As my summer research into vintage tatting information continues I have found a surprising statement online in several articles. 'General Meritt Heminway of the Heminway Silk Company in Watertown, CT, est. 1821, was the first person to ever wind silk on a spool.' According to a History of Litchfield County, CT, he expanded this silk thread business in 1849 to include "sewing silks of all kinds." The first person to ever spool thread?? Wow! that surprised me.

You will remember the Belding Bros. Co from the patterns posted in July. Belding Brothers & Company merged with Heminway Silk Company in 1925 and did business as Belding-Heminway.

The silk threads were intended for embroidery, especially floral "needle painting", which was so very popular at that time. There are a number of Heminway Sons Silk Co. pattern booklets available for free download online. Among the booklets there are a few tatting patterns also. From Book #9 I have posted the cover, a sample advertisement, and four pattern pages for you to enjoy. http://antiquepatterns.dreamhosters.com/MHeminway9.pdf

http://antiquepatterns.dreamhosters.com/MHeminway9.pdf

Visit http://www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org/museum/collection/household/6.php for a sample photo of silks from Heminway Sons Silk Co.

http://www.georgiaseitz.com/bella/heminway9cover.jpg

http://www.georgiaseitz.com/bella/heminway9silks.jpg

http://www.georgiaseitz.com/bella/heminway9tatpg75.jpg

http://www.georgiaseitz.com/bella/heminway9tatpg76.jpg

http://www.georgiaseitz.com/bella/heminway9tatpg77.jpg

http://www.georgiaseitz.com/bella/heminway9tatpg78.jpg

If any tatter would like to rewrite these vintage patterns in modern tatting terms, I will be happy to post the solutions on BellaOnline.