Tatting is a technique for handcrafting an exceptionally long lasting lace constructed by way of a number of knots and loops. Tatting can be made use of in order to make lace edging and also doilies, collars, and also other decorative pieces.
The lace is created with a pattern of rings and chains formed using a compilation of cow hitch, or half-hitch knots, named double stitches (ds), over a core thread. Gaps may be left amongst the stitches to create picots, that can be useful for practical construction as well as decorative effect.
Tatting dates into the early 19th century. The definition of for tatting in many European languages has been derived from out of French frivolit, which means the purely decorative nature of the textiles manufactured by this method. The technique began to mimic point lace.
Some reckon that tatting patterns could have developed from netting and decorative ropework as sailors and fishers would put together motifs for girlfriends and wives back at home. Decorative ropework utilized on ships includes techniques (esp. coxcombing) that show striking similarity with tatting. A very good description on this may be observed in Knots, Splices and Fancywork.
Some believe tatting originated over two centuries ago, often citing shuttles observed in eighteenth century paintings of ladies like Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Madame Adelaide (daughter of Louis XV of France), and Anne, Countess of Albemarle. A detailed inspection of those paintings demonstrates that the shuttles under consideration are too large to generally be tatting shuttles, and that they are in fact knotting shuttles.
There is no documentation, nor any examples of tatted lace, that date earlier than 1800. Most of the available evidence implies that tatting originated from the early 19th century.
Older designs, especially in the early 1900s, often use fine white or ivory thread (50 to 100 widths to the inch) and intricate designs. This thread was either made of silk or a silk blend, permitting for improper stitches to be easily removed.
Newer designs through the 1920s and onward often use thicker thread available as one or more colors. The best thread for tatting is often a "hard" thread which doesn't untwist readily.
DMC Cordonnet thread is a very common tatting thread; Perl cotton can be an type of an exquisite cord that's nonetheless somewhat loose for tatting purposes. Some tatting patterns incorporate ribbons and beads.
As most fashion periodicals, and home economics magazines from the first half of the 20th century attest, tatting stood a substantial following. When fashion included feminine touches including lace collars and cuffs, and inexpensive yet pleasant baby shower gifts were needed, this creative art flourished. When the fashion moved to an increasingly modern look and technology made lace a fairly easy and inexpensive commodity to obtain, hand-made lace began to decline.
Tatting has been used in occupational therapy to help keep convalescent patients' hands and minds active during recovery, as documented, one example is, in Betty MacDonald's The Plague & I.
The lace is created with a pattern of rings and chains formed using a compilation of cow hitch, or half-hitch knots, named double stitches (ds), over a core thread. Gaps may be left amongst the stitches to create picots, that can be useful for practical construction as well as decorative effect.
Tatting dates into the early 19th century. The definition of for tatting in many European languages has been derived from out of French frivolit, which means the purely decorative nature of the textiles manufactured by this method. The technique began to mimic point lace.
Some reckon that tatting patterns could have developed from netting and decorative ropework as sailors and fishers would put together motifs for girlfriends and wives back at home. Decorative ropework utilized on ships includes techniques (esp. coxcombing) that show striking similarity with tatting. A very good description on this may be observed in Knots, Splices and Fancywork.
Some believe tatting originated over two centuries ago, often citing shuttles observed in eighteenth century paintings of ladies like Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Madame Adelaide (daughter of Louis XV of France), and Anne, Countess of Albemarle. A detailed inspection of those paintings demonstrates that the shuttles under consideration are too large to generally be tatting shuttles, and that they are in fact knotting shuttles.
There is no documentation, nor any examples of tatted lace, that date earlier than 1800. Most of the available evidence implies that tatting originated from the early 19th century.
Older designs, especially in the early 1900s, often use fine white or ivory thread (50 to 100 widths to the inch) and intricate designs. This thread was either made of silk or a silk blend, permitting for improper stitches to be easily removed.
Newer designs through the 1920s and onward often use thicker thread available as one or more colors. The best thread for tatting is often a "hard" thread which doesn't untwist readily.
DMC Cordonnet thread is a very common tatting thread; Perl cotton can be an type of an exquisite cord that's nonetheless somewhat loose for tatting purposes. Some tatting patterns incorporate ribbons and beads.
As most fashion periodicals, and home economics magazines from the first half of the 20th century attest, tatting stood a substantial following. When fashion included feminine touches including lace collars and cuffs, and inexpensive yet pleasant baby shower gifts were needed, this creative art flourished. When the fashion moved to an increasingly modern look and technology made lace a fairly easy and inexpensive commodity to obtain, hand-made lace began to decline.
Tatting has been used in occupational therapy to help keep convalescent patients' hands and minds active during recovery, as documented, one example is, in Betty MacDonald's The Plague & I.
About the Author:
Ken Chadwick B.A.(Hons) is an author and broadcaster on a range of subjects and pastimes including the history of tatting patterns.
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