all things pass

Here you will find the continuation of the summary of my summer, what I've been putting off for a month. 
I warn you that this post is a little crowded. But but if I split it into separate posts, I'd probably still postpone them!

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Sunday, June 22nd: it was International Lace Day! I participated both with my friends of the association #agofiloefuselli I belong to, and with the tatting group of the #Endrucks1920Project.
In the local association we’re in a period of transition. Unfortunately, the association has not had its own venue for more than a year, and for our weekly meetings we had to move 4 times. For the International Lace Day we organized to work outdoors, in public, so a small part of us could spend a relaxing afternoon, chatting and working, despite the hot weather. We have also prepared a booth, to show our lace, inviting curious passers-by to stop and maybe come and visit us later for the courses. Some of us preferred to stay at home, but they did not fail to give their support and encouragement, as you can see from the pics they sent.

The International Lace Day, which takes place once a year, has a Facebook group in Italian - “INTERNATIONAL LACE DAY ITALIA” - https://www.facebook.com/groups/InternationalLaceDayItalia  -
As for me, I tatted a pattern from the #Endrucks1920Project, which is ever growing! On the occasion of June 22nd, we had a little surprise: the "E42 Roses" by Daniela Galli, which is a rose in two versions! They are nice and quick to tat, but I stopped at the second one. I used my usual thin size 80 thread and my little things went lost under all the other lace in the booth! Lol, I found them at the end of the day! Thank you Daniela! Here is the PDF - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HiDjl4A_CkRcRGqpjhEItWqgEI1bGMhE/view 

Also, a big thank you to Muskaan, who prepared the document and the drawings for the pattern. She tatted a bunch of E42 roses and shared them here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2025/08/celebration-tatting.html  

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On June 28th was Frau Eleonore Endrucks' 140th birth anniversary. I wonder what she would say if she were here today, seeing her tatted designs still alive and inspiring tatters of the third millennium… We are a fantastic Facebook group, nearly 3000 members, with several times the original 44 patterns! We celebrated the anniversary by sharing another banner, tatted by me in February, when I wanted to tat something new for the exhibition we had in March, with the local association. The patterns for the letters had to wait some months to be ready. Then I had the help of my Partner In Crime, Muskaan, who saw a preview of my models and documents, and gifted me her tips for both the design and the presentation. She also suggested changes to the former letter S, and actually the new S gave birth to numbers 6 and 9, and to a lowercase ‘g’. I’m very grateful to my talented friend, she’s always present and positive, and always ready to encourage.
Here is the list of the patterns for the letters in the banner: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_arrhYZfmim2XEoczaLnZtW08ULYUvlW/view 
You can find many patterns for Letters and Numbers in our collection – thanks to the creativity of our talented group. The links to all patterns are listed in the “Lettering & Numerals from Endrucks” directory - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S4AP67BmSNIRJ2Vo36EHgUQ3yQMkrIjCv43YvYvWWRE/view 

If you like exploring the vast range of derivative patterns, ideas, models, information related to the Project, start from the document called EPLinks - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w1TZBg-HIzseGEUoJ-rko7tNbtSgZY5A18Oy2Y9Hh0Y/view, choose one pattern from the vast collection and share it with us, you can reach us in Facebook or leave a comment under our blogposts, Muskaan and I will be happy to see your tatting and we will send you a gift too (that is another pattern). Due to the current updating of many of the PDFs, if you have saved a link to one or more documents in the past, just click on them again to refresh or check with your printed copies. When you post remember to write the name of the designer and pattern number (E1, E2, E3, etc.) or name in case of derivatives, and also always use the hashtag #Endrucks1920Project . Thank you.

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In July, I made for myself a recap of the tatting courses at the association #agofiloefuselli. Let’s welcome 4 new tatters in the world! I’m proud of the ladies who came to learn, and certainly I also always learn something back from them, on how to teach and what I can offer. I am lucky to have the opportunity to host in-person lessons, I really like the human relationship, beyond simply teaching a technique. 

But I really like to share online too. This summer I shared a video on Facebook, which I hope will be useful to understand how to insert beads with the AOSJ method. Here is the link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aKqdDaRuX1Go188HR2gC2xU5LHCToOS3/view 
The photo-tutorial has been on my blog for some time, here: https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2021/01/aosj-for-adding-beads-in-split-ring.html 

 

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Every now and then I also tat patterns that are not from the Endrucks Project! In July I retat the pattern from the "Summer 2023" event of the Facebook group “Chiacchierino: Filo, Amore e Fantasia” – a pattern that I love, by Daniela Galli - Group link:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/796909010465227  🥰 Grazie Daniela!

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During the summer I went to Rome, more often than in the past. I visited Villa Farnese and Galleria Borghese, very rich in art (especially the latter), unmissable places, containers of precious art treasures of the capital.

Detail of a ceiling at Villa Farnese. It looks quite a pattern, isn’t it?

Detail of a room in the Borghese Gallery, a young man on a horse nearly to fall from the ceiling. The composed group has a fascinating story, to learn it read here - https://www.collezionegalleriaborghese.it/en/opere/marcus-curtius-throws-himself-into-the-chasm

On August 6, I visited the temporary exhibition of D&G at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome: it was exciting. I must say that it is not the type of fashion I would wear, but the atmosphere of the exhibition enchanted me! Above all, it is remarkable and absolutely admirable that, over the years, the two creative designers have involved many Italian artisans, enhancing the value of crafts made by hand and bringing niche activities to the world's attention. As a whole, I liked the exhibition tremendously, both for how it was conceived (every room had a theme and it was like an immersive experience), and for the great space and attention given to craftsmanship and to the creation of unique pieces. 

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To close the post, I will tell you about the visit to the Lace Museum of Pescocostanzo, on August 12, to reach it we made a car trip of about 3 hours and stayed overnight. I was also lucky enough to meet Paola Bevilacqua because the town is halfway between my city and the city where Paola spent her summer holidays. We worked it out and met!

The Museum has a website: https://museodelmerlettoatombolo.it/ . If you ever can go to Pescocostanzo, I recommend you visit the Museum, it contains real treasures. There are unique laces, once belonging to local families, now admired by visitors from all over the world. The director accompanied us on the visit, with great competence and kindness. He told me that they welcome many foreign tourists interested in seeing how the bobbin lace is worked, and local ladies go specifically to the museum to work in public, one of them is 86 years old. Their bobbin lace has unique style and designs. Unlike today, once it was well known and made in every home, every family used to have a rich trousseau; now  they struggle to pass these old traditions to the new generations. I admire those people who commit themselves to promote the knowledge and heritage of the lace, so the beautiful things don’t pass.

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Summer’s time passed. We have a proverb: "good weather and bad weather do not last the same amount of time". Well, I can assure you that this summer has really flown by for me.

Ciao, Ninetta

Botanical trend

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Italiano: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qa1X1KqDRsvnCfMAUVCSMzGur49ST1c-/view

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Before continuing the recap of my summer, I have to go back a bit, to last spring and more precisely to last May.

I usually keep shuttles with work attached in various purses, and without fail I forget their contents. I found one of these purses in May, with a good number of tatted leaves inside, made throughout several months. In fact, after the mini croton tatted during the game #LeafMeEndrucks (September 2024, included in the laceshop dollroom - https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2025/01/the-lace-shop-of-my-dreams.html ), I continued the production of the cute little leaves with Muskaan's "E15 Leaf Doodle #1" pattern:
E15 Leaf Doodle #1 - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NL5KHsLxOHkfILCTTKojfhHy6B9v9EG3/view 

So, fresh from tatting the Iris for Orvieto, and still captured by this "botanical" trend, I took a bunch of those leaves and put them into a cheap bead cap for jewellery, to obtain the effect of a mini houseplant. The relaxing spot I built around it was a consequence: in fact the houseplant was so nice that I couldn't help but add all the rest of the furniture!

armchair, coffee table, shelf, vase and pot are all made by me

I invite you to watch a short video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16oaVsYrJgEFKRx2vqs0abikE5E8sHEJp/view

To tell the truth, I confess that I no longer remember if the leaves were all the same pattern, while I remember well that last year Muskaan shared 3 different versions and I tried them all. These are the other 2 versions:
E15 Leaf Doodle #2 - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i8XWpjtcrvK8C_cfa8KyGvJiXNn_KPP7/view 
E15 Leaf Doodle #3 - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m8chbwS1oD6Xjq4Uwm2R291zdAUL1VJ1/view

These are the three versions, worked with Lizbeth size 80, col.136.

In the next photos you see details taken from other pics, because in the mini boxroom everything is now glued and I cannot show you the various parts separately:

In the “vase” on the coffee table beside the houseplant, you can notice a rose made with the "Smiling Flowers" pattern that I shared here: https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2024/07/smiling-flowers.html 

Also, at the top left on the shelf you can see another pot, where I tried to get the effect of a succulent plant, made with a single leaf worked according to Muskaan’s E28 HEART pattern (except for the string of "dot picot"): 
E28 HEART pattern - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-rWqmDAd51VwxOqtt9spD-FIX5zYDAUE/view 

I want to use Muskaan's words, to describe what I consider a brilliant pattern: "This is a cute little motif to use for learning and applying techniques and effects (this one has CWJs and dot picot string); to embellish with beads or decorative picots; to use as a charm; to use as jewellery; ....” (https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/06/yet-another-heart.html )

You should try it now, whatever thread is already loaded in your shuttles!

The E28 heart-leaf was "a leftover" from the pot of African Violets made in November 2024, worked with DMC Special Dentelles size 80 thread, color 469:

The flowers are made of 5 rings without picots. I cannot remember the exact stitch count, perhaps rings are made of 16ds.

Muskaan’s leaves kept me company throughout this summer.
In fact I continued to tat them, sometimes just to empty the shuttles, but some other times with a rather ambitious idea in mind, of making a mini greenhouse of tatted plants... So far I only have two plants (the violet and the anthurium), I will definitely make more. I just have to stop using them for other mini rooms!! 

And now I’d tell you about the anthurium! So here it is... In November I made the red leaves with the precise plan of making an anthurium, and it took me several attempts to get the right shape. The starting pattern is again Muskaan's "E15 Leaf Doodle #1", but with two rings less (if you follow Muskaan's pattern, the ring J became 2-2, and I worked from ring C to chain Q, joining the last picot of P to the first picot of C). I don't remember the color of the thread I used, in any case it is the DMC Special Dentelles size 80. Let’s go fast forward to May, when I found all the leaves and began to assemble the plant:

I wound the leaf’s ending tails around the wire (0.3mm). I started attaching the wire to the picot of the upper central ring of the leaf (ring I in the pattern), then passed it in the picots below, then down to the base of the leaf, and lastly I started to wind the thread, absolutely with no glue on the leaf, only one drop at the very end of the stem.

For the pistils, I simply wrapped the thread around the wire (0.3mm)

The result is very naturalistic:

Thanks to Muskaan's creativity, the pattern E15 of the #Endrucks1920Project is in the subset of main patterns which have a large number of derivative patterns. I suggest you to read (or read again) her post where she shows the creative potential offered by the E15 design: https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-power-of-15.html 

Thread Lizbeth size 80, col. 134

In this blog, instead, you will soon find something more about my summer: events and short trips. Surely, in the recap of my summer I must include the International Lace Day on June 22nd, but I will tell you about that in the next post. Again, you’ll find a lot about the “Endrucks 1920 Project”. Muskaan and I are working with enthusiasm and dedication on all the PDFs, trying to improve the instructions, double-check everything and even sometimes tatting again the models... and luckily I always learn something new, that's what fascinates me in this Project!

Note: If you like exploring the vast range of derivative patterns, ideas, models, information related to the Project, start from the document called EPLinks - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w1TZBg-HIzseGEUoJ-rko7tNbtSgZY5A18Oy2Y9Hh0Y/view, choose one pattern from the vast collection and share it with us, you can reach us in Facebook (we have a dedicated group!) or leave a comment under our blogposts, Muskaan and I will be happy to see your tatting and we will send you a gift too (that is another pattern). Due to the current updating of many of the PDFs, if you have saved a link to one or more documents in the past, just click on them again to refresh or check with your printed copies. When you post remember to write the name of the designer and pattern number (E1, E2, E3, etc.) or name in case of derivatives, and also always use the hashtag #Endrucks1920Project . Thank you.

Ciao, Ninetta

where did I take the shuttles?

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Italiano: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-59o3zbzk0jU1facPB5NtSHmHceLRUF2/view

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I know, I don't update my blog much, and yet there would be a lot to say. This summer Muskaan and I spent a lot of our time reviewing all documents in the “Endrucks 1920 Project” (#Endrucks1920Project), a titanic work and still ongoing. I feel as I worked a lot (on computer) but achieved nothing (with shuttles). To reassure myself, I need to take stock of my summer.

The title here is not for the fact that I cannot locate my shuttles ;-P on the contrary I even bought three amazing wooden shuttles (rosewood, birch root and mahogany), made by Laszlo Horvath aka Banyek, from Budapest (Purchased via his Ebay shop “smalcointattingshuttles”).

Rather, the title is a good pretext to tell you that on 7th June I took my shuttles to Orvieto, a city in Central Italy, a small city with ancient history, a monumental Cathedral and local delicacies, not far from Bolsena Lake. 

That day I went to the exhibition “An Iris for Orvieto”, that was initially held from 5th to 8th June 2025 and then extended to 14th and 15th June.

This is an annual event, among the organizers there is Mrs. Loretta Lovisa, Master of her lace “Merletto di Orvieto”, a tradition started at the end of the 19th century when the Irish lace was introduced in Italy in that area, and it soon became a distinct lace technique following the reproduction of the figures featured in the 14th century bas-reliefs of the Cathedral. Here is a very informative page prepared by Loretta: https://www.merlettodiorvieto.it/en/history-of-orvieto-lace/

Loretta is an enthusiastic promoter, and organizes and attends exhibitions, events and collaborations. Among these there is one recent collaboration with the brand Fendi for which she designed and realized one of their “Hand in Hand” Baguettes. The event “An Iris for Orvieto” was part of the annual “Orvieto in Fiore” (Orvieto in bloom) event which takes place on Pentecost (a religious festivity). This year Loretta chose the iris, since this flower is also a symbol of hope, in line with the theme chosen for Jubilee 2025: “The Thread of Hope.” 

There were really beautiful works of art, masterpieces of embroidery and lace, made with various techniques, sent from different parts of Italy. I took some photos, but here is a reel shared by Loretta in Facebook with all the flowers: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1AYafu68Ri/ 

In spring she invited Luigia Tosin and me, both belonging to the Association "Ago, Filo e Fuselli", to send our flowers on behalf of the association, respectively in bobbin lace and tatting. 

Here is the flower designed and executed by Luigia, who is a Master in bobbin lace:

I received a wonderful welcome, I felt like I was visiting old friends, united by the same passion for lace. Our sincere thanks, from me on behalf of all in our association, goes to the organizers of the "An Iris for Orvieto" event, especially to Loretta and our hosts Maria Antonietta and Marco, who welcomed us so warmly. The exhibition was set up in a noble palace, “Palazzo Bisenzi”, one of Orvieto's historic residences. A curiosity: the palace is also famous for having hosted Sigmund Freud, who stayed in Orvieto several times, starting in 1897. 

During the exhibition, Loretta let me have a table for promoting our association, and I took the opportunity to display the models from the "Endrucks 1920 Project", and to briefly explain it to dozens of visitors, including foreign tourists, who came to admire the lace irises.

I designed my iris starting from pattern E11 (the 11th pattern) from the German book ‘Die Schiffchen-Spitzen’, 1920, by Frau Eleonore Endrucks-Leichtenstern. Thread is my favourite DMC Special Dentelles, size 80. I promise to share the pattern, sooner or later, but with the current schedule ongoing in the Endrucks 1920 Project, I could take long to transform my notes and scribbles into a shareable pattern!
The idea started because the shape of part of the edging E11 looks like a petal. I consulted a certain Smiling Lady you know, for one of her precious tips, and she approved the choice. As usual, several tests followed, but given the limited time available, I followed the advice of my aunt, an occasional painter, to use all the prototypes: she convinced me that the flower would look more natural if the petals weren't all perfectly identical!

 

For the leaves, I needed a compact, elongated structure, so I tried block tatting shaped into a long, narrow strip. Again, I made several prototypes before getting the right shape.

At the tip I attached the wire (0.3mm), sewed it along the leaf and then wrapped it to form the stems. In a similar way, I added wire to shape the petals (only along the middle of petal). The flower is 14cm high, from the bottom of the stem to the highest tip.

Here is a very short video of the tatted Iris, taken before sending it to the exhibition: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Vy4Af5rN34Eh6BFRnx37ReVl8IwY9r3O/view 

Here is the link to the reworked pattern E11 from the German book ‘Die Schiffchen-Spitzen’: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qwj9o6vfjMUckkYB1t0z_HRBgOR9zJ15/view 

Note: If you like exploring the vast range of derivative patterns, ideas, models, information related to the Project, start your exploration from the document called EPLinks - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w1TZBg-HIzseGEUoJ-rko7tNbtSgZY5A18Oy2Y9Hh0Y/view

Muskaan and I will be happy to see your tatting. When you post remember to write the name of the designer and pattern number and also use the hashtag #Endrucks1920Project . Thank you.

Ciao,
Ninetta

P.S. Summer recap has just started!

let's go promoting lace!

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Italiano: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1THbEMD5LFi-951i8U1OM5IhKfPTxhxMe/view?usp=drivesdk

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The Exhibition ‘Threads and Schools – 2nd Edition’, held from 8th to 16th March 2025, was the second in a series of annual events, organised by the local association “Ago, Filo e Fuselli”, mostly thanks to our President Luigia Tosin, with the collaboration of Alessandra Caputo (President of “Merletto Italiano” and the owner of the site www.merlettoitaliano.it). We usually organise an exhibition each year in March, to promote lace and the lace’s cultural heritage. 

The theme we want to explore, that is highlighted in the subtitle: "To educate, To know, To know how to do", is the transmission of historical and artistic knowledge, both material and immaterial, of Italian lace. The crucial aspect is how to pass down the art of lacemaking, and we all can agree that it is very important to raise the issue and discuss it. 

We – in our association - are particularly sensitive to the topic, because our city is relatively new. Founded in 1936 and destroyed in 1944, it was reborn after the WWII, with the arrival of people from various parts of Italy, and also from abroad. The flow of people moving here never stops and we now live in a big city with 80 thousand residents. We do not have a long local tradition of lace. Everyone used to have their own culture and traditions, but the elders are struggling to pass on the art to the new generations.

Of course, the exhibition is a great opportunity for lacemakers to showcase their work. But mainly it is an amazing opportunity to invite school children, and our main goal is to involve as many children as possible. Fortunately, a small percentage of parents show some interest, and some children return to take lessons, even after the exhibition is over. Last year I met Elena, a sweet 8yo, who came for 2 months and learned the basics of the shuttle. There are pics of her, taken for the “International Lace Day 2024”, shared in Fb with her parents’ permission, but I’ve never asked the permission to share her in my blog. Obviously, you can easily guess, I felt as though I won the lottery!!! She didn’t come back this year, but I’m sure she will tat again, one day or another, in her future!

Pic taken during this year’s exhibition, when some little girls tried tatting.

Last year lacemakers came from North Italy, this year they came from Central Italy. 
I’ll share here some pictures taken during the week. For pictures of the single panels please visit the Fb page of our association "Ago Filo e Fuselli". The exhibition was opened with a conference in the city Hall, followed by the official opening.

In the table dedicated to our association, we had the artwork entitled: “Women Weave History”, the 3D work created by assembling the works of the ladies of the association “Ago, Filo e Fuselli”, according to the design by Luigia Tosin. The work stood out in 2012 at the 10th International Lace Competition titled “Women: the long road to emancipation”, held in Sansepolcro(Italy), when the judges awarded the association with the following motivation: “as an interesting work demonstrating the stages of the most prominent women in recent centuries”. The competition was promoted in Sansepolcro by the “Lace in the city of Piero” Association, during the 15th International Biennial of Sansepolcro.

We had on display also the bobbin lace work made by Luigia Tosin (for the red bag on the left the design is by Luigia, for the bag on the right the design is by Michela Zoncher). In addition, other works by the associated ladies were also on display.

And at our table we were proud to display the bobbin lace made by the youngest member of our association, Giulia, who is only 7yo!

I was in charge of preparing the posters, the maps and all the captions, many "do not touch" labels, and of producing (with the help of online tools) the vocal texts to be associated with the QR codes positioned next to the panels. We aren’t a big group, and most of us are retired ladies, so I’m one of the young girls, lol!, also available for flyer distribution and “quick tasks”! 

The day of the conference I was really anxious, but everything went well. The aim was to share experiences of teaching, and every speaker confirmed that there are great difficulties in transmitting the art of lace. Everyone searches, and experiments with, ways to approach the new generations. The most moving testimony was from the manager of the Museum of Pescocostanzo, a small town of 1000 people, with a centuries-long tradition of bobbin lace. He concluded his speech with a very sad phrase, hypothesizing that their lace will no longer exist in 30 years... But we also had optimistic testimonies, from a city were an association regained vitality during the COVID season: they are currently around 300 lacers, and in their region they have also been allowed to teach in schools. We all agree that we need to create opportunities to reach young people. In our association we try to do it with our annual exhibition, relying on visits from schools.

The laces displayed in the exhibition were wonderful, all with their peculiarity - techniques, tools and drawings. We had a lot of samplers, too. Pictures are here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1044929907659801&type=3 

I talked about the “Endrucks 1920 Project” but not in the conference. I’m really happy that the Project has received many compliments from expert lacemakers. I told to the visitors about the “Game of the Month” and how many tatters have learned new techniques just to be able to take part. Of course, I stated clearly, it's not only my work, I’m only one of the many designers from all around the globe who contribute to the Project. I therefore gladly share the compliments with Muskaan and all the Endrucks group.

Also in this edition, I presented the Project like a school's work or a sampler book, but this time I tatted a subset of the derived models from E's vast collection and glued them in a second handmade accordion book. Many visitors knew only the “mandala-like” version of tatting designs, and couldn’t believe that it’s possible to reach such variety in shapes with tatting. In fact in the Project we have a vast range of motifs, from foliage to jewellery and many different shapes, including letters, and also 3D; these designs are not the tatting usually seen in exhibitions here in Italy! 

In January, February and March, I had very little time for the Endrucks’ Project, but I thought the exhibition could not have passed without something new, tatted especially for the occasion. So, in late January I had the insane idea to tat my banner to be put on top of the accordion book. I tatted one letter per night, about one hour and half per letter, I didn't mind if there were cuts and they were not perfect, they had to be good on the first try, I really didn’t have time to tat them twice. They were very fast to tat, because I had already tatted all the original patterns and I knew the patterns well. I also had the help of Muskaan, who saw a preview of my models and suggested to add chains for a bold look. I’m very grateful to my talented Partner In Crime, she’s always present and positive, and always encourages me.

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UPDATE: Here is the list of the patterns for the letters in the banner: 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_arrhYZfmim2XEoczaLnZtW08ULYUvlW/view 

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Me wearing the earrings tatted with a pattern derived from E32 from the book 'Die Schiffchen-Spitzen', 1920, author Eleonore Endrucks-Leichtenstern, and already included in the “Endrucks 1920 Project”.

 A heartfelt thanks goes to all those who made this event possible, and to all the participants and visitors. Next appointment will be next year (2026), with participating associations from South Italy.

In the meantime, I try to promote tatting and the “Endrucks 1920 Project” whenever I can. I sent one of my works, together with a work made by Luigia Tosin in bobbin lace, to an exhibition in Orvieto (a city in Central Italy), that will be held in June. The event is called “An Iris for Orvieto”, and in fact I tatted a 3D iris flower, with a pattern derived from E11. I promise you that the pattern will be available in the Project’s collection. Pictures will come soon!

Ciao, Ninetta.