Victorian Trellis Doily No. 2 Completed!

It's been good to re-visit this pattern and make a whole series of videos on how to tat it.  I've never made so many videos in quick succession! - 16 of them.  I found some things I would change on future versions like starting some rounds in a different place to where it is stated in the original pattern, some rounds that could be tatted continuously and other little changes that would make the pattern sit better I think.

I tatted this second version in Lizbeth size 20, Country Turquoise Lt.  The thread I used for the first version is softer and the doily is slightly larger too.  Unfortunately, I cannot remember what thread I used for the ecru version (but wondering if it might be DMC Babylo).  At first I thought the blue one would work out too small to be worn as a collar but in the end, it does also fit over my head even though it is slightly smaller.  That got me thinking though... thinking that I need to make it one more time!   And this time I will make an open version that can be closed with a button at the back.  So I will need to adjust the pattern at the beginning and end of each round.  

I'm also planning on writing a new version of this pattern with all the little changes and tips that occurred to me as I was tatting it so hopefully it will help more tatters tackle this design if they wish to.  I know some vintage patterns, including this one, can sometimes be a bit hard to decipher.

Best wishes,

Frivole

Victorian Trellis

I don't know if any of you have joined in but I now have several videos relating to the Victorian Trellis Doily pattern (find them on my channel and specifically in this playlist).  I've often had questions about this design over the years so I thought it might be a good idea to make videos for the whole doily from start to finish.  Along the way, I'm covering other things like how to fix mistakes (since I made two that needed correcting in the first round!).

I've now started on the second round last night which is much simpler that the first.  So if you fancy lots of Victorian Sets, I hope you'll consider joining us in tatting this piece!

Best wishes,

Frivole

Lace Collar

I can hardly believe it's back in 2013 that I made this doily.  It is meant to have a fabric centre but I never got around to adding one... which turns out to be a good thing actually!  Here's why...

Someone recently contacted me asking if I had any idea of how one could replicate Ruth Bader Ginsberg's white pearl collar in tatting (I'm not being political in any way here, just talking about her collars). :-) Funnily enough I actually used to make those collars with seed beads when I was a teenager, I have a blue one and a cream pearl one somewhere in a box in the attic.  So I've made that collar with beads, but how to make one with tatting?  Straight away I thought of what I called the "Victorian Trellis Doily".  It has that same criss-cross effect and I thought the whole thing might look great as a collar... and I think it does!

You could make it narrower or wider depending on how many rounds of this pattern you decide to use.  And it is indeed wide enough to go over my head easily.  I went back to look at one of my videos where I am working this pattern and even back in 2013, in the description box I mention that I thought this would make a nice collar. 

But it's only now that I've finally put it over my head to try it!

What do you think?

All this caused me to re-visit this pattern for which I had written out the first round in this blogpost.  There were mistakes which I have now corrected (I hope it's all good now!) and I also tried to improve the wording and description.  The first round has an unusual construction and the way it is described in the original pattern is rather hard to understand in my opinion.  You can find the original pattern on pages 15-17 of this online version of the vintage publication (now out of copyright).  There's always been interest in this pattern and I would like to make it more easily available for people to tat.

I've had several requests to make a video about this design... so finally I got around to it!  I just uploaded a video of the first round and will carry on making videos to describe the other rounds too.

I hope some of you will be interested in making it.

Best wishes,

Frivole

Still No Center... but here it is anyway

I've still not got fabric for the centre of this but I decided to show the finished tatted piece anyway which I completed sometime last week.

I enjoyed making this very much.  I would even consider making it again!

Working off the ball for the whole of the doily makes it an easier tat, not having to keep refilling shuttles.

I think this doily has an interesting and unique look with the criss-crossing of the trellis, the full and the more open rounds and of course, the victorian sets.

Best wishes,

Frivole

Victorian Trellis Doily - First Round Explained

Some people have expressed interest in this doily but are finding it difficult to decipher the pattern (written in the old-fashioned way).  As this pattern (the whole book in fact) is available on the internet, I  feel it is fine to re-write parts of it here, in modern tatting pattern terminology.

Start on a chain, leaving a small picot.  I use the method without paperclip (see in the techniques section, tab above).  Using these methods, the work is never reversed and you always tat with the front of the work facing you.

Chain with small starting picot

The Victorian sets are made as a chain and have four first halves of the double stitch followed by 4 second halves of the double stitch and are marked as vs4^4 (seems appropriate as the sets form little Vs).  I will be putting a C in front the vs4^4 as Victorian sets could also be worked in ring form so I'm trying to keep things as clear as possible.

Updated on 28.01.21 (there were some mistakes in this pattern which I have now corrected)

This is one whole repeat written out and there are plenty of photos below to illustrate each step.

Don't forget:  you never reverse work!

C: starting picot (as explained above) 4-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3 (11 picots)
Join back into your starting picot.

*C:vs4^4(x2), place paperclip on the core thread, vs4^4(x2), vsp, vs4^4(x2).
SCMR2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2 (8 picots), close the SCMR.
Continue with sets:
C:vs4^4(x2), vsp, vs4^4(x2), remove paperclip and join to that space, vs4^4(x2)

Continue with the same chain:

C4-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3 (11 picots)

Curl the last part of the chain onto itself with the working thread under the work and the core thread over the work, crossing between the 1st and 2nd double stitch (see photos below).
Repeat from *

When you have completed 36 large rings and are about to make the 36th small ring, then complete the round thus:

SCMR2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2 (8 picots), close the SCMR.
Continue with sets:
C:vs4^4(x2), join to vsp of first chain at the beginning of round, vs4^4(x2), remove paperclip and join to that space, vs4^4(x2), join back at base of very first large ring.

Cvsp4-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3 (11picots)

Join the chain back into the starting vsp

vs4^4(x2) are made and I used a bobby pin on my thread
which works well as it has a nice width and is easy
to put on and take off the thread.  A satefy pin
or a paperclip is fine too of course.

The first long chain of victorian sets is completed and I have made the SCMR.
I just need to pass my shuttle through the loop to close it.

vs4^4(x2), vsp, vs4^4(x2) are made after the SCMR
and I have removed the bobby pin and joined in that small space.

After the join, continue with 2 more vs4^4 and then
4-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3, curl this chain back on itself,
making sure the ball thread is under and the shuttle thread (core thread) is over.

Carry on making the Victorian sets, making sure the first stitch is tight
and made so that the join is
between the 1st and 2nd ds of the chain that
makes the large ring.

After the large ring, vs4^4(x2), place paperclip (or whatever else you are using)
vs4^4(x2), join to vsp of previous chain
vs4^4(x2)
then continue with the SCMR of the small flower

And so on, and so forth...

The original pattern does the join all around the Victorian sets chains but I wasn't finding that easy to do so that's why I used the paperclip and the vsp instead.  I find it give a precise joining point whereas when trying to do the join all around the chain, it was hard to get an accurate spot every time.

I hope this is useful to those who were interested in tackling this doily.  I have just finished the tatting of mine tonight and am now on the search for some nice fabric for the middle.  Hopefully I can show you the finished doily very soon.

Best wishes,
Frivole

More Victorian Trellis Doily - and New Video

I'm still enjoying working on this doily.  I'm now on the 7th round.  I particularly like the fact that it is entirely made of chains - so no reloading of the shuttle required!  And no winding and unwinding of the shuttle to move between chains and rings and vice-versa.  All this makes for quick tatting.

Actually, on row 6, the pattern did call for a small ring but I decided to carry on using mock rings instead so you always work with the right side of the tatting facing you and don't have to flip your whole piece backwards and forwards as you would to reverse work.

The 6th round was not blocked so it looks a bit uneven in the photo but as before, the large rings are now being stabilised by the 7th round which adds more Victorian sets and small flowers between the large rings.  

This last round looks a bit like hearts...

Since I was making Victorian sets and mock rings in this doily, I thought it would be a good opportunity for a new video.  This shows the 6th round.

The embedded video is small but if you click on the
bottom right-hand corner icon (the little arrows), it will
make the video full screen (though the picture will be slightly less clear).
Or if you click on the Youtube icon, 
it will take you over to Youtube to watch it in larger format also.

Best wishes,

Frivole

Victorian Trellis Doily - Progress

The items in the Priscilla No. 2 Tatting Book do not have names.  I have decided this doily needed one as you can see from the title of this post.  Its features are the trellis round and the Victorian sets, and the trellis round made of Victorian sets... so Victorian Trellis Doily it will be for me.

I'm sorry I forgot to take a photo before starting the next round.  I was merrily tatting away before I realised it would have looked pretty to have a photo of the first five rounds.  I have now started the 6th round which has more Victorian sets and larger rings.

I think this would also make a pretty collar. And sorry Michelle, but I stuck with the ecru in the end.  Although I have the feeling I may tat this again in the future and will definitely go for colours the next time.

I like the contrast of the fuller rounds with the more open feel of the trellis round.  I'm altogether pleased with this so far.

Best wishes,

Frivole