These are the motifs I designed and used for the recent IOLI Convention “Quilt-Inspired Fun with Split Ring Tatting” class I taught the end of July in Iowa City.

I used these two motifs as the ‘challenge-project’ because they incorporated using Padded Tatting Technique with Split Ring Tatting Technique.

In Padded-Split Ring Tatting there is a primary color/row in which you use two shuttles of thread of the same color and create the row with split rings.  The secondary color is carried along  (‘Padded’) inside the primary color stitches until it is needed and then is used to create a ‘Take-Off’ ring (as a regularly-tatted ring).

In the Pinwheel motif, each of the six rounds is done using 2 shuttle of the primary color (either red or blue) and one shuttle of the yellow that is carried along (‘padded’) inside the primary colored split rings.

In the Rail Fence motif, the piece is completed in two rounds:  Round 1—Yellow & Gray;  Round 2—Blue & Black.  In Round 1, the Yellow is the primary color (2 shuttles=Split Rings) and the gray creates the ‘padded’ rings.  In Round 2, the Black is the primary color (2 shuttle=Split Rings) and the blue creates the ‘Padded’ rings.

Sooooo, I was working on my Quilt-Inspired Designs for Split Ring Tatting  book(s) getting them ready for printing and instead of doing what I was SUPPOSED to be doing (proofing what I have done!) I started to  ‘play’ with the basic design on the left.

If you look at the basic design you can see that it is assymetric.  But I decided to play with it anyway to see what a more complex pattern it could make.

The design on the right is the outcome.  At first glance it looks symmetrical….but that is actually deceiving.  It IS & IS NOT symmetrical.

My next step will be to play with what happens when I change the color of the diamonds.

I have a new view of life lately!!!  I have been getting ready to go to the IOLI Convention in Iowa City, Iowa (which was July 27-August 1) for over a year now.  It all started when I was proposing classes to the Convention coordinators over a year ago.  They liked the idea of a quilt-themed tatting class based upon Split Ring Tatting Technique.  I had been playing around with the quilt idea to create tatting patterns for a while, but had not really dived into the topic.  When this class topic was chosen, I DID immerse myself into the world of historic quilt blocks–a world of color, repetition and symmetry, all concepts that I enjoy in my tatting.

So for over a year, I have been studying historic quilt blocks and converting the designs into tatting.  Once again, Split Ring Tatting Technique gave me the base to create my tatted quilt-interpretations.

I created two different books based upon quilt designs:  Patchwork Quilt Blocks in Split Ring Tatting & Quilt-Inspired Designs in Split Ring Tatting.  They are quite different from one another.

For the last year, I have spent every spare free minute I had working on some aspect of these two books….getting all the details done.  I knew I was going to be ‘down-to- the wire’ with getting them printed that I decided to test my publishing skills by getting a third book done: Block Alphabets in Split Ring Tatting.  This book of 2 different block alphabets (and frames to use the letters/number)  had been about 90% done for several years.  This book had lost my interest to finish due to the fun I was having with the Quilt-Inspired books.  But I ‘buckled-down’ and poured my time into finishing it.

All three of these books were published and printed in the time span of end of June to the beginning of July.  I had possession of 3 boxes of my 5 books all in time to go to IOLI Convention where I debutted them.

Now they are available for purchase on my website:  www.TheShuttleSmith.com  Click on the “Tatting Books” tab.  Payment is via PayPal