I was recently at a Facebook party and commented that
I spent my growing up years ironing my mom’s cotton pillowcases that her aunts
had tatted for her as a wedding gift. Very few folks on the feed had heard of tatting,
so I thought I’d share a bit about it here.
Called knotting in England, frivolet in France, and tatting
in America, it is an ancient form of lace making that uses a shuttle or needle
to create a series of knots and loops. Designs range from the very simple to
incredibly complex. It is said that Queen Victoria of England and Archduchess
Maria Theresa of Austria enjoyed the art. Doilies are probably the most
commonly known tatted item, but jewelry, bookmarks, ornaments, baby caps and
booties, and wedding veils can also be made. Because tatting creates chains of
lace, it can be used to edge items (like my mom’s pillowcases) or purses,
placemats, or clothing.
From what I can tell from researching, manual
dexterity is an important component of the artform. It became very popular in
the 1800s, and many women’s magazines such as Godey’s and Harper’s Bazaar featured
instructions and patterns. During WWII was an inexpensive way to spruce up
worn-out clothing (Make do and mend was one of many themes during the war). In
addition to knitting, crocheting, and quilting, instructions on tatting were included
in the 1940s publication The Work Basket.
There are still people who create tatted items, but
because technology has made lace an easy and inexpensive product to purchase,
the art of lace making and tatting has fallen out of popularity.
A freelance writer for over ten years, Linda Shenton Matchett is the author of several romance novellas. Under Fire, the first book in her trilogy about WWII War Correspondent/amateur sleuth Ruth Brown will be released on July 25, 2017. Visit Linda at www.LindaShentonMatchett.com
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ReplyDeleteI have a couple of items with tatting on them. They are special. It's sad it's becoming a lost art. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed the post. I agree that it is sad to lose arts such as tatting.
DeleteI admire the people who were able to create such beauty!
ReplyDeleteMe too. I'm not very crafting, so I appreciate the gift of artistry.
DeleteI learned to tat lace for pillow cases years ago, but I didn't keep it up, to my regret. Very interesting post.
ReplyDeleteVery cool! I've considered trying to learn but never pursued it. Glad you enjoyed the post.
DeleteI took a tatting class years ago, and still have a little Christmas ornament I made. I didn't keep it up though, and today I haven't the slightest idea how to do it.
ReplyDeleteSo you won't be volunteering to teach us all? LOL. Maybe it will show up in one of our books!
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