 4 DNRW
R4: 7 – 7 DNRW  SS
CH: 7ds . RW

Repeat for required length, joining R2 to previous flower at 3rd picot. Keep the joining loop long to imitate a picot. 


Please NOTE:

1. all picots (p) are long, including while joining.

2. for layered onion ring : (pictorial A )
all picots on inner ring are long ;
fold inner ring forward and start outer ring at base from behind;
when making the onion ring join, pull loop of chain thread through inner ring picot, pass shuttle, tension and make 2nd half stitch only. 
Continue with pattern to complete the other half of ring.
One pair of unattached marigolds made.

3. joining to adjacent flower : ( pictorial B)
Start As before, fold the inner ring forward and start the outer ring from behind.  
 Make a normal picot join to the 3rd picot of previous ring, but.... 
 ...leave some slack on the loop - equal in length to the long picots. You will notice an extra length of thread, but it adds volume for a denser look.
Once the ring is closed, the extra thread is not visible. This method of joining at a distance keeps the flowers symmetric and equidistant. I termed it long picot join or decorative picot join.
A bead in the center of the flower would look great, wouldn't it ? 
And may be one could turn back joining either on the flower side or the leaf side for an insertion, bracelet, or .... I leave it to your imagination and creativity. Surprise me :-D 

This is it for now. I hope you like the pattern and enjoy tatting it as much as I did ! I will update the pdf link here, as well as on my Patterns page later.

happy tatting always J

UPDATES (April 10) : the complete pattern is now posted ....
Part 2 - Jasmine braid
Part 3 - Mustard fields
Spring Garland

This pattern was shared with Online tatting Class on April 3, 2017


22 comments:

  1. Gorgeous marigold garland! I have marigolds flowering in the garden, I've been meaning to send a photo of them to Usha.

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    1. That is so sweet, Jane - I'm sure she'll be thrilled :-) Glad you liked the tatted ones too ;-D

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  2. This looks so much fun! It's going in my to-tat pile. Or mountain.... gufaw!

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  3. Looks an interesting pattern thank you for sharing it's on my to do list

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  4. Love this pattern and I think it would look sensational using a variegated thread too :) Thanks for the pattern!

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  5. Mel, Margaret, Carollyn, I'm so glad you all liked the pattern. Hope these dainty flowers don't rot in the to-do pile, though ;-D
    Enjoy :-))))

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  6. Aah!!!! Bright n beautiful marigolds. Feel of spring here in tatting. Necklace would look pretty too. Thanks for free n nicely explained pattern Muskaan. Would love to try it and waiting for second row tooo.

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  7. Usha, may be you (and Ninetta - my beading artist!) can show how it would look with some beads ;-D Thanks Nin & Usha

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  8. Very pretty and perfect for spring Muskaan - yes, both tatting little flowers at the moment! :-)

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  9. Fabulous flower garland!!! :) I love how full the flowers are!! :)

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  10. Truly appreciate your comments, Frivole & Sue :-)

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  11. Thanks muskan its beautiful

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    1. Most welcome, colours. Hope you enjoy tatting it :-) Thanks for stopping by

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  12. Wonderful garland with the marigolds:)I like these flowers:)

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    1. Thanks, Anetta :-) I enjoyed tatting them a lot !

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  13. Would love the PDF file....

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    1. Gracie, I'll be sharing the pdf links next week, here as well as on the Patterns & Design page.

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  14. I like this! Only, I am not quite sure what an Onion Ring Join is. Is it the same as Martha Ess's Ball Thread Join?

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    1. I've explained the ORJ in A3 pic & I believe it is how Georgia's site shows it. I'll have to confirm whether Martha's is the same.
      Pull up loop from the 'ball' thread, pass shuttle through it (from back to front as in Georgia's method, but I simply passed it as one would for a picot join) and continued with the 2nd half stitch. Really, any join would do, as long as we don't create a some bare length - keeping picots close and dense is the key to the symmetrical , whole effect.
      Oh, and have you seen these garlands on house doors in Singapore ?

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  15. Judith Connors left the following comment, which hasn't shown up for some reason :
    "The layers of onion rings may be linked with the Catherine Wheel join (aka Dora Young join), Anne Dyer's Join to the Smooth Side (JSS) or the Lark's Head Picot Join. There is no need to have one specific join."

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    1. Absolutely agree, Judith, and the range of options is great. While I prefer the CWJ, I let the pattern in question decide it's own join (or my own mood?);-D
      Here I was going for simple & quick, and since it is free-style I like the slight 'imperfection' the ball thread join provided.

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