Tatting – a dying art

I remember trying my hand at tatting.  My, what a laborious skill.  The trouble is these days we are all wanting instant satisfaction that often machine worked pieces are preferable to hand worked ones.  If only, because of price!

According to Wikipedia, ‘Tatting with a shuttle is the earliest method of creating tatted lace.’ 

To make the lace, the tatter wraps the thread around one hand and manipulates the shuttle with the other hand. No tools other than the thread, the hands, and the shuttle are used.  Some of the shuttles were made of bone and slipped easily through the loops.  Later, a tatting needle was introduced whereby instead of winding the cotton around the shuttle the needle had to be threaded.  Older designs, especially through the early 1900s, tend to use fine white or ivory thread (50 to 100 widths to the inch) and intricate designs. Newer designs from the 1920s and onward often use thicker thread in one or more colors. The best thread for tatting is a "hard" thread that does not untwist readily.

Well, I did try and still have the instruments for a rainy day!  Meanwhile, I inherited some old, antique lace from my late mother.  She lived into her 90s as did her mother.  So, some of the antique lace which in its day must have sat on lady’s collars etc seems to sit in a box in a cupboard.  As much as I can take out the pieces to ooh and aah over them, they always return to the storage in the cupboard.  This seems such a shame!  So, I am going to list some of these pieces in my Etsy shop and trust some buyer will come along who can fully appreciate the workmanship and beauty of them.

For instance, this tatted triangle is a fine example of the art of tatting and openwork.

PQ