Craftree Forum Tree > Round Robin > Round Robin Designs
Will the thread travel with the project or does each person add what they have on hand? Who says it all has to be one size? (Although picots in small threads would need to be large to leave room to attach larger threads.)
Ok I prefer size 20 or 30 for doilies but I can work with any size really.
Is this going to be like the ones that we did years ago where everyone started a center then sent it on to the next person with your thread?
And that way we all work on each others and we all end up with a unique doily.
I would suggest that the thread travels with the centre. If someone wants two colours then they can send two colours along or else when you get a doily to work a round and you feel a second colour would be perfect AND you have enough to send on with it then contact the owner (the owner is always the person who tats the first round) and see if they're OK with that colour combo - they may have a reason for wanting a solid colour.
Rules are really what you make them to be, if you want to change thread size there's no reason why not but it may present some problems and for a first exchange I would advise against it
in reply to muskaan's post:
Thanks, @kersti. :-) :-D
@muskaan, a story. I have a brother who loves to read, but give him a choice between building something and reading, and building will always win out. I am rather like that with tatting. I love the rhythm of the shuttle, and it connects me to my mother, but give me the choice between working creatively with a computer or doing it with the shuttle, and the computer will always win out.
I have done original designs in tatting. I have posted a couple in the past and have another that I could write up if I ever take the time to relearn a drawing program for the diagrams. I have a design in the back of my mind to be pursued at the right time.
As my daughter said, the best scientists and engineers are artists. This is something people in what has traditionally been thought of as art may not realize. A lot of elegance and creativity go into a good computer design, hardware or software. A lot of creativity goes into finding searches that reveal little known tatting books in many languages.
I guess the enthusiasm and creativity didn't "rub off" on me yet because I already had them. What I find the group's enthusiasm and creativity do is keep me inspired to continue expanding the catalog so people can find resources they otherwise might not know about and be inspired by things they otherwise might not see.
Different strokes for different folks. ;)
Can I join? I'd like to work in size 20, and I'm no good at cluny leaves... (Yet). I am happy to send thread with center.
Well, cluny leaves are some of my favorite elements. I whip them out with whole-hearted enthusiasm. I would be happy to add clunies to anyone's doily. All you have to do is ask. Something to inspire...... When I get your doily, let me know what you would like me to do.
A tip for all tatters who sign up for the Round Robins:
Make sure to block your round so that it forms a good base for the next tatter to starting designing. Otherwise, the end result may not sit as well as you planned.
Sorry, I've been away for a while - it's wedding season right now.
Anyway, I agree that I'm game for most techniques, but not clunies. Will we be designing with an eye to other people using the pattern? If so, we might also want to avoid other intimidating techniques such as Ring-on-ring.
I'm also thinking that we need to write up our rounds as we go. I've seen the older round robin doilies online - quite often, the instructions for the first 2-3 rounds are posted, but not those for the outer rounds. We might not write in the same format, but maybe the person doing the last round could make it consistent?
I like Kersti's idea that the thread (or main thread) for the doily should travel with the doily. Otherwise, maybe we could agree on a commonly used thread size, such as Lizbeth Size 20. (I don't have any Size 30 thread. I do have Lizbeth Size 40.)
I didn't originally want to do a foundation round, but, okay, I will give it a go. 
Along with the foundation round, are we supposed to provide a general vision for "our" doily?
Who fires the starting gun? Is there a time limit to finish?
@gracet I don't think you need to provide a vision for your doily - the beauty of these is that each person adds what they feel it needs and the doily progresses from there. You may have an idea of something but others may see it differently or perhaps they could execute something that you hadn't thought of at all. For a foundation row you're really just creating a medallion.
For time limits you could all agree to set one for each round. 1 month seems appropriate for figuring out an idea for the round, tatting it, writing out the instructions and mailing everything to the next person.
Starting gun is fired once the group all says yes they're in and ready and have their thread! If you choose size 20 you'll need one ball per colour.
I am ready when everyone else is. And Patty you can add clunies to my doily i just cant do them.
I'm interested to watch what folks do, but I have a full enough plate as it is to participate.
Well, right now I'm on my way to spend a few days with my tatting teacher! So I will get her to help me get started on Round 1. 
As you all are designing, would it be possible for people to test tat the patterns?
Sure! When I send mine off, I'll send you a copy and you can give it a try!
I think I misunderstood a Round Robin. I will look forward to seeing the designs in progress without the need to "test tat".
I'm ready! I agree with the others, sorry @pattyd, I don't do clunies, either! I guess I could learn...
I usually use size 20 and have it on hand. I could acquire other sizes if necessary.
I've now more or less worked out a centre which I could send on to the next person. (Well, maybe one or two more tries...)
I just want to check whether we are sending it along with the thread, or sending the tatted piece and pattern only, and the next person uses her own thread. Shall we agree on Lizbeth 20? I'm specifying Lizbeth because it's a different size from, say, Coats 20. I'll use a flat colour, so that the design can be more easily seen. (I've been using a 50g ball of Coats Aida white for experimenting, but I won't send that along!)
I happy with both size and thread - but have no lizbeth so will have to wait for some to arrive before I can officially start with this.
Also I'd prefer just to send pattern/tatting as it is easier to post on than the thread. I guess we'd all have to do the same colour then though
@taryn, if we send our thread with the tatting it doesn't matter what brand of thread you use because the next round would be from the same ball.
And if we don't send the thread we don't know what color the next person will use or if they have a color that will go with what you started with. Or if you'll like the next color. This will get worse as it goes to the next and the next persons.
