Exploring!

I love the pattern, "Queen of Hearts," by Mary Konior.  I can do it from memory now, I've tatted it so many times!  It's in her book, Tatting With Visual Patterns, which is still in print in the paperback edition.  It's one of my very favorite books! 

If you're familiar with this pattern, you'll have no problem following my line of thought.  If you've never done this pattern, it's all repeats of one simple little motif.  Where you join them and how long the chain separating them determine curves and straight edges.  The little repeat is simple enough:

R1     (2 -)10X, 2 cl R, RW

Ch     (2-) 4X, 2  RW

R2     4 + (9th picot on R1) 4 cl R, RW

Ch     (2-) 5X, 2 RW

R3     4 + (7th picot on R1) 4 cl R, RW

Ch     (2 -) 4X, 2 + (5th picot on R1)

At this point you would switch shuttles and work a chain, then switch shuttles and start the motif again at R1.  A completed heart is pictured above.  The upper curves are very tight, and I wondered what it would look like if you tatted all the motifs this way.  I think it made a pretty little wreath; I can picture this in red and green for Christmas, although in these colors, it's very Spring-y.

I started playing with the straight edges, wondering if it would make a nice edging.  I think it did, and I used my magic mirror to see how a corner might be done.  I think it needs a bit of tweaking, but overall, I'm pleased with it.  All these samples were tatted in Garden Space thread (size 10) by Nazli Gelin - it's a

Turkish thread, 3-ply.  It's soft but holds the stitch beautifully.

I'm going to tat the edging again in size 20 and see how it does - maybe I'll do a handkerchief!