The Crafts and Lace Site

The Blue Bird of Tatting

These instructions © Gillian Buchanan 2001

The Blue Bird appeared in a Priscilla book which was first published in 1916. It was discussed in July 2001 by the Online Tatting Class and the challenge was to find a way of making it without all the cuts and ties featuring in the original design.

Here is my version of the pattern.

MATERIALS

• DMC Special Dentelles

• Paper clip

SIZE

5.5 cm wide x 4.5 cm high

SPECIAL TECHNIQUES

• Self Closing Mock Rings

• Tat over paper clip to form inward facing picot

SECTION 1

1. Wind 2 SH CTM.

2. SH1
   R 4-4 RW.
   
3. SH1
   C 4-2-2-4 RW.
   
4. SH1
   R 4-2+2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-4 RW.
   
5. SH1
   R 4+(to 2nd last P of previous R) 4 RW.
   
6. SH1
   C 4-2-2-2-2-4 RW.
   
7. SH1
   R 4+ (miss 1 P of 1st large R, J to next P) 4 RW
   
8. SH1
   C 4-2-2-2-2-4 RW.
   
9. SH2
   drop loop of core thread to begin SCMR, C2, do not RW.
   
10. SH1
    R 2-2-2-2-2-2+ (miss 1 P of 1st large R, J to next P) 2-2-2-2-2-2, do not RW.
    
11. SH2
    C2-4 cl. SCMR, RW.
    
12. SH1
    C 4-2-2-4, do not RW.
    
13. SH1
    R 4-4, RW.
    
14. SH1
    C 4-2-2-4+ (to P of small R), do not RW.
    
15. SH1
    C 4-2-2-2-2-4, RW.
    
16. SH1
    R 4+ (miss 1 P of 1st large R, J to next P) 4, RW.
    
17. SH1
    C 4-2-2, do not RW.
    
18. SH2
    R 4-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-4, do not RW.
    
19. SH1
    C2-2-4, J to base of 1st R, do not RW.
    
20. SH1
    C 3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3, do not RW.
    
21. SH1
    insert Paperclip and hold tightly against C, C 14 DS, RW
    
22. SH1
    R 2+(remove Paperclip, J in space left by paperclip) 10, RW.
    
23. SH1
    R 5-5+ (to last P of C at base of 1st large R) 5+ (to 1st P of next C) 5-5, RW.
    
24. SH1
    C3-3+(to last P of previous R), do not RW.
    
25. SH1
    C 3-3-3-3, RW
    
26. SH1
    R5+ (to last P of same C as previous R) 5+ (to 1st P of next C) 5-5, RW.
    
27. SH1
    C 3-3+ (to last P of previous R), do not RW.
    
28. SH1
    C 3-3-3-3, RW.
    
29. SH2
    drop loop of thread to begin SCMR, C 5-5, do not RW.
    
30. SH1
    R 5-5-5-5, do not RW.
    
31. SH2
    C5+ (to last P of previous R) 5, cl. SCMR, RW.
    
32. SH1
    C3-3-3-3, RW.
    
33. SH1
    R5+ (to centre free P of R at Step 28) 5-5-5, RW.
    
34. SH1
    C 3-3-3-3-3-3, do not RW.
    
35. SH1
    R4-4, RW.
    
36. SH1
    C 3-3-3-3, RW.
    
37. SH1
    R 4+(to last P of R at Step 31) 4, RW.
    
38. SH1
    C 3-3-3-3, do not RW.
    
39. SH1
    R 4-4, RW.
    
40. SH1
    C 3-3-3-3-3-3+ (to centre P of R at Step 31), do not RW.
    
41. SH1 C 3-3-3-3, do not RW.
    
42. SH1
    R 5+ (to 1st P of R at Step 28) 5+ (to base of R at Step 28) 5-5, cl. R, do not RW.
    
43. J to base of adjacent small R (last R before SCMR with large R attached), finish ends.

SECTION 2

1. Wind 2 SH CTM.
   
2. SH1
   J to base of small R at outer edge of R (the last small R before climbing out of 1st Wing and Body), C2-2, RW.
   
3. SH1
   R 4+ (to 2nd P of ring with 2nd SH at Step 18) 4, RW.
   
4. SH1
   C 4-2-2-2-2-4, RW.
   
5. SH2
   drop loop of core thread to begin SCMR, C 2, do not RW.
   
6. SH1
   R 2-2-2-2-2-2+ (miss 1 P of R at Step 18, J to next P) 2-2-2-2-2-2, do not RW.
   
7. SH2
   C2-4, cl. SCMR, RW.
   
8. SH1
   C 4-2-2-4, do not RW.
   
9. SH1
   R 4-4, RW.
   
10. SH1
    C 4-2-2-4+ (J to P of small R), do not RW.
    
11. SH1
    C 4-2-2-2-2-4, RW.
    
12. SH1
    R 4+ (miss 1 P of R at Step 18, J to next P) 4, RW.
    
13. SH1
    C 4-2-2-2-2-4, RW.
    
14. SH1
    R 4+ (miss 1 P of R at Step 18, J to next P) 4, finish ends.