Tatting or shuttle lace, as it's called, employs the use of a thread-carrying tatting shuttle pointed at both ends. A tatter winds thread on the shuttle, then works stitches over the fingers onto the center thread.
Tatting is made up of basic units: the ring and the chain. A tatter fashions knots, loops and picots to create tatted lace. The different sections can be arranged into any number of positions, resulting in intricate and near perfect tatted designs.
Origins of Tatting
Tatting had its genesis in the craft of knotting. From antiquity, people used knotting to decorate clothing.
- It is believed the ancient Egyptians used knotting on garments.
- The Chinese used knotting techniques and worked these into embroidered designs.
- By the seventeenth century, knotting had taken hold. Additional knotting styles were introduced and it became a popular pastime in Europe.
- Early techniques involved successive knots, so that the work resembled threaded beads or tiny pearls.
- Knotting gained popularity in England. Designs were worked in fancy threads, which extended to the use of gold thread. Queen Mary was known to be an ardent fan of knotting and ladies at Court adopted the practice.
Perhaps reflecting the delicate designs coming forth from the shuttles, shuttles themselves were a thing of beauty, made from ivory and inlaid with mother of pearl and fashioned from other eye-grabbing materials.
Shuttle Lace and Doilies
At some point, the art of knotting transitioned into circles (c. sixteenth century). The knotted thread was joined – and tatting, as it is known, was born.
- By the 18th century, tatting gradually replaced knotting. Early examples of tatting may have been referred to as knotting; however, the word "tatting" was first used in 1843.
- By the 19th century, tatting designs began appearing in books.
Some Early Tatting Books
- Ladies Handbook of Millinery, Dressmaking, and Tatting
- Encyclopedia of Needlework. Therese de Dillmont
Tatting in Recent Times
Interest in tatting waned after WWII, but in recent years, the art of tatting has been rediscovered. Many people have come across shuttle lace in antique shops and have fallen in love with the distinctive look of tatted doilies and edgings.
Tatted lace looks delicate; however, belying its filigree appearance, shuttle lace is durable, withstanding the test of time. This makes tatted handmade lace especially suitable for decorative trim and ornamental applications.
Beautiful Tatted Lace Items
- Christmas snowflakes, bells, and crosses
- Doilies and runners
- Edging for linens
- Decorative trim for garments
- Christening gowns
- Veils
- Garters
- Chokers
- Earrings
- Bookmarks
Tatted items make distinctive keepsakes and can be passed from generation to generation.
The art of tatting has come down through the ages and is used by modern crafters to produce captivating and intricate designs.
