In the pattern "Tatted Couvrette Girls' Own Book 1858" from July, I mentioned I had not found a regular definition for the word "couvrette." Some of our readers, Anitra Stone and Kay Boniface shared some information with me. Although not defined, the word has been used in some of the Mrs. Beeton's tatting pattern. It seemed to all of us that the word must have a French origin, perhaps "couvert," which is in essence a "cover." So any small shape could be a couvrette. And many patterns suggest the use of these small medallions as a pincushion cover. How small??

Further research by Anitra's parents found a Victorian needlework reference book which defined couvrette as being French for a small coverlet, by extension, small meaning as intended for babies?

And as many times as I have read and researched Elgiva Nicholls' "Tatting: Technique and History", I missed this reference which Anitra spotted.

"[1851 A Lady]... "Tatting made easy, and how to join with the shuttle explained and exemplified"... 'couvrettes' - rectangular pieces of tatting composed either of an edging worked upon an edging, or of the simplest of medallions, of rings enclosing a space."

Recall the word, "plastron?" It is a bodice covering, plain as in padded for fencing, or fancy as in decorated with lace. I have found only one tatting pattern labeled as a plastron...but the search goes on.
Happy Tatting

See: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art3042.asp
Tatted Couvrette Girls' Own Book 1858
See: Pincushion cover

http://www.georgiaseitz.com/bella/barbarahevenerheminwaypincushion.pdf
Here's the latest article from the Tatting site at BellaOnline.com.

Onion Ring Join with the Tatting Needle The Onion Ring Join with the Tatting Needle takes a little more manipulation to make correctly

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art2862.asp

Please visit tatting.bellaonline.com for even more great content about Tatting. To participate in free, fun online discussions, this site has a community forum all about Tatting located here -

http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=39

I hope to hear from you sometime soon, either in the forum or in response to this email message. I thrive on your feedback! Have fun passing this message along to family and friends, because we all love free knowledge!

Georgia Seitz, Tatting Editor
http://tatting.bellaonline.com
One of hundreds of sites at BellaOnline.com