Botanical trend

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Italiano: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qa1X1KqDRsvnCfMAUVCSMzGur49ST1c-/view

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Before continuing the recap of my summer, I have to go back a bit, to last spring and more precisely to last May.

I usually keep shuttles with work attached in various purses, and without fail I forget their contents. I found one of these purses in May, with a good number of tatted leaves inside, made throughout several months. In fact, after the mini croton tatted during the game #LeafMeEndrucks (September 2024, included in the laceshop dollroom - https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2025/01/the-lace-shop-of-my-dreams.html ), I continued the production of the cute little leaves with Muskaan's "E15 Leaf Doodle #1" pattern:
E15 Leaf Doodle #1 - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NL5KHsLxOHkfILCTTKojfhHy6B9v9EG3/view 

So, fresh from tatting the Iris for Orvieto, and still captured by this "botanical" trend, I took a bunch of those leaves and put them into a cheap bead cap for jewellery, to obtain the effect of a mini houseplant. The relaxing spot I built around it was a consequence: in fact the houseplant was so nice that I couldn't help but add all the rest of the furniture!

armchair, coffee table, shelf, vase and pot are all made by me

I invite you to watch a short video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16oaVsYrJgEFKRx2vqs0abikE5E8sHEJp/view

To tell the truth, I confess that I no longer remember if the leaves were all the same pattern, while I remember well that last year Muskaan shared 3 different versions and I tried them all. These are the other 2 versions:
E15 Leaf Doodle #2 - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i8XWpjtcrvK8C_cfa8KyGvJiXNn_KPP7/view 
E15 Leaf Doodle #3 - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m8chbwS1oD6Xjq4Uwm2R291zdAUL1VJ1/view

These are the three versions, worked with Lizbeth size 80, col.136.

In the next photos you see details taken from other pics, because in the mini boxroom everything is now glued and I cannot show you the various parts separately:

In the “vase” on the coffee table beside the houseplant, you can notice a rose made with the "Smiling Flowers" pattern that I shared here: https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2024/07/smiling-flowers.html 

Also, at the top left on the shelf you can see another pot, where I tried to get the effect of a succulent plant, made with a single leaf worked according to Muskaan’s E28 HEART pattern (except for the string of "dot picot"): 
E28 HEART pattern - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-rWqmDAd51VwxOqtt9spD-FIX5zYDAUE/view 

I want to use Muskaan's words, to describe what I consider a brilliant pattern: "This is a cute little motif to use for learning and applying techniques and effects (this one has CWJs and dot picot string); to embellish with beads or decorative picots; to use as a charm; to use as jewellery; ....” (https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/06/yet-another-heart.html )

You should try it now, whatever thread is already loaded in your shuttles!

The E28 heart-leaf was "a leftover" from the pot of African Violets made in November 2024, worked with DMC Special Dentelles size 80 thread, color 469:

The flowers are made of 5 rings without picots. I cannot remember the exact stitch count, perhaps rings are made of 16ds.

Muskaan’s leaves kept me company throughout this summer.
In fact I continued to tat them, sometimes just to empty the shuttles, but some other times with a rather ambitious idea in mind, of making a mini greenhouse of tatted plants... So far I only have two plants (the violet and the anthurium), I will definitely make more. I just have to stop using them for other mini rooms!! 

And now I’d tell you about the anthurium! So here it is... In November I made the red leaves with the precise plan of making an anthurium, and it took me several attempts to get the right shape. The starting pattern is again Muskaan's "E15 Leaf Doodle #1", but with two rings less (if you follow Muskaan's pattern, the ring J became 2-2, and I worked from ring C to chain Q, joining the last picot of P to the first picot of C). I don't remember the color of the thread I used, in any case it is the DMC Special Dentelles size 80. Let’s go fast forward to May, when I found all the leaves and began to assemble the plant:

I wound the leaf’s ending tails around the wire (0.3mm). I started attaching the wire to the picot of the upper central ring of the leaf (ring I in the pattern), then passed it in the picots below, then down to the base of the leaf, and lastly I started to wind the thread, absolutely with no glue on the leaf, only one drop at the very end of the stem.

For the pistils, I simply wrapped the thread around the wire (0.3mm)

The result is very naturalistic:

Thanks to Muskaan's creativity, the pattern E15 of the #Endrucks1920Project is in the subset of main patterns which have a large number of derivative patterns. I suggest you to read (or read again) her post where she shows the creative potential offered by the E15 design: https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-power-of-15.html 

Thread Lizbeth size 80, col. 134

In this blog, instead, you will soon find something more about my summer: events and short trips. Surely, in the recap of my summer I must include the International Lace Day on June 22nd, but I will tell you about that in the next post. Again, you’ll find a lot about the “Endrucks 1920 Project”. Muskaan and I are working with enthusiasm and dedication on all the PDFs, trying to improve the instructions, double-check everything and even sometimes tatting again the models... and luckily I always learn something new, that's what fascinates me in this Project!

Note: If you like exploring the vast range of derivative patterns, ideas, models, information related to the Project, start from the document called EPLinks - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w1TZBg-HIzseGEUoJ-rko7tNbtSgZY5A18Oy2Y9Hh0Y/view, choose one pattern from the vast collection and share it with us, you can reach us in Facebook (we have a dedicated group!) or leave a comment under our blogposts, Muskaan and I will be happy to see your tatting and we will send you a gift too (that is another pattern). Due to the current updating of many of the PDFs, if you have saved a link to one or more documents in the past, just click on them again to refresh or check with your printed copies. When you post remember to write the name of the designer and pattern number (E1, E2, E3, etc.) or name in case of derivatives, and also always use the hashtag #Endrucks1920Project . Thank you.

Ciao, Ninetta

the lace shop of my dreams

I enjoyed making this shop with lace and sewing goods! I started it in January 2022 and finished it in November 2024. The hardest part was collecting all the pieces, most of which I had to make myself, a long work of patience and passion -  I also had to learn new crafting abilities - and the final satisfaction is priceless. 

I have a lot of scissors in my shop, but you mustn't believe appearances! Most of them are metal sewing hooks (for bra), opened and flattened. I made the lace on the pillows, they are filet (needle) lace, bobbin lace and tatting. I’m particularly proud of how the little shuttles (and also the thimbles) turned out! I worked with toothpicks, my fingers are too big. I used a modelling dough by Fila DAS, it dries in the air very quickly, I used to play with this material times ago when I was young, and had to learn again how to use it! It was not easy and they came out a bit big for the 1:12 scale. Usable? Lol, I could do it …

I also made the cute pin cushion – but the bobbin lace on it was made by my friend Luigia Tosin.

Oops, I cannot forget to show you how it started! I bought the shelves (then I made changes and painted them) but I had to make the counter myself.

I started using beads but then I bought online about a hundred mini buttons 3mm, if you look at their details you can’t believe that they are so perfect, I love them (and luckily I didn’t have to use them all! Saved for another room? Who know!).

The “fake” mini croton plant was made during the #LeafMeEndrucks game in September 2024, for the #Endrucks1920Project. For each of the two dozen leaves, I followed Muskaan’s beautiful pattern “E15 Leaf Doodle #1”. 

UPDATE: link to pattern E15 Leaf Doodle #1 by Muskaan:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NL5KHsLxOHkfILCTTKojfhHy6B9v9EG3/view
https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/12/lets-flourish.html

Thread is Lizbeth size 80, colour 136. I attached at the tip the wire (0.3mm), and wrapped it with the same thread to form the stems. The plant is 6cm high, from the "floor" to the highest tip.
Game details are here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/ZQGiJ3yNKzZ7uwUB/

I also added lights on the ceiling – a great help to make out little things that wouldn’t be easy to spot. 

Here is a short video for you to watch - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1n6t6t9FlQ2eUTNW2U1Bhc6P2WrC167Pt/view?usp=drivesdk

The doolroom measures 52x42cm, including the frame, depth 30cm. The tatting around the frame is the Endrucks’ pattern n.32, reworked for the #Endrucks1920Project. 

UPDATE:  Here is the link to the  E32 - Corner #1
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GgQl20d7TYeKpitvbbQ0glv5lmzjbtRK/view

Note: If you like exploring the vast range of patterns, ideas, models, information related to the Project, we compiled all the important links in one document called EPLinks - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w1TZBg-HIzseGEUoJ-rko7tNbtSgZY5A18Oy2Y9Hh0Y/view

The red text on the bottom right, attached to the counter, reads “Ago Filo e Fuselli” (Needle, Thread and Bobbins), that is the name of the local lace association I belong to.

This little shop has been my dream for a few years and now I cannot believe that is finished! I included many items that remind me of friends or personal travels, and I hope it will be preserved as a family heirloom.

Ciao, Ninetta

short december summary

Happy New Year! My last post was on the first day of December, so I owe you a little summary. Actually, I haven't tatted a lot, but I accomplished to finish one of my long term projects, that is the dining room box.

Sorry that the edging in the next picture is not very clear, because the thread is a light pink glued on a light grey frame. The pattern is the #30 in the "Schiffchen-Spitzen" book, by Eleonore Endrucks, from 1920, if you like, I have better pictures in one of my previous posts (https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2020/11/tatted-frame.html)

I had a lot of fun changing the chairs with a new fabric. The furniture is plastic stuff, except for the console table on the left, that is wood.

I folded some fabric for the cupboard and used the hot glue to fix all elements. I tatted two short edgings (rings only, all 3-3-3-3 rings) for the shelves.

The small "doilies" on the console table are snowflakes designed by Sharon Briggs (https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2019/08/sizing-snowflakes.html)

(Well, an update for this post: actually I think that one is by Sharon Briggs and the other one is by Lene Bjorn)

The chandelier has been handmade by my aunt, with bugle beads and glass beads. The rosette in the ceiling is the tatted white motif with Venetian picots, that you can see in one of my old posts, here: https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2018/03/venetian-picots.html

For the doily on the table, I started like in the Anne Orr's baby bootie, but then I made the rest up, finishing with the "hen and chicks" traditional edging. I made an error in the pattern, in the count of the number of rings, but I'm lucky that Mr Downplay was here visiting for the holidays. He is always nice and indulgent! In fact at the end I missed a ring, but the doily is so little that the mistake is not evident, I bet that you wouldn't have noticed it if I hadn't mentioned. So, that will be our secret!

Thread for the all the lace in the room is twisted silk, produced by "Tecnoseta srl". I've talked about the silk here: https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-music-of-tatting.html

Ciao,

Ninetta

my bedroom shrank

That is the bedroom finished, with the help of "Dalì L'artista". 😍😍😍These doll room boxes are the perfect place for my tiny tatting 😍😍😍

For the bedspread, tatted some times ago, the pattern is about the same as the Mrs Odum daisy. I've shared the modified pattern here: https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2017/12/miniature-sofa.html
I started it in 2017, about the time of this post: https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2017/11/miniature-bed.html
Wow, 2017! Time flies!

My bedroom needed some tassels, I wound some thread around a card, then blocked each one with a very little tatted ring:

They came out very realistic looking:

The flower is from a pattern by Daniela Mendola, I already shared it here: https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2018/01/nothing-is-perfect.html

Daniela is organising a sort of tat-along, in collaboration with the facebook group "Chiacchierino: Filo, Amore e Fantasia", for a doily's pattern that then will be shared in her blog. For each round she will propose 2 different options, that should be voted in the group. Visit her blog for more details: http://danielamendola.blogspot.com/2020/01/tatting-sharing-chiacchierino-condiviso.html

The lamp, the chandelier and the floor lamp have been handmade by my aunt, with bugle beads and glass beads. I love them!

The bedroom furniture is plastic stuff, bought at the newspaper kiosk, but it looks very good. I folded some fabric for the wardrobe and changed the anonymous seat to a flowery decoration.

The frame's pattern is all rings 8-8 and chains 10-10, it is just the first round of this edging (link to my Flikr's photo): https://flic.kr/p/2hRRJ1M

Ciao,
Ninetta

xmas, angels and friends

The following xmas' scene has been made with the help of my friend "Dalì L'Artista" (the lady that decorates the shuttles that are in my photos).

She suggested how to set the scene and I found the perfect way to show my tiny tatted balls and the snowflakes tatted with the silk (https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/search/label/silk+snowflake).

(Update: read this post too: https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2019/11/tatting-sphere.html )

(Update: here is a short video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1W9G5ltCDNtjIOpGIAijbI1W9UDu2fR8X/view ) 

Then, in the next picture, there's "Another Christmas Angel", I'm not joking, that's its name!
Pattern is by Jennifer Williams. I tatted it because friends of the Italian group in Facebook chose it among others by J.Williams and I helped with the translation and the instructions.

Pattern is here: https://www.cariad-tatting.com/christmas-patterns

It is a gift for my mum, she loves it! We put a small light under the dress. I tatted it with silver embroidery thread DMC E168 (polyester skein). For the head, I tatted one ball with white DMC Diamant D5200.
Pattern for the ball is one of mine (https://flic.kr/p/2hN8Y28)

There are beads, too. For sleeves and dress I used bugle beads 2mm, then for wings I used silver transparent rocailles 15/0, and for the head dress 2 rocailles 15/0 and one swarovski 2mm. I haven't stiffened it, since the polyester is firm enough and it stands alone without any wooden shape. Also, the ball (head) is empty.

About the snowflakes I've been tatting, I've exchanged some other messages with Sue Hanson. She is really helpful and a sweet lady! She found another snowflake with block tatting. She rescued it with the wayback machine: https://web.archive.org/web/20050403221520/http://www.tattings.com/snow2/
So, I already updated the list in previous post.
Here it is:

Direct link to the pattern by Carol Rasor: https://web.archive.org/web/20050215131532/http://www.tattings.com/snow2/snow2_12.shtml

The site went down after that Ron Solomon, the owner, went tatting with the Angels and nobody else stepped in. All snowflakes are by different designers, they are all worth a try, all original and it would be a great loss for the "Tatternet" community if they will disappear. I would like to make a plea to all tatters, if someone can suggest a virtual place for saving all those patterns. I would suggest Craftree...

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and today I like leaving you with a phrase about friendship:

"...A faithful friend is a sure shelter, whoever finds one has found a rare treasure. A faithful friend is something beyond price, there is no measuring his worth. A faithful friend is the elixir of life..." (source: The Bible,Ecclesiasticus)

Ciao,
Ninetta

thumb sized pillow

At last! I've started decorating a box for making the dollhouse's bedroom, I had already finished the bedspread (https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2017/12/spread.html) and the toilette (https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2018/01/nothing-is-perfect.html), then I needed only one pillow, something to put into the wardrobe, curtain and drapes. And the help of a friend 😉

That's the pillow. Thread is DMC Spécial Dentelles Size 80, colour number is 397 Pale mauve.
Tassels are made with the same thread and then sewed at corners. I designed the square pattern including curled rings and treble tatting stitches.

It is about 4x4 cm, about the half of a thumb size (length), according to what I've just discovered, googling "what is the size of an average thumb". It's incredible how many things you can find googling, but then, who can question that? I can measure just my own, it's not convenient going around measuring thumbs 😕

I haven't decided yet how to set the bedroom.

And now, my stitches' count, sorry that's a little tricky to read, but actually put numbers on a picture is a lot far easy and fast than preparing a tidy drawing... I hope you'll like it anyway and forgive my laziness... 🙇

The CR (= Curled Ring) is joined using the hidden picot in the middle (I joined it and the picot of the  chain together, to block the CR in its position), that is between the second and the third tds.
Those rings in the outer round are normally joined, you tat the second one in the corner and join previous ring in its vsp, just after the 5tds, before tatting the 10 double stitches.

Please refer to the page  "Treble Tatting Stitch - Summary" for any info about treble tatting stitches, thank you.

Ciao,
Ninetta

will they notice?

That's another little room:

Dimensions: 18x20cm (about 7x8inch).
Thread for the runner is twisted silk, produced by "Tecnoseta srl".

The lace around the footstool is cotton, size 100, but I cannot remember which brand is (Anchor or DMC).

The frame is a line of split rings, each one is SR: 3-2-2-3/3-2-2-3, thread is DMC size 60, ecru.

Gosh! I glued the doily upside down!

But I'm pretty sure that the Smurfs won't even notice!

Actually, I noticed it only after I enlarged the picture!

Pattern is in Flickr:

Have you spotted how I've used the 1 eurocent?
Just in case you're curious, Italy no longer produces the 1 and 2 eurocent coins (since 2018, cash prices are suggested to be rounded to the nearest 5eurocent, but actually they're still used), they decided that they cost more that they are worth. I've learnt that 1 euro cent and 2cent inside are steel and outside copper (source for this info is Wikipedia - url consulted nov 20 2019).

Will we notice? Well... I've read that all those that are still circulating are estimated in 7 billion euros! We sure won't be short of them, any time soon 🙂!

Ciao,
Ninetta

P.S. The visual pattern for the "equilateral snowflake" is in Flickr:

sitting in mum's sitting room

Made as a gift, for my mum, I've been helped by "Dalì L'artista" (*).
My mum loves it!

The back's been decorated with soft "fommy", a soft plastic material.

I've talked about the tatted frame here: https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-letter-e-edging.html
and about the doily on the little table here: https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-music-of-tatting.html

The little cushions were in one of my old posts (2017!!!), where I also shared my adaptation of Mrs Odum daisy for one of them: https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2017/12/miniature-sofa.html

The sansevieria has been made by my aunt (the one who received the "tailor's room" I showed recently):

It's very clever of her, she thought to put pepper powder into the pot, to mimic the ground!

Ciao,
Ninetta

(*) "Dalì L'artista" is the lady that decorates the shuttles that are in my photos, she has a profile in Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010034103450