Friday, April 27, 2007

One is not enough

Motif, that is, especially when they are square. Designing a motif is fun because no matter what you thought you were making, sometimes the design just takes on a life of it's own and tells you what it wants to be.



I used to do a lot of crochet until tatting became my passion obsession and you can't do much crochet without being infected by the need to do granny squares, which will lead to all kinds of square things being done. Squares make afghans and tablecloths. Squares make vests and slippers. Squares make bags and...you get the idea. Squares are nifty things.


One of the really interesting things about squares, or any motif really is that they are pretty on their own or in groups. Like this one I designed a few years ago for the newsletter which you can see here
(By the way you can see all of the previous issues in the archives by just changing the Volume and Issue number at the end. So vol-1-4 here is changed to vol-3-1 or whatever volume you want to see. http://www.gagechek.com/slb/news/vol-1-4/ )

I think this one might be my favorite design. It's just pretty as it is. I did it in size 20 Opera thread. Which is about the same size as size 40 Olympus and a smidgen finer than size 20 Flora and it came out about 3 inches across or about coaster size.


But look at this.


That lovely little border edging around the rose becomes this gorgeous dainty lattice work.
Look at the intersecting corner. Isn't that just too cute for words? I love motif designs that work so well as a whole cloth that you have trouble telling whether the centre of the motif is the centre or the corner. This one is obvious, of course because of the coloured flower in the centre.
That's the trouble with a motif. One is never enough. you have to work enough of them to see what the intersecting corner is going to look like. Sometimes the intersection is better than the motif.

Just think of all of those old granny square designs that you could turn into elegant pieces by doing tatted squares.

One really isn't enough. I have received numerous e-mails from people asking for the pattern and many of them already have it. This motif was featured in the August 2003 newsletter but due to lack of space the cover page only shows a single motif. Often the true beauty of a motif doesn't show itself until it's part of a bigger whole. Then some of them truly are greater than the sum of their parts.

9 comments:

Sherry aka Celtic Dream Weaver said...

I love this square motif that you have come up with. It looks so femine to me. I just love it. If I had the pattern for that I wouldn't be wasting time ...I would be making them. Love your color choice too for the motifs. I could see this a vest...a jacket...lots of things. Thank you so much for sharing with us...I love it.
Sherry

Charlene ♥ NC said...

This is a lovely motif - no wonder you couldn't stop with one!!

Tattycat said...

This is one of the prettiest flower motifs I have ever seen. My subscription doesn't go back that far. How can I get a copy of the pattern?

Melissa said...

I love it too! Is it a difficult design? So pretty!

Sharon said...

Wow, what a lot of comments. I had to stop making this motif at 4 as I ran out of the pink thread. I hadn't intended on doing a big project when I started the motif.
The older issues of the newsletter have all been compiled into a CD
http://www.gagechek.com/slb/cd/index.html or go to my home page and click on the link to the CD for more information. The design isn't difficult but it does use split rings and split chains. These can be omitted if you want to cut and tie and hide a lot more ends.

loweh1 said...

I can't get The links to CD and old issues of newsletter to work. I am desperate to get the pattern and would be most grateful if you could provide it. I also am an experienced crocheter who has become obsessed with tatting.

loweh1 said...

Can't get any links to this pattern to work. I am desperate to get this pattern. I too am an avid crocheter who is now obsessed with tatting.

Sharon said...

I've retired and the newsletter and the subsequent CD are no longer being produced. However, if you let me have your email address, I'll see about emailing you the requisite pattern.

Suz said...

Sharon I too love your rose square!
What a beautiful design! I would be willing to buy the pattern!
Please let me know. The old links didn’t work.
Suz Crites
(Scrites@charter.net)