Tatting with Anne Orr

By Anne Orr

"A wonderful book that shows beautiful pictures with detailed lists on how to use and make these ornate crafts." —Book Worm
Originally developed as an easy way to reproduce knotted laces, tatting dates back at least to the seventeenth century. Despite its seeming intricacy, tatting is actually a very simple form of needlework — as this book by legendary needlework designer Anne Orr proves. With only a few stitches to master, even beginners can produce dozens of delicate-looking but extremely durable tatted articles.
Comprised of rare patterns created during the first half of the twentieth century, this collection features more than 100 designs: over 50 edgings (shamrock, forget-me-not, and other motifs), 40 medallions (triangular, circular, square, and snowflake-like shapes), beautiful collars and yokes, lovely doilies, luncheon sets, and baby items, including three exquisitely worked caps for infants. Each step and stitch is fully described, enabling even beginning tatters to quickly create beautiful accessories for today and prized heirlooms for tomorrow.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Release date: Dec 26, 2016
• ISBN: 9780486161778

Book preview

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Instructions for Tatting

Tatting is a form of lace made with a tatting shuttle, and for some designs only one shuttle is needed, while for others two are required.

As will be judged, the simplest form of tatting is the ring which is made with one shuttle, and when a chain is introduced, the second shuttle is required. In learning to tat, the knot is made on the shuttle thread, and not with it though all the action is taken with the shuttle thread, shown in illustration No. 3. A second important fact to remember is that the shuttle thread is pulled taut before the knot is tightened.

First, wind the thread around the bobbin in the shuttle, layer over layer, but the thread should never extend over the edge.

To make a ring: Hold the shuttle between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand as shown. Hold the end of the thread between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand and pass it around the fingers of this hand, not too tightly, crossing it under the thumb. It is with this loop of thread that the ring is worked and this is called the ring thread. Throw the shuttle thread over the right hand as in illustration No. 1. Pass the shuttle between the first and second fingers of left hand under the shuttle and ring threads and back over ring thread, allowing the ring thread to fall slack by bringing the four fingers of the left hand together. Pull shuttle thread taut, then open the fingers of the left hand until the loop is caught with the thumb, as shown in No. 3.

For the second half, the thread is dropped instead of raised, shuttle is passed over the left-hand thread instead of under (as before), is brought through below between the two threads (as before) and drawn up in the same way. (Illustration No. 2.) Illustration No. 4 shows the second half of stitch slipping into place beside the first half.

This group is called a double stitch and is the main stitch used in tatting. In making this, it will be found that by pulling the shuttle thread and then the ring thread, the stitch slips back and forth on the shuttle thread. If it does not, the stitch has been locked and must be made over again.

Illustration No. 5 shows a picot which is made by leaving a space of thread between the stitches, and to join two picots, draw the working thread through the picot and pass shuttle through loop. Then draw up close to resemble a half stitch, but not to be counted as one.

Two shuttles are required to make a design having a chain. Tie the threads together and hold between the thumb and second finger of the left hand and with the first finger outstretched, wind the thread around it two or three times, allowing the second shuttle to drop as on No. 6. The stitches for the chain are made with the thread between the first and second fingers in the same way as those for the rings.

DIRECTIONS FOR THE REVERSE STITCH

Begin ring, making three double stitches, picot, two double stitches, picot, three double stitches (figure one) (this is one-half of ring), take work off from hand* (reverse), turn over (figure two), put work on hand so that the thread which was under is now over the hand. Take shuttle No. 2 and make the other half of the ring, with the reverse stitch, which is done by holding the thread on the hand taut, and making the stitch with the thread from the shuttle, making three double stitches, picot, two double stitches, picot, three double stitches (figure three), take work from hand, turn over*, take shuttle No. 1 and close ring (figure four).

In joining while doing reverse work, do not draw shuttle very taut after passing through joining loop, but draw the loop back again so that the joining stitch is made with the thread from shuttle and the thread on the hand may be drawn back and forth.

ABBREVIATIONS IN TATTING

NOTES

All beginners should use coarse thread to see work better.

Never break off thread after winding shuttle if directions call for chain (ch).

When a shuttle has a point or hook, be careful to keep point forward.

Rings are to be made close together unless directions call for space (sp).

A ring is always to be drawn close unless otherwise stated.

Space means to allow thread between last ring and new one.

When making medallions, doilies, or centerpieces, the work will be lovelier and easier to do if it is pressed every two or three rows, in the desired form, and to do this place on a thick pad, shape, and press over a damp cloth, and then a dry one, until the piece is dry. This will show how the work is going, and will keep from being too full or too tight.

Medallion Centerpiece

Crochet Cotton No. 30.

CENTER—8 r of 3 p, sep by 3 ds, leaving ⅜ inch sp, j each new r to preceding r by 1st p and j last r to 1st r, cl—tie and cut.

1st Row—R 6 ds, j to p of center, 6 ds, cl—ch 3 p, sep by 3 ds—rep 1st row around, tie and cut.

2d Row—Sr 3 p sep by 4 ds, j center p to 1st p of ch, last row, cl—sp (¾inch)—turn—lr, 6 ds, 7 p, sep by 2 ds, 6 ds, cl—sp as before—rep around, j sr to p of 1st row and to each preceding sr; j lr to each preceding lr by 1st p, j last lr to 1st lr made—tie and cut. Fit medallions around piece of any shape and fasten together by tying with fine sewing thread.

Lunch Cloth and Doily

Lunch Cloth

Crochet Cotton No. 15.

SQUARE MEDALLION—Center R—1 ds, 8 p, sep by 2 ds, 1 ds, cl—tie