Tatting

    I have no idea how long I have had the metal tatting shuttle in my sewing basket.  Nor do I recall how many times I tried to get past the difficulty of taking out a mistake.

    A few years ago, I found Mark, the Tatman's Website and gave him a call.  He gave me confidence to try again.  And then, Kate Henry and I were riding on the train into Chicago.  She watched me trying to tat and showed me the correct way.  Since then, I have certainly progressed.  So far I have one student who makes tatted lace.

    I will attempt to share a few of my accomplishments here.

Beaded Wreath

This pattern was featured on Mark, The Tatman's Website in 2002.  Laura Bobay shared the pattern with the tatting community.  It features two rows and uses one shuttle, the ball of thread and in this case, 36 seed beads.  This one hangs on our tree in December.

   

Scarf Edging

This is a variation of the Hen & chickens Pattern.  This pattern is found in several of the old Tatting Books.  You will notice the corner.  I managed to repeat my first try on all four corners.  The pattern books did not have a corner to suggest.     The nice thing about Hen and Chickens, it is made with only one shuttle.  As I look back on this early piece, I wish I had elongated the picots a lot more.

 

Cross Book Mark

While shopping in Hobby Lobby, I ran across a tatting book I couldn't resist:           Tatted Bookmarks, Needle and Shuttle.  Edited by Barbara Foster, Handy Hands, Inc.  First Edition.  c2001.     This cross is title Santa Fe Cross, by Pam McCormack, pg 14-15.  If memory serves, this was tatted with Alton Basik size 50.  It uses the shuttle and ball - ring and chain method.