Here's the second motif in my challenge to make and diagram 25 tatting motifs. It's a butterfly from "The Priscilla Tatting Book #2". It's called an applique motif, meant to be used on a net collar.
I tried to make things easier for myself by only diagramming the small one. It still proved rather challenging. The pattern uses these groups of half stitches that twist around. It also has cut and ties. I ended up with over 2 dozen thread ends. I hid them by pulling them all to the back of the fabric. It's a very floppy butterfly and the only reason it looks flat now is that it's rather ruthlessly tacked down. The back of the butterflies looks urm... awful. I won't show it.
Here are is the pattern, with diagrams.
Butterfly Applique from "The Priscilla Tatting Book #2"
Abbreviations and special stitches
LP - Long picot
VSP - Very small picot
(I slip a paper clip on the thread to achieve VSP)
TS5 - Twisted Stitches
- Make 5 first half of a ds, then work 5 second half of ds
TSP4 - Twisted Stitches with picots
- Make 4 first half of a ds, leave space for a small picot, then work 4 second half of ds
Small butterfly
ANTENNAE
- Slip a paper clip onto the thread to create a VSP
- Chain of 35, pull tightly until the chain curls
- Cut thread
- Make 2 and tie together
BODY
- Ring of 14
- Leave space for a small picot
- 8 sets of TSP4 separated by LP
- 2 sets of TSP4 separated by regular picot
- 8 sets of TSP4, joining to LP between sets
- Join to vsp at base of first ring
- Cut and tie
UPPER WING (make 2)
First loop
- Slip paper clip on thread to create VSP
- Chain of 19 sets of TS5, separated by picots
- Rejoin to vsp at base of chain
- Cut and tie
Second loop
- Join to 7th to last picot on first loop
- 10 sets of TS5, separated by picots
- Rejoin to vsp at base of first loop
- Cut and tie
Third loop
- Join to 6th to last picot on first lower loop
- 8 sets of TS5, separated by picots
- Rejoin to vsp at base of first loop
- DO NOT CUT
Edging
- Continue with thread from third loop, leave small space to adjust wings later
- Scallop around wing by making chains of 2-2-2-2-2-2, joining to alternate outer picots
- Cut and tie
LOWER WING
Loop
- Slip paper clip on thread to create VSP
- Chain of 14 TS5, separated by picots
- Rejoin to vsp at start of chain
- DO NOT CUT
Edging
- Continue with thread from loop, leave small space to adjust wings later
- Scallop around wing by making chains of 2-2-2-2-2-2, joining to alternate outer picots
DECORATIVE DOTS (make 2)
R of 11 picots separated by 1 ds
ASSEMBLY
Large butterfly
ANTENNAE
- Slip a paper clip onto the thread to create a VSP
- Chain of 45, pull tightly until the chain curls
- Cut thread
- Make 2 and tie together
BODY
- Ring of 14
- Leave space for a small picot
- 10 sets of TSP4 separated by LP
- 2 sets of TSP4 separated by regular picot
- 10 sets of TSP4, joining to LP between sets
- Join to vsp at base of first ring
- Cut and tie
UPPER WING (make 2)
First loop
- Slip paper clip on thread to create VSP
- Chain of 30 sets of TS5, separated by picots
- Rejoin to vsp at base of chain
- Cut and tie
Second loop
- Join to 12th to last picot on first loop
- 13 sets of TS5, separated by picots
- Rejoin to vsp at base of first loop
- Cut and tie
Third loop
- Join to 11th to last picot on first lower loop
- 14 sets of TS5, separated by picots
- Rejoin to vsp at base of first loop
- DO NOT CUT
Edging
- Continue with thread from third loop, leave small space to adjust wings later
- Scallop around wing by making chains of 2-2-2-2-2-2, joining to alternate outer picots
- Cut and tie
LOWER WING
Loop
- Slip paper clip on thread to create VSP
- Chain of 20 TS5, separated by picots
- Rejoin to vsp at start of chain
- DO NOT CUT
Edging
- Continue with thread from loop, leave small space to adjust wings later
- Scallop around wing by making chains of 2-2-2-2-2-2, joining to alternate outer picots
DECORATIVE DOTS (make 4)
R of 11 picots separated by 1 ds
ASSEMBLY
Assemble in the same way as small butterly.
