Nancy Tracy's Hippie Flower

The original pattern was designed by Nancy Tracy of Be-Stitched, but I have modified it a bit - added a repeat to make a 6-pointed snowflake instead of a 5-pointed flower, added a picot at the tip of the "petal", and omitted a picot or two from the "fluffy" part of the pattern.



I really like the central star, but it's obscured by some picots, and some of the picots in the "fluffy" part overlap each other which always annoys me, so I tried it again with my original variations but removing more picots.



I'm not sure which one I like more.  Either way, this is a fun little motif and was quick to tat, and would make lovely 5-pointed flowers in colored thread as well as a snowflake in white.  I found it helpful to use a gauge to ensure the long chains were all the same length (I tat on the bus while commuting and it sometimes has negative effects on chain tension consistency).

I got the pattern for free by being subscribed to her newsletter, but it appears that instead of putting this pattern on her extensive pages of free patterns (here) she has listed it for sale in her store (here).  If you wish to subscribe to her shop newsletter to get other free patterns in the future, follow the instructions on her website.