Luther's Rose

October 31 most people think of as Halloween – trick-or-treating, jack-o-lanterns, and scary movies. But it is also the anniversary of the Reformation, a change in religious, political, intellectual and cultural life in 16th-century Europe. It is usually thought of as starting in 1517 when Martin Luther’s 95 Theses was first published.  This year is the 500 anniversary of that event. In Bible study, we’ve been learning about Luther’s life and influence. One of the things I learned about is Luther’s seal, known as Luther’s Rose and how it represents his theology.

Tatted Luther’s Rose

A few weeks ago while I was talking about something else I had tatted, our pastor had jokingly said something about me tatting Luther’s Rose. That got me thinking about how I could do it. So I made one.

Tatted heart for Luther’s Rose

The red heart was the first thing I tried. I reviewed other tatted heart patterns and pictures I found on the internet and in my books at home. I put this one together, which is very similar to a couple I saw. It has a few small mistakes but no-one will know except me.

Tatted cross for Luther’s Rose

I tried several versions of a small black cross before I ended up with this one. The version I thought I was happy with ended up being a bit too small, so I had to enlarge it a bit. This is a very simple pattern that came out well as the center of the Rose.

Tatted rose and outer rings of Luther’s Rose

The white rose was the hardest to come up with – at least to get started. Once I started it just came together. Okay, I just kept increasing each round by two picots :-). There are a few things I would do differently if I made this again, but overall I’m happy it.

The blue round was only having to decide on how many stitches in each chain fit around the rose. Luther’s rose description does not describe having green leaves but I think it helps define the separation of the rose petals.

The first of the gold outer rings was easy, too, again just getting the stitch count to work. The second round was a little trickier. I wanted to use Catherine Wheel joins but I’ve never used them in a project before. YouTube is a wonderful invention! I was able to watch Marilee Rockley do Catherine Wheel joins over and over until I got them right!

After finishing the tatting I needed to mount it. I had a large frame at home that would have worked, then I saw one at the store that would work sooo much better. Or a least looked like it fit the project better anyway. I chose two shades of grey cardstock to display it on, with two layers around the tatting so it didn’t get squashed up against the glass. I don’t have a round stencil that fit around the tatting so I used a cottage cheese container – worked great!

Luther’s Rose mounted and framed

As part of the display, I included the meanings of the theology of the Rose. It came out very well!

At church, we celebrated Reformation today, October 29. I took my finished and framed Luther’s Rose and presented it there. I think it will look great there. My pastor liked it well enough he took my picture.

Finished Luther’s Rose at church

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“Known commonly as Luther’s Rose, this symbol was devised as a personal seal by Martin Luther, the father of the Protestant Reformation and founder of the Lutheran Church, to symbolize his personal theological beliefs. It is now generally used to symbolize the Lutheran Church.

Luther describes his emblem:

The first thing expressed in my seal is a cross, black, within the heart, to put me in mind that faith in Christ crucified saves us. “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness.”

Now, although the cross is black, mortified, and intended to cause pain, yet it does not change the color of the heart, does not destroy nature — i.e., does not kill, but keeps alive. “For the just shall live by faith,” — by faith in the Savior.

But this heart is fixed upon the center of a white rose, to show that faith causes joy, consolation and peace. The rose is white, not red, because white is the ideal color of all angels and blessed spirits.

This rose, moreover, is fixed in a sky-colored ground, to denote that such joy of faith in the spirit is but an earnest and beginning of heavenly joy to come, as anticipated and held by hope, though not yet revealed.

And around this ground base is a golden ring, to signify that such bliss in heaven is endless, and more precious than all joys and treasures, since gold is the best and most precious metal. Christ, dear Lord, He will give grace unto eternal life.”

From http://symboldictionary.net/?p=2283

Little Horse Earrings

Our neighbor asked me a few months ago if I would make a pair of earrings for his granddaughter.  She likes horses and the color turquoise. Oh, and a halter on the horse would be nice.

I immediately thought of Debbie Arnold‘s Seahorse pattern. I’ve made it before as a horse head bookmark and thought it would work well for the earrings as well. I also wanted to make it in a small thread, as they are for a little girl. Oh, and get the right color turquoise!

Horsehead earrings in size 80

I tat front-side/back-side, so I also had to make sure that I made them facing opposite directions. Between this and the small thread, I had some troubles making these. And then making the harnesses! I spent a lot of time dreaming of how I was going to do this.

My neighbor likes these, but the reins not so much. (I thought this was an excellent way to not have to hide ends of the black thread!) I’m thinking to knot the thread at the ring on the bottom with maybe a touch of glue.

The color was acceptable but I put the ball away and can’t find it to say what it is. I know that it’s Lizbeth size 80.

I’m happy with these earrings, even if I have to get rid of the reins. Maybe I’ll make me a pair…

“What if the blue I see is not the color blue you see?” Neo Shamon

Butterfly Edging

There are a lot of tatting projects that I need to get done now that I’m back from Palmettos Tat Days.  I knew about them before I went to Georgia but didn’t have time to do them, so it was rush, rush, rush when I got back. I did get two of my projects done, two more to go before the end of October.

Tatted Butterfly Edged Doily

One project I finished was an edged doily. Our church participates in an auction to raise money for a local retirement home, which is supposed to be a ‘basket’ of items that we donate. This year, it’s not a basket at all, but several items of a theme that we’ll bundle together. I try to include something tatted every year, and this year I planned a doily with a tatted edging.

Tatted Butterfly Edging looks like Mary Konior’s pattern

Our theme this year is butterflies, so I envisioned a doily with a tatted edging of butterflies. I had an idea of what I wanted and got started without a pattern. While on Craftree I found an edging that was exactly what I wanted: Mary Konior’s Butterflies from her book “A Pattern Book of Tatting.” I don’t have the book and I don’t know the stitch count of her pattern as I made it before I saw a picture of it. As it is so close to her pattern if you want to make it, check out her book.

I loved the butterflies but thought the edging needed to be a bit wider, so I added another row. The result is more suitable to what I planned for the doily.

Tatted Butterfly Edging with a second row

At this point, I didn’t have a center for the doily, I made the edging first 🙂  I had time to tat but not the time to cut and sew the doily center. With the edging done I had to figure out a way to get the center the size needed and found a paper plate worked out nicely. I miscalculated a bit by not making the seam a tad bit wider (making the doily diameter smaller), but it still came out okay. Finished size with edging is about nine and a half inches across.

Tatted Butterfly Edging sewn on

These are the items we put together for our auction ‘basket.’ We had members of our congregation add the butterflies to the grapevine cross.

Auction items

This is one project down out of four that I want to have done before the end of October. I have one other completed that I’ll post about later. Now on to the next!

“The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.” Rabindranath Tagore     https://brainyquote.com