ornament question from Elegant Tatting book

[meowy]

Hi, in this book Elegant Tatting Patterns by Janet Carroll, near the back is some ornaments. They're all on real small ornaments, 1" for the ones I wanted to try, done up in size 30 thread. Before I started and hassling with it, thought I'd come ask if there's any chance of the patterns fitting on a size 3" ornament if I used size 10 thread?

[Ridgewoman]

Measure an inch of tatting in size 30, against an inch of your tatting in 10 and that would give you a quick answer. :>) Bev

[BlueDode]

meowy:

Janet Carroll's book shows tatting that goes all the way around an ornament, top and bottom. I've been tempted to try them, but haven't yet.

Try one of the patterns from Janet Carroll's book and see what you think: if you don't like what you see, you will have enough information available in that first effort to determine how to revise the pattern the next time you make it to get get an improved fit.

A suggestion for simplifying the proverbial "fit" problems:
consider a small amount of redesign and make tatting such that the center fits over the hook on the top of the ball, and the tatting falls over the curves of the ball.

I've made several rosettes (basic ring, (chain, ring) repeat 5 times, chain; join to base of first ring) that I just hang on ornaments. I prefer that the chains hang over half way down the ball, but not past the bottom of the ball. That said, you might prefer another look: it's a matter of taste and preference.

To avoid the need for blocking, I join a small jingle bell halfway through each chain to weight the tatting down around the ball: the bells will tinkle if there's a breeze.

I've used the same size 10 threads and tatted them with shuttles and with needles (of different sizes to accommodate beads) and found that the needle tatting draped more naturally over the balls because it tends to be looser than shuttle tatting: the shuttle tatting was a bit stiffer, but the bells helped keep the tatting snug to the ball.

I needed to use more stitches in the rings and chains when shuttle tatting than needle tatting because the needle tatting is naturally looser in order to get the look I want.

I've also seen snowflake patterns or other motifs modified to fit over Christmas balls. One pattern was 8 sided: the designer recommended tatting only 7 sides of the motif if you wanted to hang it over or glue it to a Christmas ball.

Have fun!

[delseylynne]

Thank you for the explanation - I think I will give this a try.

[soyloquesoy]

Blue Dode, that sounds like a great idea! Thanks for sharing :)

[meowy]

Thank you all so much! :) Tomorrow I hope to try this out. I was working from a Workbasket but I set it down somewhere around the house, and can't find it. It had the ornament covers I wanted to do haha

I'll try measuring the size 10 and size 10 too

Thanks so much BlueDode, I love the jingle bell idea!

So much to work with, how exciting. When I posted I was getting all anxious about it, didn't know where to start or waht to do if it didn't fit. Hopefully next time I'm at Walmart they'll finally have Christmas stuff out and I can get some wee ornaments :)

[carolivy]

If you can't get them there, if you have a Big Lots near you, try there or Joann's. A lot of the craft stores are gearing up for Christmas already. lol

[meowy]

I did some ornaments! I put photos up in my album :)

I gave up on the book for now haha, going to try to find the right size ornaments this weekend. Instead I just sort of had at trying to make some rings and chains and figuring out the best way to get them to stay on the ornament. Yay!