How to reduce the pattern tatting. Very often on the Internet you are see tatting pattern that very much likes you! Whether a doily or earrings, a bracelet or a tablecloth … But for some reason the size of a lace decoration, indicated in the instruction, does not fit for You. How to reduce the size of the finished product? I have three ways. Each ways has its own advantages and disadvantages. Hopefully, my tips will be useful to you!
Way 1 how to reduce the pattern tatting.
Take a little thinner threads, as indicated in the instruction. And weave according to the pattern, not changing anything! Look at the difference between the earrings I made from Threads # 10 and # 20.

The advantage of this way is its ease.
But there are disadvantages: you can not know for sure what size of the finished product you will get 🙂 . And when changing the thread size the pattern works perfectly not always.
Way 1 how to reduce the pattern tatting.
Remove the last Row from the Pattern. For example:
In this Doily there were 4 rows and a size 10,6 inches in diameter.

Remove off the last, fourth row. And in the third row add the picot for a more logical pattern completion.

Way 3 how to reduce the pattern tatting.
Remove some middle rows from the pattern. For example:
This pattern has 8 rows, the finished doily size is about 9 inches. I want to exclude 5 and 6 rows.

Tat 1 – 4 rows.

Divide the finished piece into 4 parts mentally. (If the finished piece is very large, it can be divided into 8 or 12 parts for easy drawing).

Draw the border of the fourth row (one quarter. In order not to use the large size of the paper page).

Draw the fifth row similar to the seventh (graphic diagram). There will be fewer repetitions of elements in this row, of course (we are reducing the pattern. Do you remember ? ☺ ) Now we can weave a “new” fifth row. The size of the tatted elements should match the drawn elements. Record the appropriate number of double stitches in rings and chains. ( R: 5, p, 5, p, 5; C: 8, jp, 8 )

We continue to the end of the row. That’s what will get.

Draw the sixth row (this will be the last row in the pattern). You can copy a pattern from a graphic diagram or be creative and add something new. I changed the design slightly. And again: the size of the tatted elements should match the drawn elements. Record the appropriate number of double stitches in rings and chains.

The finished doily is approximately 6 inches in diameter. This size corresponds to the drawn pattern.

If you liked the third way, you can use this to create your own designs!
Thanks for reading!
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Thank you! Your explanations are well done. I’ve thought of the first two methods, but not the third. Another item for my tatting toolbox of techniques.
Thank you so much for your comment and kind words, Eliz! Tatting is an art in which there is always something new and interesting (I think so)!
To reduce a pattern after using a smaller thread, you could also try deleting the same percentage of stitches from rings and chains (1/3, 1/4, etc). This makes a smaller but simpler piece. Try it.
Thanks so much, Helen, for Your comment and good advice!
Very interesting tips … I would normally only apply the 1st method 😁 I like how the other 2 methods can become a stepping stone to designing for beginners 😍
One more method could be to reduce the stitchcount of each element proportionately. Thus we have the complete pattern/design, but smaller version.
Always nice to read your posts, thank you for sharing 🤩⚘⚘
Thank You so much, Muskaan, for Your kind words and praises. I really appreciate the opinion of a specialist like You! And besides, the support is very inspiring to me!
Great tips to do this!
Thank You, Daphne! You welcome always!
You’re welcome, Elena!!
Daphne! Do you have any tips? What topic are you interested in?
I have no tips but am enjoying reading yours. I am a very, very beginner when it comes to tatting but have always wanted to learn. I hope to begin working on it again once we get through this year’s holidays. Right now I do machine embroidery and quilting along with other types of needlework. My hope is to be able to add tatting to my list.
Thank you for your kind words, Daphne! I hope my articles on tatting will be useful to you. How interesting! I also do machine embroidery and quilting! Probably worth writing about this too. What do you think?
You definitely could write about your quilting and embroidery.
Yes, I can tell you about interesting tricks and tools that I use in embroidery and quilting.
Very interesting article, thank you.
You welcome, Carole!