Mariya's Perfect Clover

Along my travels, I found Mariya's blog and she was showing this new clover she had made.  I thought it looked just perfect.  Shortly after that, she shared her pattern over at In Tatters.  So here it is:

Motif no.11

I took me a few goes to get it right but

I think even the "wrong" ones look pretty and very clover-like!

It's a bit of a tight fit to get the four petals in and I found it needed

a light pressing to get it to lie flat but the unpressed ones look nice too,

gives them more of a 3-D effect.

Next I might have to try her wavy braid...

By the way, I've not given up on the Tischband, just needed a little change so that's what I tatted last night:  the clovers and also another Happy Heart with the centre slightly different.  A Czech lady who is a friend of an In Tatters' member made earrings and a bookmark with my Happy Heart (link to her pictures), and also tatted it with a tiny flower in the centre (along the lines of what I've done with the Heart Within) so I tried it.  Looks nice.  

Actually, looking at her modification, I think it might be a Josephine knot in the middle and not a tiny flower...  and I like the way she's done the inside chain, give the centre a lovely heart shape.  I'll have to give this another try.

Motif no.12

You obviously loose the "smile effect" but it's pretty too.

In case you want to know,

I just replaced the centre 11ds chain with C3, rw, R1-1-1-1, rw, C3.

Best wishes,

Happy Heart - A Gift for You

This is not the pattern I was talking about in the previous post (I'm still working on that one, hopefully to appear soon in my Etsy shop) but I got side-tracked (as I so often do!) by this other idea for a smaller, simpler heart.   

I knew the Catherine-Wheel Join (CWJ) would come in handy in one of my patterns and this is it!

A small heart (3cm wide in size 20) that's quick to tat

and which would look nice on a card.

Forgot to say that this is motif no. 7 for the 25-motif challenge

Happy Heart with 3ds chain at bottom and the ends
just tied around the SR for an easy, no-sewing-in-of-ends finish.
This one is tatted in Lizbeth size 20.

So if you've been putting off trying the CWJ, now is your chance!

As the outer edge of this heart is all done with CWJs.

If you need help with "how to start on a chain",

there is a video on that in the Techniques pages of this blog.

If you need help with the Catherine Wheel Join,

Yarnplayer has made a great video of this technique.

You have to be very careful not to let the threads twist as you make this join or it won't work.  It took me a few goes to get this right but now I can do it quite quickly, so as with everything, just a bit of practice is needed.  I also find it quicker doing this join with an Aero as you can just put your shuttle through the loop in one movement which avoids giving the loop a chance to twist if you let go of it to put down your hook down and pick your shuttle up.  It's a great join!

This one has the ends sewn in
and is tatted in DMC Babylo size 10.

This one I added a few strands of thread and made a small "tasselly thingy".
Also tatted in Babylo size 10.
This one is a bit "wonky" at the tip as I was still working on the stitch count.

On this one I just added a bead and tied a knot.
This one tatted in Lizbeth size 10.

I hope you like it.  Here is the link to download the pattern :  

Best wishes,