Tag: tatting

The Creative Corner · Vintage Needlework

Two-tone tatting patterns

VintageJenny
Leaf and flower tatted in two colors. Bright pink and bright blue give contrast to the design of the lace.
Imagine this leaf and flower decorating a Twenties costume

Recently I wrote about two color tatting. You can find that post here. This time I will give the patterns for the flower and the leaf above. These two-tone tatting patterns were designed with color in mind.

Compared to the other two patterns these are much more difficult. You tat both of them in one round. In one way that’s nice because you don’t have to worry about a Round 2. On the other, however, you can see this means lots of twisting and turning in completing that round. This is not a pattern to complete in front of the television set, especially the leaf. The flower tats relatively repetitively once you get started.

As I mentioned last time, this pattern dates from September, 1927. I can’t imagine trying to complete this while chatting with a front porch friend. Actually, I don’t have to imagine it –– I attempted to begin the flower while chatting with another tatter and it took everything I had to follow the pattern and the conversation at the same time.

You may notice that the lines from the hexagon center seem wiggly. That’s because they are. In order to get this to lay flat you are either going to have to pull those center chains really tight, or remove 1 ds from both sides of each spoke. Or maybe both. I ended up with a cupped flower, which suits my needs exactly. I want to use this to decorate a Twenties style hat.

Without further ado, the patterns:

Hexagon/Flower two-tone tatting pattern

Fill two shuttles with two separate colors. Your rings will be one color and the chains another: thus, two-tone tatting patterns.

  1. Make a ring of (3 ds, picot) three times, 3 ds, close. The middle picot should be a bit longer than the others. Reverse work.
  2. Chain of (2 ds, picot) nine times, 2 ds. Reverse work.
  3. Ring of 3 ds, join to last picot of previous ring, 3 ds, join to center picot of previous ring, 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, close ring. Reverse work.
  4. Chain of (2 ds, picot) seven times, 2 ds. Reverse work.
  5. Repeat Step 3.
  6. Another chain like Step 2.
  7. Ring of 3 ds, join to last picot of previous ring, 3 ds, join to center picot, 3 ds, join to first picot of first ring, 3 ds, close ring. This completes one compact group of four rings along the outside. Reverse work.
  8. Chain of 5 ds, picot, 2 ds, picot, 9 ds. Reverse work.
  9. Ring of 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, long picot (you will be attaching five more rings here), 3 ds, picot, 3 ds close ring. Reverse work.
  10. Chain of 9 ds, join to last picot of long chain just made, 2 ds, join to next picot, 5 ds.
  11. Ring like Step 1.
  12. Chain of 2 ds, p, 2 ds, join to 8th picot of third long chain in preceding scallop, (2 ds, p) seven times, 2 ds.
  13. Repeat from Step 3 around. When you get to the last long chain of the sixth scallop, join the 2nd picot to the 8th picot of the previous scallop as before. Also join the 8th picot to the 2nd picot of the first long chain to make a hexagon. In addition, join the last picot of the sixth center ring to the first picot of the first ring. Tie securely and hide ends.

This hexagon can be used for doilies, borders, or used as a single motif.

The Leaf

Everyone needs a good tatted leaf motif. Right? Especially if you are reconstructing vintage clothing or articles.

Two shuttles filled with two colors, as before. I knotted the ends to begin and then worked all the ends in later. This pattern begins with the top of the two rings on the far side.

  1. Make a ring of 5 ds, (picot, 2 ds, picot, 7 ds) twice, picot, 2 ds, picot 5 ds, close. Reverse work.
  2. Chain of 3 ds, picot, 2 ds, picot, 5 ds. Reverse work.
  3. Ring of 4 ds, join to last picot of previous ring, 2 ds, join, (5 ds, picot, 2 ds, picot) twice, 4 ds, close ring. Do not reverse work.
  4. Chain of 3 ds, picot, 2 ds, picot, 3 ds. Reverse work.
  5. Ring of 5 ds, join to first picot of first chain made, 2 ds, join, (5 ds, picot) twice, 2 ds, picot, 5 ds, close ring. Reverse work.
  6. Chain of 3 ds. Reverse work.
  7. Ring of 5 ds, join to picot of second chain made, 2 ds, join to chain, (5 ds, picot, 2 ds, picot) twice, 5 ds close. Reverse work.
  8. Chain of 3 ds. Reverse work.
  9. Ring of 5 ds, join to last picot on ring to the side, 2 ds, join to next picot, (5 ds, picot, 2 ds, picot) twice, 5 ds, close, Reverse work.
  10. Repeat Steps 8 and 9 until you have two more rings on each side. Do not reverse work.
  11. After the last ring make a chain of 3 ds, (picot, 2 ds) three times. Reverse work.
  12. Make a tiny ring of 3 ds, join to the side of the ring at the left, 3 ds, close. Reverse work.
  13. Chain of 1 ds, picot, (2 ds, picot) 4 times, 1 ds. Reverse work.
  14. Tiny ring of 3 ds, join to top of same ring, 3 ds, close ring. Reverse work.
  15. Chain like Step 13 with 5 picots. Reverse work.
  16. Tiny ring like Step 14 joining to next ring. Reverse work.
  17. Repeat Steps 15 and 16 twice. (You should have 5 tiny rings total at this point.)
  18. Chain of ds, picot, (2ds, picot) three times, 1 ds. Reverse work.
  19. Tiny ring as before, joined to top of same ring as last ring. Reverse work.
  20. Chain of 5 picots like Step 13. Reverse work.
  21. Tiny ring joining to top of next ring. Reverse work.
  22. Chain of 5 picots like Step 13. Reverse work.
  23. Tiny ring joining to side of current ring. Reverse work.
  24. Chain of 6 picots as before (add one more 2 ds, picot to make 6). Join to the top of the third ring you made (next in line as you progress around the leaf). Do NOT make a tiny ring to join. Then chain ds, picot, (2 ds, picot) twice, ds. Reverse work.
  25. Tiny ring as before (3 ds, join, 3 ds) joining to the top of the next ring. Reverse work.
  26. Chain of ds, picot, (2 ds, picot) twice, ds. Reverse work.
  27. Tiny ring joining to top of next ring. Reverse work.
  28. Chain of 6 picots. Reverse work.
  29. Tiny ring joining to top of next ring. Reverse work.
  30. Chain of ds, picot, (2 ds, picot) twice, ds. Reverse work.
  31. Tiny ring joined to side of current ring.
  32. Chain of 4 ds, join to 2nd picot of chain with which you started. Then for the leaf stem chain 6 ds, picot, 2 ds, picot, 12 ds, join to last picot made, 2 ds, join to next picot, 6 ds, join to picot where stem started, and fasten off.

As you can see this is a rather long set of instructions. Once you begin and get the rhythm you will be able to check every now and then to ensure you’re on the right track, stopping to count every couple rings or chains to make sure you’re in the right place.

How will you use them?

What uses can you imagine for these two pieces? Do you prefer them in two colors, or one?

The Creative Corner · Vintage Needlework

Tatting with Two Colors

VintageJenny
A tatted leaf and flower in tatting. Both are created with vibrant blue and pink threads.
Effective use of color in tatting

Most of the time beginning tatters start with one thread color. For one thing, a single ball of thread is cheaper than two. Especially if someone embarks on a new hobby unsure if they will like it. As you can see above, however, tatting with two colors can be quite effective. Today I will give you patterns for several two-color designs.

Today many tatters incorporate color into their work. During the Twenties, however, almost all tatting was white –– or at least one solid color. That’s why the designs above caught my eye. They appeared in the September 1927 edition of Needlecraft Magazine.

You can see the influence of the 1920s in the leaf and the flower. These would look magnificent fastened onto a Twenties cloche or other style of hat as decoration. The leaves alone would bring a lively look to a Twenties outfit, marching in a vertical row down one side of a dress or jacket. If you pull the spoke stitches very tight, the flower should lie flat. (You may need to subtract a stitch from each spoke, however.) If you leave the spokes the tiniest bit loose, your tatting will cup like a flower. Your choice. Even in the original illustration the spokes did not lie completely straight.

Because a couple of these patterns are rather lengthy, I’ll present two this time and two in a later post.

You will need

For all these tatting with two colors patterns you will need two balls of thread in any colors. High contrast colors like the pink and blue I used work better, but if you want a subtle effect white and lavender, light blue, light green, or light pink would work too.

I tatted all these in size 20 thread. Use whatever size you enjoy working with, or the size that will best fit your final project.

I also used two shuttles, one filled with each color of thread, but you can use a shuttle and ball if you prefer. The most effective (and easiest) way of tatting with two colors is to use one color for chains and the other for rings.

A simple edging

Simple tatted edging of bright pink rings and bright blue chains in a straight line.
The simplest of edgings looks great in two colors

This edging is simple enough for any beginning tatter who knows how to make rings and chains.

  1. Make a ring of (3 ds, picot) three times, 3 ds, close ring. Reverse work.
  2. Chain of 3 ds, picot, 2 ds, picot, 3 ds. Reverse work.
  3. Ring of 3 ds, join to last picot of previous ring, (3 ds, picot) twice, 3 ds, close ring.
  4. Repeat from Step 2.

This makes a nice edging for handkerchiefs done in a fine thread, or anything else small that needs a trim.

Two rows of bright pizzazz

Deeper tatted edging in two colors. Most of the edging is bright blue. A bottom scalloped edging is formed of bright pink rings.
The original called for all rings to be the second color but it took away from the overall effect.

You never know when you will need a good scallop pattern. This one makes neat, orderly scallops to trim something special. It’s made in two rows. Originally the instructions said to make all rings the second color, but that broke up the color concentration in the scallops. So instead I completed the first row and attached the ball thread to my blue-thread shuttle for the second row. Then I made the rings with the shuttle and the chains with the ball.

Row 1

  1. Make a ring of 4 ds, picot, (2 ds, picot) three times, 3 ds, close ring. Reverse work.
  2. Chain of 6 ds, picot, (2 ds, picot) twice, 6 ds, picot, 2 ds, picot, 6 ds. Reverse work.
  3. Ring of 3 ds, join to last picot of preceding ring, 2 ds, join to next picot, (3 ds, picot, 2 ds, picot) twice, 3 ds, close ring. Reverse work.
  4. Chain of 3 ds. Reverse work.
  5. Ring like Step 3, joining first two picots to last two picots of preceding ring. Reverse work.
  6. Chain of 3 ds. Reverse work.
  7. Repeat Step 5.
  8. Repeat Step 6.
  9. Repeat Step 5.
  10. Repeat Step 6.
  11. Repeat Step 5. (Six total rings made so far.)
  12. Chain of 6 ds, join to last two picots of preceding long chain, 6 ds, picot, (2 ds, picot) twice, 6 ds. Reverse work.
  13. Ring of 4 ds, join to last picot of preceding ring, 2 ds, join to next picot of preceding ring, (2 ds, picot) twice, 4 ds, close.
  14. Repeat Step 2.
  15. Ring of 3 ds, join the first two picots to last two of preceding ring, 3 ds, join to picots 3 and 4 of last large ring, 3 ds, picot, 2 ds, picot, 3 ds, close ring. Reverse work.
  16. Repeat from Step 4 for the length required.

Row 2

Either use one color for the chains and the other for the rings as before, or tie on your ball thread and use that color for rings and chains for this row.

  1. Make a ring of 5 ds, picot, 5 ds, join to first of 3 picots at top of long chain, (2 ds, join to next picot) twice, 5 ds, picot, 5 ds, close ring. Reverse work.
  2. Chain of 5 ds, picot, 5 ds, picot, (2 ds, picot) twice, 5 ds. Reverse work.
  3. Ring of 5 ds, join to last picot of previous ring, 5 ds, join to chain picot, (2 ds, join to next picot) twice, 5 ds, picot, 5 ds, close ring. Reverse work.
  4. Repeat from Step 2 across.

Use them!

Need a thin narrow band and don’t have ribbon? Use tatting in two colors! Tat the first pattern in two colors for a great replacement. Looking for something a bit thicker? Make the first pattern twice, either connecting ring to ring or chain to chain. This creates two entirely different looks.

I’ll present the patterns for the leaf and flower in a later post. To explore other possible patterns that would look good in two colors, check out this post on Tatting with Rings and Chains.

Household Sewing · Vintage Ways

Bags for Every Use

VintageJenny
Simple drawstring bag with a small cross stitch design on the front and a fringed bottom.
This bag could be used for a day out, sewing, or lace.

How many bags can one person use? Well, in a vintage world without pockets –– unless you happen to be wearing an apron –– quite a few bags, actually. You need a knitting bag, a travel workbag, a sewing bag, an evening purse (for those nights you go out), and a day purse. Most of these need to be updated every year or two as the fashions change. Oh! Don’t forget the storage bags, the travel bags, the organization bags…

For someone who enjoys making bags, the 1910s through the 1950s is a world of creativity waiting to happen. Every needlework magazine offered the latest in bags for this use or that one. Individual crochet booklets offered bags. Once in a while, a company published a booklet containing instructions for bags for nearly every use imaginable.

Vintage bags organized life

In a vintage household, a bag was a sign of organization. Items that needed their own places found themselves nestled into bags or containers specifically made for them. The most obvious example of this in the vintage home was the string holder which hung in the kitchen or pantry.

Have you ever tried to keep a ball of string from unraveling until you used the last of it? Regardless whether it’s thin or thick, slick or rough, string tends to unwind. And it often unwinds in large bunches, a layer at a time. Let’s say you’re in a hurry, you need some string, you open that kitchen drawer and… it’s everywhere. Somehow the string got caught in the ice pick and several layers lie strewn about the top of the drawer. You can’t even see the cut end to pull it. And you are in a hurry. You were on your way out the door to a meeting, and planned to take this package with you….

Keep the string handy

You can see the problem. Thus, one of the most oft-used bags in a kitchen was the string bag. Sometimes it looked like a tomato hanging from a hook. Other times it looked like a puffy round ball of fabric. At all times, though, a thin string of some kind hung from an opening in the bottom of the bag. You pulled the string, it unwound inside the bag, and you cut off whatever you needed to use. The rest of it waited in the bag until next time.

And why did everyone need a ball of string or twine in the kitchen? Because before 1930, Scotch/cellophane tape did not exist. There was no tape. The only tape that existed was for medical use. Everyone else used string. Need to truss a chicken? Cut some string. Tying a roast for dinner? Use the string. Need to get that package ready for the mail? Grab the string. (This, by the way, is why the U.S. Postal Service still states that they cannot accept packages tied with string for mailing. Because for many years, they did! You can find that in this list of packaging suggestions from the USPS.)

Keeping a ball of general purpose string handy is still a good idea. Several times a year I find myself poking through my yarn stash, in search of some inexpensive cotton string or yarn that I can use to tie or measure something. And to keep it neat, I can make a string holder for the pantry.

Organize that linen closet!

If you really had your act together in 1925-1945, your linen closet held a selection of specially made bags. Some held sheets and pillow cases. Others held your best tablecloths. Opening your linen closet door, you could take immediate stock of what was available and what you needed. Your linen closet might even hold a closed bag for soiled laundry of some kind.

Keep your crafting separate

Do you tat lace? Then you need a small bag that hangs from your wrist so that your lacemaking thread remains untangled –– and stays with you instead of rolling across the floor. You also need a small bag to keep your tatting shuttles and other implements safe. In that bag goes your current project.

If you knit, you need a knitting bag. Or two. Or more. Some knitters are One Project At A Time knitters, but most knitters I know have two to three projects going on a time. Often they are a quickly made project, an intermediate length project and something large like an afghan or a detailed cardigan that takes many hours of work. Mixing these together in one knitting bag is not wise. All those knitting needles start talking together while you aren’t looking, and before you know it you have a knitting mutiny on your hands.

Seriously, though, keeping projects separate means that they remain clean. They also survive with fewer poked holes in them. I don’t know what those knitting needles do in there, but I inevitably find a stray needle poking through my current project if I have more than one per knitting bag.

Crocheters need bags too. Even though it uses yarn just like knitting, a crochet project works best by itself in its own organization bag. For one thing, crochet can get bulky as the project grows.

Today many crafters grab a large ziplock bag to create a “project bag” with yarn or thread, needles or shuttle. Then they are ready to go. These individual crafting bags predated the plastic ziplock bag and fulfill the same function. Truly, they were bags for every use.

Sewing on the go

Although makers use their sewing machines a lot, keeping a sewing bag close at hand can be quite useful. A few vintage lovers find themselves making garments and items completely by hand. Others (myself included) prefer handworked buttonholes to machine buttonholes. (The fact that I can’t seem to get a buttonholer attachment to work with any of my vintage machines doesn’t help either, but I digress…)

Mending used to be never-ending in the vintage household. Someone always needed a replaced button, lengthened dresses or pants, darned socks. The clever worker kept a mending bag just for these items, with a darning egg, matching threads, strong threads for attaching buttons, and other such necessities. That way, when ten spare minutes presented themselves, they could grab the bag, open it up, and complete a quick project.

Other people kept a sewing bag specifically for pickup work. This included small handmade gifts, embroidery projects for spare moments, and that placemat project you wanted to start last year. Items you can pick up, spend half an hour on, and put back down until next time.

So when you see those lists of bag projects from vintage years, keep in mind that the vintage worker kept bags for every use under the sun. If you’re looking for an easy project to carry in a bag, these Outline Stitch squares go together to make up a small quilt.

The Creative Corner · Vintage Needlework

Tatting with Rings and Chains

VintageJenny
Wooden table surface with three strips of handmade tatted lace.
You can tat all these with two threads.

If you’ve been following my series on introductory tatting, you’ve spent the last several installments working with only one thread. If you missed prior sections, you can find the last one here. Personally, I love shuttle-only designs for their airiness and their portability, but one cannot live by shuttle alone. So today I bring you a few options for tatting with rings and chains.

There are two ways to tat with two threads. You can keep the thread connected to the ball of thread after winding your shuttle. You then make your chains using the ball thread while you create rings with the shuttle thread alone. While this is a traditional way to tat, it offers drawbacks as well as advantages. It allows you to suspend the ball from your wrist in a holder if you like. This keeps it close yet lightens the weight on your hands. A negative, however, is that when you run out of shuttle thread you have to cut both threads, rewind the shuttle, and attach both threads as you continue. That, in a word, is a pain.

An alternate way to tat with two threads is to use two shuttles. I thought this was a relatively recent way to tat until I came across a 1925 pattern calling for two shuttles. The benefit here is that everything is very portable. Two shuttles fit into your pocket or bag as easily as one, and off you go. Plus, since your remaining thread waits for you on the ball, you can refill an empty shuttle at any time. I have found two drawbacks to this method, however. First, the extra weight from a loaded shuttle can be trying for my hands over time. And second, the two shuttles tend to wrap around themselves and tangle if my attention wanders or I try to go too fast.

However, the two-shuttle method remains very popular. Lots of tatters use it and love it. Experiment a bit, if you haven’t yet, and decide which method is better for you. You should also know: in some modern patterns two shuttles are required because they include techniques that simply cannot be completed with only one shuttle and ball thread. So if you regularly tat modern patterns, or you plan to, the habit of tatting with two shuttles may be a good one to acquire.

Instructions: tatting with rings and chains

These patterns are all straight edgings. Done two-sided they would make splendid bookmarks. As they are, they would look nice on handkerchiefs, towels, shirts, jackets, bedsheets, hats, handbags, or whatever you fancy. Usually I present these in time order, oldest to newest, but today I’ll give them in simplicity order. All these threads are tatted with size 10 thread so you can see the detail. You make them in whatever size thread you like.

Abbreviations you will need:

  • r: ring
  • cl r: close ring
  • ds: double stitches, the basic tatting stitch
  • p: picot
  • ch: chain
  • rw: reverse work. Turn the thing upside down so the ring facing north is now facing south
  • turn: flip the work over side to side, like looking at the front and back sides of a PopTart, or turning the page of a book

Edging 1

tatted lace in white on wood background. Clover, circle, clover, circle, joined with arcs at the top.

This first edging dates from 1959/1960. As you look at it compared with the others you can see that it’s very simple. This is the next step up from a beginner’s pattern of tatting with rings and chains. I really liked the little ring in between each clover leaf. In a fine thread (size 40 or 80) this would make a lovely edging for a handkerchief, special dinner napkin, or scarf – if you use scarves to dress up your 1950s wardrobe.

This would look lovely made in two colors. The chain thread could be a light version of a color, like lavender or pink or yellow. Then use a darker version of that same color, like purple or rose or deep yellow for the rings. Here’s how to make it:

  1. First, wind a shuttle and leave attached to the ball, OR wind two shuttles splitting 6 – 8 yards of thread evenly between them, OR use a wound shuttle and a ball thread or second shuttle thread, knotting the ends together before you begin. Your choice.
  2. Make a ring of 3 ds, p, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, p, 3ds, cl r.
  3. R of 3 ds, join to last p of last ring, 3 ds, p, 2 ds, p, 2 ds, p, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, cl r.
  4. R of 3 ds, join to last p of last r, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, cl r. [You have now made one of the clover leaves.]
  5. Rw. Make a chain of 6 ds, p, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, p, 6 ds. Pull up tight and rw.
  6. Make a r of 3 ds, join to 2nd p of last r, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, cl r. Rw. [This is the small ring in between clovers.]
  7. Ch of 6 ds, p, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, p, 6 ds. Rw.
  8. R of 3 ds, p, 3 ds, join to last p of previous r, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, cl r.
  9. Repeat from step 3 for the length of the lace.

Edging 2

White tatted lace on wooden background. It looks like a row of little figures holding hands, their arms raised next to their heads. Below the arms the lace terminates in a circle with five picots.

This lace dates from 1925. You can see that it’s more elaborate than the one above it. This would be a great edging for all the uses described above, especially handkerchiefs. It would be nice by the yard to trim underthings or pajamas. This edging would probably look best in one color, unless you use a variegated thread. That might be really pretty. Here’s how to make it:

  1. First, wind a shuttle and leave attached to the ball, OR wind two shuttles splitting 6 – 8 yards of thread evenly between them, OR use a wound shuttle and a ball thread or second shuttle thread, knotting the ends together before you begin. Your choice.
  2. Make a r of 2 ds, p, 2 ds, p, 2 ds, p, 2 ds, cl r. Rw.
  3. Ch of 7 ds. Do not rw.
  4. R of 2 ds, p, 2 ds, p, 2 ds, p, 2 ds, p, 2 ds, p, 2 ds, cl r. [You are making a ring of 2 ds, (p, 2 ds) 5x, cl r.]
  5. Rw. Make this next ring as close as possible to the base of the last one. R of 7 ds, join to last p of first small r, 4 ds, p, 4 ds, p, 7 ds, cl r.
  6. Rw. Chain of 7 ds. Rw.
  7. Small r of 2 ds, join to last p of large r, 2 ds, p, 2 ds, p, 2 ds, cl r. Rw.
  8. Repeat from Step 3 for length of lace.

Edging 3

A sturdy scalloped lace. White tatting on a wooden board background.

This lace also dates from 1925. This is one sturdy lace. If you look closely you can see that almost every picot attaches everywhere else. It does not move. If you make a row of this, the only picot that hangs free is the one at the bottom point. This is a lace for bedsheets, towels, the ends of runners. I’m thinking about making a length of this for the edge of my fireplace mantel or a piano scarf.

It would be gorgeous in holiday colors, whatever colors say holiday to you. Taking pink and green for example (are there any pink and green holidays?), rings of pink with chains of green would look like flowers winding up and down, up and down. Very nice. Here’s how to make it:

  1. First, wind a shuttle and leave attached to the ball, OR wind two shuttles splitting 6 – 8 yards of thread evenly between them, OR use a wound shuttle and a ball thread or second shuttle thread, knotting the ends together before you begin. Your choice.
  2. R of 4 ds, p, 4 ds, p, 4 ds, cl r. Rw.
  3. Ch 6 ds. Rw.
  4. R of 4 ds, join to last p of last r, 4 ds, p, 4 ds, cl r. Rw.
  5. Another r of 4 ds, p, 4 ds, p, 4 ds, cl r. This should be close to the base of the last one so they sit bottom to bottom. Rw.
  6. Ch 6 ds. Rw.
  7. R 4 ds, join to last p of last r, 4 ds, p, 4 ds, cl r.
  8. Maka a r of 4 ds, join to last p of last r, 4 ds, p, 4 ds, p, 4 ds, cl r.
  9. R of 4 ds, join to last p of last r, 4 ds, p, 4 ds, cl r. [You have just completed the clover at the bottom. Now you will work your way back up.]
  10. Rw. Ch of 6 ds. Rw.
  11. R of 4 ds, join to last p of clover, 4 ds, p, 4 ds, cl r. Rw.
  12. Another R of 4 ds, join to 2nd ring made, 4 ds, p, 4 ds, cl r. Rs.
  13. Ch of 6 ds. Rw.
  14. R of 4 ds, join to last p of last r made, 4 ds, p, 4 ds, cl r. Rw.
  15. R of 4 ds, p, 4 ds, p, 4 ds, cl r. [You are back where you started, completing the first ring at the top of the lace.]
  16. Repeat from Step 3 for the length of the lace, being sure to join the third ring of the second scallop to the seventh ring of the first scallop as you go.

What do you think?

If you enjoy tatting with rings and chains and would like to see more patterns like these, drop me a comment and I’ll hunt them up for a future post. I really enjoyed making these and found a new favorite pattern or two along the way. If you’d like to check into this series from the beginning, you can take a look at Easy Vintage Tatting Patterns. If you need basic tatting instructions, Making Lace with Shuttle and Thread links to some beginning tatting videos that I found very clear.

Magazine articles · The Magazine Rack · Vintage Needlework

Owning a Twenties Needlecraft Business

VintageJenny
A 1920s sketch of a woman sitting on her front porch in a large wicker chair. A low table sits next to her. She is sewing by hand. Next to her a friend sits on the porch railing. They are visiting.
Many women found that time with their needle could turn a profit.

Many of the magazines of the Twenties and Thirties offered ideas for women to make extra money from home. For many families, the Twenties life wasn’t attending party after party in dance shoes and short dresses. It was about making ends meet and finding the best prices at the grocer. And sometimes it was about making a bit of money on the side. Owning a Twenties needlecraft business was highly encouraged by some of the needlework magazines of the time..

Here is one story, direct from the pages of Needlecraft Magazine. These little stories appeared on the editorial page, and I’m sure subscribers read them with interest, just as I did when I found it 100 years later.

A Twenties mail-order needlecraft business

Attributed to a Bess V. from Tennessee, this tells a tale of ingenuity and business savvy. Bess didn’t just open a store front and wait for people to appear. Instead, she looked at her situation realistically and networked with people in her community to get the word out. Here is her story:

“My own Needlecraft Shop is on a mail-order basis. I live in a small town where it would scarcely pay to open such a shop in the regular way. Yet I trust the hints I am glad to offer, and which are drawn from personal experience will help others in adding to their income as I have done.

Then those who bought the camisoles showed them to friends. In a short time I was in receipt of mail orders from the city.

“My first orders were for a tatted camisole yoke, made up on white wash-silk. This I took with me on a shopping trip to a nearby city. I used it in soliciting orders from the clerks of the department store. The work spoke for itself, and I made my price as reasonable as possible. Because of this, I brought home enough orders to keep me busy for several weeks.

“Then those who bought the camisole yokes showed them to friends. In a short time I was in receipt of mail orders from the city. These were not only for yokes, but also for lace to trim underwear, pillowcases, and other articles. One woman sent an order for fourteen yards!

Tatted lace and embroidered hankies

“In another town near my home a woman I know set up a dressmaking establishment. She gave me permission to put some of my work on display in her windows. It sold rapidly, especially tatted collars and lace for trimming dresses. My friend said it really helped her business. Passers-by would stop to admire the work, and many of them came in and placed an order for a dress with one of the collars or some of the lace to match.

“Among my best sellers are handmade handkerchiefs. Material for half a dozen costs comparatively little. For some of them I use an edge of tiny tatted rings, or a simple dainty pattern in crochet. Others with plain edges show a design embroidered in colors.

“An assortment of these handkerchiefs, neatly arranged, was placed in a ready-to-wear waist [blouse] shop. Others were displayed in a millinery store where they sold readily.

“I have found that bits of thread left from embroidering larger pieces are often sufficient for working several handkerchief corners. The proprietors of shops such as I have named rarely object to having work placed on sale as long as it does not enter into competition with their own goods. On the contrary, they seem glad to have it.

“So here’s to the success of other workers! Where there’s a will the way is not hard to find. It requires only the determination to carry on, and the ability to see and grasp every opportunity presented. Perhaps we need to create them when we do not at once discern an opportunity. Let me say that Needlecraft has been and is a veritable goldmine to me. I have no difficulty whatever in selling the neatly finished designs with which it is always teeming.”

Things change yet they stay the same

It’s interesting that Bess needed to augment her income in the 1920s much like many of us do today. As I read through her story, I wondered… how did she get all this done while running a household in 1920-1928? She lists a massive amount of needlework production. Even though she outlines no time period for her side business, she still produces an amazing number of finished goods.

She makes:

  • Tatted lace collars
  • Lace yardage in tatting –– including a 14-yard order!
  • Tatted lace chemise yokes.
  • Embroidered handkerchiefs
  • Handkerchiefs with crochet edgings
  • Handkerchiefs with tatted edgings

Bess not only decorates the handkerchiefs, she makes them from fabric yardage. It was almost easier to hem a handkerchief while attaching the finished lace than it was to attach the lace to a finished purchased handkerchief.

Even considering the time span may equal three years or more, this is still quite a bit of handwork for someone to produce for sale. Not only that, but if someone asked me to tat 14 yards of edging I may just pass out! Bess must have really enjoyed working with her tatting shuttle.

In addition, owning a needlecraft business in the Twenties required bookkeeping, packaging, mailing, and keeping address and contact records. Basically, everything we do now to run a business, Bess needed to keep on paper.

I hope you enjoyed this look into the life of a needlecraft entrepreneur and this look at owning a Twenties needlecraft business. If you were going to open a mail-order shop like this today (a relatively easy project given the Internet), what would you want to sell? What projects do you love enough to create them over and over again?

The Creative Corner · Vintage Needlework

Two Ring Tatting Part 2

VintageJenny
Square of large and small tatted rings in a variegated soft pink and purple thread.
Everyone needs a nice square pattern

Welcome to Part 2 of the short series on two ring tatting design. If you missed it, you can find it here.

Last time we talked about how to make the two individual sized rings. I also gave you patterns for a small edging, a corner, and a scalloped edging. In this post I’ll give you the rest of the patterns. (Unless I decide to design some more. I really like the way these two rings fit together.

This time you get the pattern for the insertion that started this whole two-ring mania. I also give you an octagon that was designed with the set. Unfortunately, handy as they are, the group included no square like you see in the top photo. So I designed one. Look for it at the end of this article.

If you tried any of the patterns in Part 1, you already know the ins and outs of this pattern. That’s useful information before you make these slightly more advanced options. Let’s go directly to the instructions!

Insertion or Very Fluffy Edging

A simple tatted edging with large and small rings alternating, in watermelon green and red thread.
The edging that started this whole adventure.

You can use this as an insertion. It goes between two pieces of fabric to form a lace part of your item. Or you can use this as a very fluffy edging, which is what I plan to do with it.

Like the rest of the patterns in this very short series on two ring tatting, this is made of large and small rings. They are attached the same way that they were before. You start by making a large ring to begin. After that the rhythm is small, small, large, large, small, small, large, large. With each ring you reverse your work. Be sure to leave 1/8 – 1/4 inch thread between each two rings, depending on your thread size.

Here are the instructions written out:

  1. Make a large ring of 2 ds, picot, (1 1/2 ds, picot) 11 times, ending with 2 ds. Close ring.
  2. Reverse work. Leave a small length of thread.
  3. Make a small ring of (3 ds, picot) 3x, 3 ds, close ring.
  4. Reverse work. Leave a small length of thread.
  5. Make a small ring of 3 ds, join to 11th picot of the large ring, 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, close ring.
  6. Large ring of 2 ds, picot, 1 1/2 ds, join to the last picot of the first small ring, (1 1/2 ds, picot) ten times, 2 ds, close ring.
  7. Reverse work. Leave a small length of thread.
  8. Large ring of 2 ds, picot, 1 1/2 ds, join to the last picot of the small ring, (1 1/2 ds, picot) ten times, 2 ds, close ring.
  9. Reverse work, leave a small length of thread.
  10. Make a small ring of 3 ds, join to 11th picot of the large ring, 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, close ring.
  11. Repeat from Step 4.

This uses a lot of thread, but it’s awfully cute when it’s done.

The Versatile Octagon

Small tatted octagon to show two ring tatting patterns. Text: two rings + one shuttle = one octagon
Gather this like a flower or join several of them together to make a placemat, table mat, whatever you want.

This is the most intricate of all the patterns in this collection. I actually altered the pattern a little to make it more balanced. At he same time, however, it made it a bit more complicated.

You can see that four large rings circle around a small center ring. The original instructions said to join “the middle picot” of the large ring to the center ring. Well, as I count it, a 12-picot ring doesn’t have a middle picot. So I gave those middle large rings 13 picots. Now the count it 6 picots or joins, join at the center, 6 picots, close. If you don’t like my addition, omit it and use a 12-picot large ring. In the original 1919 illustration two of the center rings had 12 picots and two of them had 13. Even the author altered the pattern a bit to make it more understandable.

Here’s how to tat it:

  1. Begin by making a modified center small ring of 2 ds, picot, (3 ds, picot) three times, 1 ds, close ring. You now have a ring of 4 picots completely separated by 3 ds. Close ring and pull tight. Cut the thread and tie. You’ll work the ends in with a needle later.
  2. Make a large ring of 2 ds, picot, (1 1/2 ds, picot) five times, 1 1/2 ds, join to one picot of the small ring, (1 1/2 ds, picot) six times, 2 ds, close ring. You have a large ring with 13 picots, joined at the center.
  3. Reverse work, leave a space of thread, make a large ring of 12 picots.
  4. Reverse work, leave a space of thread. Make a small ring of 3 ds, join to 11th picot of first large ring, 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, close ring.
  5. Reverse work, make a small ring of 3 ds, join to 11th picot of 2nd large ring, 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, close ring.
  6. Leave a small space of thread but do not reverse your work. Make a large ring of 2 ds, picot, 1 1/2 ds, join to last picot of preceding small ring, (1 1/2 ds, picot) ten times, close ring.
  7. Reverse work, make a small ring of 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, join to middle picot of second small ring, 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, close ring.
  8. Reverse work, make a small ring of 3 ds, join to 11th picot of preceding large ring, 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, close ring.
  9. Reverse work, make a large ring of 2 ds, picot, 1 1/2 ds, join to last picot of third small ring, (1 1/2 ds, picot) four times, 1 1/2 ds, join to the next picot of the center 4-picot ring.
  10. Repeat from Step 3 around, joining a large 13-picot ring to each picot of the center ring, and the last two small rings also to the first two large rings when you get there. Once you reach the beginning again, tie your threads, cut, and weave in with the needle.

You can make something that uses several of these. You will join two of the large rings on one flat side to picots 6 and 7 on the previous octagon. That will make a nice, stable 4-picot join per side.

The Elusive Square

Tatted square made completely of large and small rings. Text: Two rings + one shuttle = one square
A square motif you can use for all your square needs.

Every set of patterns like this needs a square. Why one wasn’t originally included, I have no idea.

So I designed one.

This follows the same format as all the preceding patterns. The corner joins are a little more involved –– actually, they are the same joins as the corner pattern in the earlier post. All the rings follow the same small ring, large ring stitch count that you’ve seen before. This square contains no surprises.

I eliminated the central circle that the octagon used because it seemed like an extra step. Not to mention that it gives you two more threads to work in later, which you don’t really need.

Here’s how to tat it:

  1. Make a large ring of 2 ds, picot, (1 1/2 ds, picot) 11 times, 2 ds, close ring.
  2. Reverse work, leaving about 1/8 inch thread between rings.
  3. Make a small ring of (3 ds, picot) three times, 3 ds, close ring.
  4. Reverse work, leave a space of thread, and make a small ring of 3 ds, join to 11th picot of large ring, (3 ds, picot) twice, 3 ds, close ring.
  5. Reverse work, leave a space, and make a large ring of 2 ds, picot, 1 1/2 ds, join to last picot of first small ring, (1 1/2 ds, picot) 10 times, 2 ds, close ring.
  6. Reverse work, leave space, and make a small ring of 3 ds, join to last small ring, 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, close ring.
  7. Reverse work, leave space, and make a small ring of 3 ds, join to 11th picot of last large ring, (3 ds, picot) twice, 3 ds, close ring.
  8. Reverse work, leave space, and make a large ring of 2 ds, picot, 1 1/2 ds, join to last picot of last small ring, (1 1/2 ds, picot) 10 times, 2 ds, close ring.
  9. Do not reverse work. Do not leave much space between the rings. Make a large ring of 2 ds, join to 12th picot of last ring, 1 1/2 ds, join to 11th picot of last ring, (1 1/2 ds, picot) ten times, 2 ds, close ring.
  10. Reverse work, leave space, and make a small ring of 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, join to middle picot of last small ring, 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, close ring.
  11. Reverse work, leave space, and make a small ring of 3 ds, join to 11th picot of last large ring, (3 ds, picot) twice, 3 ds, close ring.
  12. Reverse work, leave space, and make a large ring of 2 ds, picot, 1 1/2 ds, join to last picot of small ring, 1 1/2 ds, picot, 1 1/2 ds, join to 9th picot of last center large ring, 1 1/2 ds, join to 8th picot of last center large ring, (1 1/2 ds, picot) seven times, 2 ds, close ring.
  13. You are now nearly halfway around the square. Pick up at Step 6 and continue working around. When you reach the beginning of the square, the last small ring should join its first picot to the 11th picot of the last large ring, and its second picot to the middle picot of the small ring opposite it. Then the last large ring, which completes the fourth corner, should join its second picot to the last picot of the small ring next to it, and its 11th and 12th picots to picots 1 and 2 of the very first large ring.

You did it! Congratulations.

To join these squares together you will attach picots 6 and 7 of the outside large rings on one side of the square to the large rings on one side of the new square.

Did you try them?

If you make any of these designs, drop me a note in the comments. I’d love to see your tatting. And let me know… were these too easy? Too difficult? Tell me what you think.

The Creative Corner · Vintage Needlework

Tatting: Design with Two Rings

VintageJenny
Two large tatted rings lying next to each other on a knitted doily.
Take one shuttle and two different size rings. Look what you can make!

Over the next two posts I’m going to talk about tatting design with two rings. Earlier this year I was browsing through some old magazines and my eyes fell on an intriguing set of one-shuttle patterns. I really liked one of them and I was heading out for the evening, so I snapped a photo of the instructions and the illustration and grabbed a shuttle I’d just filled with a watermelon variegated thread. You can see it in the next post. The color combination might be enough to awaken you without the benefit of coffee.

With everything I needed, I left for the evening. When I got to my destination (I was the designated kid driver for the night) I pulled out my shuttle, glanced at my phone, and started scrolling. The instructions in front of me said something like “Start with a small ring and then a large ring.” What small ring? What large ring? Aargh. There I was, stuck at a meeting with nothing to do because my instructions were insufficient.

Small ring + large ring = pattern

In the photo at the top you can see the small ring and the large ring. Although I realized all the patterns on this page looked similar, I neglected to notice that they were identical in construction. Every single pattern uses a combination of the small ring and the large ring. And one shuttle thread.

I love one-shuttle patterns because of their portability. It’s amazing how creative you can be with one string and very little else. (In the case of these patterns, if your shuttle doesn’t have a nice hook or sharp pick on the end you may need a crochet hook to pull the thread through the picots.)

The more I looked at these patterns the more entranced I was that the designer, in 1919 (whose name was Orene Clarkson), made all this with two rings. This set consists of a straight edging, a scalloped edging, an insertion or a double edging, and an octagon.

However, I noticed that a couple pieces were missing. There was no corner pattern, so I designed one. The set also contained no square, so I designed one of those, too.

You will need

In order to complete these edgings you will need a knowledge of how to make rings. You will also need

  • One tatting shuttle with a hook or pick on the end
  • One small crochet hook (size 8 or smaller) if your shuttle has no hook
  • Thread. I used size 20 Lizbeth thread for all these samples.
  • A needle for working in thread ends, with an eye large enough for your thread.

Making the Large Ring

To make the large ring, you will tat a ring that includes 1 1/2 stitches between picots. The easiest way to do it is to make one ds (double stitch), make the first half of a double stitch, leave the space for your picot, and follow it with a full ds. Then make another first half ds before making your next picot. Without those extra half stitches the ring is too small and too tight.

Large ring:

  • Make a ring of 2 ds, picot, (1 1/2 ds, picot) 11 times, ending with 2 ds. Close ring. You should have 12 picots. Between each picot is 1 1/2 double stitches, with 2 ds at the beginning and the end of the ring.

Making the Small Ring

This one is easy. If you tat you’ve done it hundreds of times already.

Small ring:

  • Make a ring of 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, close ring. You should have 3 picots, each separated by three double stitches.

The Small Edging

A simple tatted edging made of alternating large and small rings. Text: A simple one-shuttle edging in tatting. Vintage Living, Modern Life.
A large ring and a small one alternate in this simple edging.

This is easy, portable, and versatile. You can use it for almost anything.

  1. Make a ring of 2 ds, picot, (1 1/2 ds, picot) 11 times, and then 2 ds. Close ring.
  2. Leave a space of 3/8 inch between rings.
  3. Make a small ring of 3 ds, join to 11th picot of large ring, 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, picot, 3 ds. Close ring.
  4. Leave a space as before.
  5. A large ring of 2 ds, picot, 1 1/2 ds, join to the last picot of the small ring, (1 1/2 ds, picot) ten times, 2 ds, close ring.
  6. Repeat from Step 2 for the length of the edging, alternating large and small rings.

But wait… what about the corner?

Sometimes when you make a tatted edging you need a corner. This article didn’t include any. So I designed a simple corner for this first edging.

Simple large ring, small ring alternating edging with a corner. Two large rings come together to form the corner.
Sometimes an edging needs a corner of its own.

Here’s how you do it:

  1. Make the edging as usual, ending with a large ring.
  2. When you get to the point that you want a corner, do not make the next small ring.
  3. Instead, make another large ring. Join the picots 1 and 2 of the new ring to picots 11 and 12 of the old ring. So in tatting notation, the new ring instructions would look like this: 2 ds + 1 1/2 ds + (1 1/2 ds – ) 10x, 2 ds, Cl R. [+ means join and – means picot here.)

The Scalloped Edging

Simple tatted edging where rings are arranged into a small scallop pattern. Made with one shuttle.
This scalloped edging is easy and good practice.

Once I started to make a length of this edging, it really grew on me. When I have some free time I’d like to design a corner for this pattern next.

To make this edging you are using the exact same rings you used before. You are even joining them in the same way. The only difference is that after almost every ring you are turning your work upside down so half the rings look right side up and the other half look upside down. It’s called reversing your work.

  1. Start with a small ring of (3 ds, picot) 3 times, then 3ds, close ring.
  2. Leave about 1/8 inch of thread and reverse your work (so the ring you just made is facing down in your hand instead of facing up.)
  3. Make another small ring same as before. Reverse work again and leave another short length of thread.
  4. Make a large ring of 2 ds, picot, 1 1/2 ds, join to the last picot of the first small ring you made, (1 1/2 ds, picot) ten times, 2 ds, close ring.
  5. Reverse work and leave another space of thread. You’ll leave a short space of thread between each ring you make.
  6. Make another large ring of 2 ds, picot, 1 1/2 ds, join to the last picot of the second small ring you made, (1 1/2 ds, picot) ten times, 2 ds, close ring.
  7. Reverse work, make another small ring, joining the first picot to the 11th picot of the first large ring.
  8. Reverse work, make another small ring, joining the first picot to the 11th picot of the first large ring.
  9. Do not reverse your work this time. Make a large ring, joining the second picot of the large ring to the third picot of the last small ring you made.
  10. Leave a space of thread, reverse work, and make another small ring. Do not join it to anything.
  11. Repeat from Step 3.

Although this looks complicated, it has its own rhythm: small, small, large, large, small, small, large. Then you start over. If you take your finger you can trace the progression over the photo so you can see the rhythm of this pattern in action.

Next up

In the next post I’ll give you the patterns for an insertion, an octagon, and a square to match the pieces above.

Poems from the Pages · The Magazine Rack

Tatting Poem: A Summer Idyl

VintageJenny
Vintage illustration of an outdoor window with a large pot of clover on the sill. Four swallows circle around the side of the window and swoop below on the right side. Scrollwork and blue flowers frame the left side of the window.
Flowers blooming, birds singing – a sure sign of summer.

Not many poems exist that extol the glories of tatted lace. Well, actually, there might be more than you think. This tatting poem, A Summer Idyl, is one of… well… a few.

Usually I open these poetry selections with an outline of the author’s life and a link to other works if I can find them. This time, though, a lengthy search turned up nothing on the poet who wrote this tatting poem, A Summer Idyl. His name was Allan C. Stewart. And while his name may be lost to time, this poem can live on.

This is a nice poem to enjoy with your own shuttle, or crochet hook, or knitting needles in your lap. Or fix yourself a nice cool beverage, sit outdoors, and enjoy.

A Summer Idyl
by Allan C. Stewart

Swinging in a shaded hammock,
   Watching Phyllis at her lace,
Life seems dowered with richest promise,
   Filled with tenderness and grace.
Flowers are blooming, birds are singing,
   Bowered in leafy tents of green,
I have eyes for naught but Phyllis,
   Busy little household queen.

In and out her shuttle flashes,
   While the dainty fabric grows
Like a dream of fairy weaving,
   Smooth and lustrous, row on rows.
Chains and picots, rings and roses
   One by one I see arrayed,
Fashioned by the slender fingers
   Of this winsome, 'witching maid.


All intent upon her tatting, 
   Still she sits, demure and cool,
Never once her eyes are lifted––
   Deep-fringed, like a woodland pool,
How I wish I knew her fancies...
   Phyllis tilts her saucy face,
Saying sweetly, "I was thinking
   My new thread makes lovely lace!"

As you can see, there’s a bit more going on here than a young lady at her tatting shuttle. We have to wonder if Phyllis is as enamored with her companion as her companion is with her? Don’t you wish you could continue to chapter two, and find out what happens when the autumn leaves fall?

I think many of us have been like Phyllis at one time or another, so wrapped in our current task that we focus on nothing else. I know I have! In fact, tatting thread in a new color takes me there almost every time.

If you enjoyed this poem, you may also like A Song of June. Do you know of any poems from the Teens through the Twenties that you’d like me to share? Drop me a comment and let me know.

The Creative Corner · Vintage Needlework

Easy Vintage Tatting Patterns

VintageJenny
Pile of handmade white tatted lace on a dark wood table.
Nearly two yards of tatted edging. Made with only 1 shuttle and thread.

When you learn a new craft, you have to start somewhere. Last time we talked about tatting, I gave you several options for learning online. If those worked for you, then you are ready to use a simple pattern or two. These easy vintage tatting patterns will get you started.

Most people start by making tatted edgings. For one thing, you don’t have to spend most of your time tying off rows like you would if you were making a round piece like a doily. And second, the more you do something, the better you get. Especially with muscle memory, which is a lot of the art of tatting. With an edging you make the same movements over and over until they become natural and almost automatic.

Easy tatted edgings can use only a shuttle thread to make rings, or they can use a shuttle thread and a ball thread to make simple rings and chains. The patterns I show here use only a shuttle thread.

All you need is a shuttle

Not only are these easy to make, these edgings are incredibly portable. If you have a full shuttle and a length of lace in your pocket, you always have something you can work on if you find yourself with a spare ten minutes here and there. Some of these laces I’ve carried for years in a metal container in my purse or simply in a pocket of my jacket.

If you need a shuttle or thread you can use for tatting, you can find an amazing selection of both at The Tatting Corner.

Five tatted lace edgings arranged on a wooden table. They become more complicated top to bottom.
All these are tatted with only one shuttle thread.

Today I’ll tell you how to make all five of these easy vintage tatting patterns. Whether you want to start with the simplest one or everything from the middle point up looks easy-peasy and you’re ready for more challenge, I have an edging for you.

All of these edgings use only one shuttle thread. As you can see from the top photo, you can make these strips as long as you like. One of the nice things about tatting is that you can cut it. If you love making a particular edging, and end up making two yards of it as I did in the very top photo, don’t worry. Some day you’ll find a use for all of it or some of it.

Like I usually do, I’ll give you the instructions in order from easiest to most difficult. That way you can hop in wherever you like. None of these examples are washed, pressed, or starched. They appear just as they will coming off your shuttle. After you drag them out of your pocket or bag a few times they may even have a few wrinkles. That’s okay. Wet them down and lay them out when you’re finished with them. They’ll straighten right up.

The first two patterns came from a 1926 article on simple one-shuttle tatted edgings. They are simple and delightful and you might fall in love with them.

Ring, ring, ring

White tatted edging made from identical loops linked next to one another. Lying on a wooden table. Text: This simple tatting pattern is great for sharpening your skills. Vintage Living, Modern Life

Edging 1 is the same ring over and over. In a fine thread it makes a beautiful edging for a doll dress or baby outfit. This example appears in a coarser size 10 thread. An edging this size could trim an apron, blouse or shirt, hat, or tea towel.

Edging 1

Make a ring of 6 double stitches (ds), picot, 6 ds, picot, 6 ds, picot, 6 ds, close ring. Leave a good space of 3/8 to 1/2 inch, and begin the next ring. The second ring is 6 ds, join to the last picot of the first ring, 6 ds, picot, 6 ds, picot, 6 ds, close ring.

Here are the same instructions as you might see them in a modern tatting book:

R 6 ds – 6 ds – 6 ds – 6 ds. Cl R. Leave 1/2″. R 6 ds + 6 ds – 6 ds – 6 ds. Cl R.

The – stands for picot, the + means join. R stands for ring, Cl means close.

Edging 2

Tatted edging that looks like clovers, with three rings per cluster. White thread lace on a wooden table. Text says: This beginner tatted edging can be used for trimming all kinds of things. Vintage Living, Modern Life

Edging 2 is a very simple cloverleaf. Three rings made together, then a space. Then three more rings. It may take a few repeats to get your head around how the three lie next to each other to make the clover. At least, it did me.

Instructions:

  1. Make a ring of 6 double stitches (ds), (picot, 6 ds) 3 times, close ring. [So spelled out this is 6 ds, p, 6 ds, p, 6 ds, p, 6 ds.]
  2. Leave a very short space of thread, about 1/8 inch, and make a second ring of 6 ds, join to last p of preceding ring, 6 ds, picot, 6 ds, picot, 6 ds, close ring.
  3. Leaving another very short length of thread, and make a third ring just like the last one.
  4. Leave about 1 1/4 inches of thread, or enough to allow cloverleaves to lie flat. Make a ring of 6 ds, picot, 6 ds, join to middle picot of last ring, 6 ds, picot, 6 ds, close.
  5. Continue with the second cloverleaf, beginning with step 2.
  6. Repeat for the length desired.

In modern notation this would read: R 6ds – 6 ds – 6 ds – 6 ds, cl R. R 6 ds + 6 ds – 6 ds – 6 ds, cl R. R 6 ds + 6 ds – 6 ds – 6 ds, cl R. Then the second cloverleaf instructions would read: R 6 ds – 6 ds + to middle p last R, 6 ds – 6 ds, cl R. R 6 ds + 6 ds – 6 ds – 6 ds, cl R. R 6 ds + 6 ds – 6 ds – 6 ds, cl R.

Use whichever notation makes the most sense to you. They are the same.

Edging 3

This pattern dates from the late 1930s or 40s, and is a bit more difficult to do. It still uses only one thread on a shuttle, though. So if you can do the first two edgings you should be able to do this one too, with a little practice.

light-colored tatted edging made of two different-size rings. On a wooden table background. Text: This unique edging from the Forties almost forms a scallop on the sewing edge.

Unlike the prior two edgings, this one uses rings of two different sizes. I made the sample in size 10 thread but you can use whatever size you want. Ready?

  1. Make a ring of 5 ds, picot, 2 ds, picot, 1 ds, picot, 1 ds, picot, 1 ds, picot, 1 ds, picot, 2 ds, picot, 5 ds, close ring.
  2. Leave 1/2 inch of thread if you use size 10 thread, a bit less with smaller threads. Ring of 3 ds, join to last picot of previous ring, 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, close ring.
  3. Leave the same amount of thread as before. Ring of 5 ds, join to last p of previous ring, 2 ds, picot, 1 ds, picot, 1 ds, picot, 1 ds, picot, 1 ds, picot, 2 ds, picot, 5 ds, close ring.
  4. Repeat from step 2 to desired length, alternating large rings and small ones as shown.

Edging 4: The edging which must be named… always

I promised I’d give you an edging this time that is so popular that it has its own name. This one is called Hens and Chicks. The hens are the large rings in the middle, and the chicks the smaller rings which attach to each side. Together they make an attractive little scallop.

This edging appears in almost every beginning tatting book from 1900 on. Sometimes the rings are different sizes, but the idea is always the same: a row of rings on the top, with hens and chicks clinging to the bottom. This edging is fun to do. That’s why you see two yards of it in the top photo.

Tatted lace edging in white thread. The lace forms small scallops. Text: Nearly every tatter knows this edging by name.

To make this edging you start along the top even edge.

  1. Make a ring of 4 ds, picot, 4 ds, picot, 4 ds, picot, 4 ds, close ring. Another way to say this is to make a ring of 3 picots separated by 4 ds.
  2. Reverse work. (If you haven’t see this before, it means to turn the ring you just completed upside down so that the shuttle thread faces up, ready to make a new ring.) Make a ring of 7 ds, p, 7 ds, close ring.
  3. Reverse work. Now the first ring you made is on top again. Make a ring of 4 ds, join to last picot of previous ring, 4 ds, picot, 4 ds, picot, 4ds, close ring.
  4. Reverse work. Make a ring of 7 ds, join to picot of small ring, 2 ds, picot, 2 ds, picot, 2 ds, picot, 2 ds, picot, 2 ds, picot, 2 ds, picot, 7 ds, close ring.
  5. Reverse work (RW) and make a ring of 4 ds, join to last picot of previous ring, 4 ds, picot, 4 ds, picot, 4 ds, close ring.
  6. RW. Make a ring of 7 ds, join to last picot of large ring, 7 ds, close ring.
  7. Repeat from Step 1, joining the ring to the last ring as before.

Want to see this in modern notation? It looks more like this:

R 4 ds – 4 ds – 4 ds – 4 ds, cl r. RW. R 7 ds – 7 ds, cl r. RW. R 4 ds + 4 ds – 4 ds – 4 ds, cl r. RW. R 7 ds + 2 ds – 2 ds – 2 ds – 2 ds – 2 ds – 2 ds – 7 ds, cl r. RW. R 4 ds + 4 ds – 4 ds – 4 ds, cl r. RW. R 7 ds + 7 ds, cl r. Rep from beg.

Whew! See why the wordiness of step by step instructions gave way to the notation above? It saves space and after a little practice you can almost see the ring before you make it.

Edging 5

Tatted edging in shades of green and pink. It's ruffly with lots of small thread loops. Text: This edging from 1919 Not as complicated as it looks.

This is not exactly a beginner’s edging. However, I found it in a 1919 magazine so it is very vintage. We might even call it antique. I tatted this sample in size 20 Lizbeth thread instead of the size 10 threads I used for all the other samples.

However, this example is also made with only one shuttle and one thread. It’s not as complicated as it looks. The progression goes like this: large ring, small ring, small ring, large ring, large ring, small ring, small ring… and so on. After one big one it’s two small and then two big, and then back to two small.

  1. Make a large ring of 2 ds, picot, (1 1/2 ds, picot) 11 times, 2 ds, close ring. You will have 12 picots total. Note: To make a 1 1/2 ds, make the first half of the ds stitch as you make the picot and then follow it with a full double stitch. For the last picot, make it with a full ds and then a second full ds to make your 2-ds count at the end of the ring. Or play around with it until you find a rhythm that works for you: you need a full ds and either the first half or second half of the stitch between each picot. How you do it is really up to you.
  2. Reverse work (RW). Leave a space of thread about 1/8 inch, and then make a ring of 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, close ring.
  3. RW. Leave a short space. Ring of 3 ds, join to 11th picot of large ring, 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, picot, 3 ds, close ring.
  4. RW. Leave a short space. Ring of 2 ds, picot, 1 1/2 ds, join to last picot of 3-picot ring, (1 1/2 ds, picot) 10 times, 2 ds, close ring.
  5. RW. Leave a short space. Ring of 2 ds, picot, 1 1/2 ds, join to last picot of 3-picot ring, (1 1/2 ds, picot) 10 times, 2 ds, close ring.
  6. Repeat from Step 2, continuing to join to the last picot of the small rings and the 11th picot of the large rings.

Find your favorite

I hope that this small selection of one-shuttle edgings gives you at least one that you love and can turn to again and again when you want to trim something special or you simply want to keep your hands moving.

Play with these. Change the sizes of the rings. Add picots to make them more lacy. Try various sizes of threads. This photo shows what the rings look like when the stitch count changes.

Four tatted rings in four sizes, attached at the bottom by a thread that loops from one to the other. Text: Size 10 thread. Difference between 3 double stitches (ds) between picots, 4 ds between picots, 5 ds between picots, and 6 ds between picots.

You can see what a difference it makes to change from 3 ds between picots to 6 ds between picots. Don’t be afraid to try something new. It’s only thread. It won’t care if you cut off a length and toss it because you didn’t like the effect or you got a stitch count wrong after you closed a ring. You are still creating. And with these easy vintage tatting patterns that use only one shuttle, that’s what counts.

If you missed the intro to tatting post, you can find it here. Next time I’ll show you some simple edgings that use both rings and chains, drawn from vintage sources.

The Creative Corner · Vintage Needlework

Making Lace with Shuttle and Thread

VintageJenny
An assor tment of tatting shuttles and balls of thread arranged on small tatted lace projects.
Tatting shuttles, thread, and tools from my private collection. These are both vintage and modern. On one side of the blue Clover shuttle is the elusive tortoise-shell plastic Clover. On the other side is a reproduction of the shuttle that Modern Priscilla gave out as a subscription premium in the 1920s. The pink and green thread is my current project, and underneath it is a metal Boye shuttle. The threads range from size 20 to 50.

Today I’m going to talk about tatting, which is simply making lace with a shuttle and thread. Lacemaking is a great vintage craft. For one thing, it is extremely portable. Most days I carry a shuttle and thread in my pocket, attached to some unfinshed tatting. That way if I have a moment, I can progress with my latest project.

Second, to learn tatting you only need to learn one knot. Of course, you make that knot ten thousand times in different positions, but it is only one knot. With shuttle and thread, all those knots make lace.

Third, lacemaking can be a very inexpensive hobby. All you absolutely need is thread. And the thread can be any size, but it’s nice if it’s thick enough that you can actually see it. Especially when you’re learning. Sewing thread does not make good tatting thread (although it can be great for other kinds of handmade lace.) For tatting, sewing thread is really small, and really tight. It’s hard to undo stray knots in sewing thread.

Use thick thread when you start

So to begin with, at least, start with something bigger: size 10 thread is easy to find and it makes a good starter thread. If you want to stick with size 10 for awhile, do so. Some advanced projects and edgings are tatted with size 80 thread, which is thicker than sewing thread by enough that you can at least see it. I make almost everything I do in a size 20 thread. It’s about half the size of 10, yet it’s big enough to see and big enough to loosen if a stray knot appears where it’s not supposed to.

I said that the only thing you absolutely need for tatting is thread. Do you need a shuttle? Not at first. Not if you don’t want to. Here’s a tutorial on how to make a tatting shuttle from a plastic lid you may have lying around the house. And here’s a link from the incomparable Georgia Seitz that gives you a pattern for making your own shuttles from cardboard or plastic. Georgia taught and designed tatting for many years.

What is a shuttle and where do I find one?

If you want a tatting shuttle to learn with, by all means get one. Most vintage shuttles were made from metal or bone, but today’s shuttles are formed in plastic. Two very popular styles lead the rest: the “Aerlit” style and the “Clover style.

blue tatting shuttle
This is an Aerlit shuttle. It has a hook and a separate bobbin. (Image: Handy Hands, Inc.)
yellow tatting shuttle and green tatting shuttle
These are Clover shuttles. They have picks on one end and a post in the middle You wind the thread around the post.
(Image: Clover Inc.)

The Aerlit shuttle actually began its life in England as the Aero tatting shuttle, and then moved to Germany. It came in one color. Gray. With one or two colors of bobbins. Black and perhaps gray. Then these shuttles went out of production, and Handy Hands, a tatting thread and shuttle manufacturer in the U.S., began making them. (If I recall correctly, Handy Hands bought the original molds from the manufacturer and retooled them.) Now they come in a rainbow of colors, and they are very popular with tatters. The hook helps to catch the thread and pull it through loops.

The Clover shuttle first came in a hard plastic, two-toned tortoise-shell. Then Clover began making these shuttles in many different solid colors. Now they are available in two colors per package, which is really nice when you either have two projects going at once or you are using two shuttles at the same time. The various colors help you to keep things straight. The pick functions similar to the hook. It grabs thread so you can bring it through a loop as you tat.

The Clover shuttle is also very popular. If you want a metal shuttle like tatters used in the 1920s through the 1960s, Lacis (another lace supplier) has reproduced the old metal Boye shuttle. It looks like this, and this style is what I used when I learned to tat.

silver metal tatting shuttle
This is a reporduction of the 1920s through 60s Boye metal shuttle. It also has a removable bobbin and a hook. Lacis makes it. (Image: Lacis.)

So… where can you get these things? You can purchase both tatting shuttles and threads from Lisa at The Tatting Corner. It’s a great shop, I buy from her regularly, and I believe she ships anywhere. All of these shuttles cost about $4 to $6 apiece. The Clover shuttles are more expensive because you get two.

Wind that shuttle and go!

Once you have whatever you plan to use as a shuttle, wind it with thread. Shuttles need a smooth, even, not-too-tight wind so that the thread comes off easily when you need it. A little practice will even out those threads. As a youngster I was not a very good bobbin winder, and my thread continually slipped under other strands and got stuck. If that happens to you the first few times then know that you are not alone. Your shuttle and thread will still make lace, but you may find the thread a bit difficult if your thread is too tight.

Learn with a video or two

The easiest way to learn how to tat is to watch someone do it. This is the value of YouTube videos. You can stop and review the same step over, and over, and over as many times as you need. The video will not lose patience. It shows you the same segments as many times as you need to see them.

I’ll link beginning tatting instruction from two different teachers. Look at each one to see which one matches your way of learning best. You do not want to learn tatting from a video I produce. I learned to tat from Victorian manuals, so I literally tat like someone’s great-great aunt. In fact, more than one person has said that to me over the years. “You tat like my Great Aunt Bessie! I’ve never seen anyone else do that!” Well, I wager that Great Aunt Bessie learned to tat from the same 1853 and 1878 manuals that I did. And when you begin tatting like Great Aunt Bessie, it’s tough to change!

The best video to use is the one you understand well. Frivole’s Shutting Tatting for Beginners – Transferring the Knot starts off a short series of videos. The presenter uses a thick cord to show the process, which may make it easy to understand.

The second presenter, Kaye Judt, uses a larger normal-sized thread but her instructions are very clear. She talks you through making rings and chains in two videos. The first one is Introduction to Tatting by Kaye Judt. Kaye is a needlework and tatting designer who teaches at the various tatting conventions held around the U.S. each year.

Regardless which online video instructor you choose, I hope you find yourself making lace with a shuttle and thread in very short order. Next I’ll introduce some easy and popular vintage patterns for you to do. One of them has been used so often over the past 100 years that most tatters know it by name.