Bead Journal Project - May

The fantasy dressmaker decided to focus on tatting this month.

Tatting is a handmade knotted lace formed with thread and a small shuttle. The shuttle works as a thread-holder and, as with a weaving shuttle, it moves between the threads on the loom of the hand - but that is the only similarity with weaving.

Only one simple knot is used throughout, the Lark's Head, consisting of 2 half-hitches over a core thread. Although it is a knot, in tatting language it is called a double stitch and consists of a first half and a second half stitch.

Gaps are usually left amongst the stitches to form picots, which can be employed for practical construction in addition to decorative effect.

In my bead tatting, each white bead represents a double stitch and each green bead represents a picot.

Lace was in great demand in the 19th century, but lace was extremely expensive, out of the reach of most people. This encouraged creativity, which was helped by the newly available tougher mercerized threads produced from about 1840. Inventive needleworkers found ways of making lace that were relatively inexpensive and also much quicker to produce than the traditional forms, including tatting.

The first tatting consisted of rings only - usually worked in a length of slightly spaced rings. The rings would be arranged and laboriously stitched together in motifs by connecting the picots.

During the 1860's, chains started to be used, allowing for more complicated designs.

In the 19th century and well into the 20th century, tatting was used like crochet or knitted lace mainly for edgings, collars, doilies, etc.

Prior to the early 19th century, tatting was white or ecru, later examples may include multiple colors.

Tatting is both delicate in look and sturdy in construction. It often survives longer than the cloth which it embellishes.