Sunflower Motif by Betty Albertson
Betty Albertson was a participant in Book 5 of the Ribbonwinners Series, “Tatting with Friends” edited by Georgia Seitz 1995 (op) She was a great tatting teacher. Her pattern of the Sunflower offers exercises in making the split chain, forming dense centers from chains, climbing out through a mock picot to reduce the number of cuts to the thread and cluny weaving.
All joins in this pattern are lock joins (shuttle lock) joins.
Center ring = R 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 climb out creating a mock seventh picot.
CH 2 + (join to next picot)continue around ending in the first picot.
CH 3 + (join to next picot)continue around ending in the first picot.
CH 4 + as above
CH 5 + "
CH 6 + "
CH 7 + "
*CH 4 - 4 + (join to the next picot) continue around. Repeat from * for a total of 6 joins.
Note that all these chains join in the same position. The negative space created by the join
becomes a part of the design. Join to a bar on the back of the previous chain.
After the sixth join, CH 4 and tat split chain by attaching shuttle thread to the next join
leaving a length of shuttle thread just long enough to accommodate 4 DS to complete the
set of eight required. Do not make a mock picot but leave a small space for the final join.
A cluny leaf pattern begins next. Tat cluny leaf with 12 passes and join over the previous row's join.
With the second shuttle or the ball thread (just wrap a rubber band around it and open the ring extra wide) throw off a tatted Josephine Ring/knot = (JK.)
JK 1 (8 x second Half Stitch) - (8 x first Half Stitch) close ring.
Tat another cluny leaf and join in the next join of the previous row. Tat JK and continue
around.
To climb out making the last JK a split ring.
*CH 6 and then tat split chain by attaching shuttle thread to the next picot in the JK.
CH 2 - 1 - 1 - 2 + (join at the base of the chain which is also attached to the JK. Repeat
from * around.
A last decorative chain pattern is then worked joining into the middle picot of the set of
three from the previous round. Climb out making the last chain segment with the 3 picots a split chain and exit through the middle picot.
Lock stitch chain is made with the first half stitch tatted but followed by a wrapped (not
flipped) second half stitch. This unflipped half stitch gives a textured look to the work.
Work a set of ten of these alternating DS, join and throw off work a JK.
JK 1 (12 x second HS) close ring. Continue around. Tie, cut and hide ends.
This is an excellent project to master the technique of the split chain.
