Spring, summer, and fall are good seasons to hold homespun gatherings called reenactments. On many an old battlefield or famous location, like-minded persons gather to preserve our heritage and the trades and arts that helped to build the nation. While battle reenactments are stirring, those persons who demonstrate the old ways of spinning, weaving, basket-making, butter-making, quilting and, of course, tatting, I feel have the most lasting effect on the onlookers.

It is difficult to stay within the bounds of the time period even for tatters. For example, if a lacemaker wanted to demonstrate lacemaking during the early 1800's, then the lacer should show bobbin lace in progress. Here is a lace pillow dressed by Sherry Townsend.

After 1850 tatting is taking hold and publications with patterns appear, but it would be simple one shuttle tatting or tatting done using a blunt needle as if it were a shuttle.

You can tell that a needle was used as a shuttle in the doily below if you look carefully at the bare thread which goes between the rings; a shuttle would have been too big to go through the opening of a picot as shown here.


For excellent patterns to use at reenactments please see the Mlle Riego Books [url]http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art70461.asp[/url]
"Flitting Fingers: Tatting in the 19^th Century by Virgina Mescher

Virgina Mescher will be familiar to those BellaOnline.com tatters who are also members of the Online Tatting Class from her article on Civil War Tatting. Her book is a real gem for tatters, tatting historians, and tatters who participate in historical reenactments alike. Petite in size (8.5" x 5.5" or 21 x 14 cm), it is immense in the scope of information contained. It has 120 pages and contains an 8-page bibliography.

This fascinating look at tatting offers many 19^th century instructions and patterns Metternich Cravat by Mlle. Riego(1842 - 1889.) Each pattern is fully documented with source and date. Many historical references to tatting and its origins are included.

The many types of tatting tools, needles, and shuttles are discussed and a list of tatting patents appears in the bibliography. This book fills a niche in the history of tatting. It is a great read and should be in every library!