As I began to write my first book on tatting patterns, "Tatting Alaska Style", Book 1 of the Ribbonwinners Series, I needed to understand the basic definition of lace.
Lace is a hole which is surrounded by thread. The method by which the thread is laid down around the hole, by twisting, crossing, plaiting, looping, knitting or knotting, determines the type of lace produced. They are intricately beautiful pieces of bobbin lace, knitted lace, crocheted lace, macramé lace, needle lace and tatted lace. The play of light reflected by the turning threads is a source of fascination, beauty and inspiration. And it creates a great source of joy for those hands plying with needle, hook, bobbin or shuttle.
By the time I started the second book, "Tatting is not just doilies anymore", I had realized that although tatted lace does indeed make wonderful doilies, Christmas ornaments, handkerchief and lingerie edgings, it doesn't just have to lie there anymore either.
And tatting on wire can produce three-dimensional effects which translate well into flowers for corsages and wall decorations. While needle tatting allows you to add glitter to your lace by using metallic threads.
By the time the next two books were in print my horizons in tatting had been greatly expanded on to beaded tatting which adds extra elegance to special occasion pieces such as valentines, bookmarks, and crosses.
I have learned that beads strung on the shuttle thread require some experience to position properly, but beads strung on the ball thread can be worked into the lace by even beginners with ease. Beads can also be added to the lace by slipping them over the picots just before a join is made.
But after I completed the self-improvement book, "Tatting Talk," book 6 of the Ribbonwinners Series, I knew that I had barely scratched the surface of the meaning of lace. I once felt that I was a purist, a traditionalist admiring and helping to preserve vintage pieces of lace which were once the apex of the art.
I so admired the pristine white table covers, doilies, place mats such as those tatted by Jan Stawasz which were big and bold, too.
And the body of work by Ineke Kuiperji amazed everyone with this 3-dimensional carousel as well as whole towns in tatted lace.
And then, the clever figures designed by Martha Ess began to evolve until we are all afire awaiting the next one.
Nina Libin's heavily beaded tatted pieces are mesmerizing. But, luckily, she designs them so that any tatter can create these masterpieces of jewelry. And she explained the mysteries of ANKARS tatting to us also.
But whenever I begin to think again that I know all the types of tatted lace in our modern pattern book of tatting, I remember that Jane Eborall's shuttle, has made pigs fly!
I can't wait to see what is next in the tatting world.
Here's the latest article from the Tatting site at BellaOnline.com.
Treasure Tatting by Keiko Suzuki Treasure Tatting by Keiko Suzuki ©2014 with 90 pages in the A4 format has 50 pages of color and 40 pages of diagrams and instructions in gray tones. Japanese with numbered diagrams.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art302467.asp
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Georgia Seitz, Tatting Editor http://tatting.bellaonline.com One of hundreds of sites at BellaOnline.com
