Five Dainty Edgings
This is the first of five edgings by Norma Benporath from Five Dainty Designs For Tatting from the Trove published on 3rd January 1935.
While we think of early tatting to be either in white, cream or natural thread colours, Norma Benporath advocated the use of colours for these edgings. As with the earlier patterns, it was not stated if is is a shuttle-and-ball pattern or a two-shuttle pattern, or when to reverse and when not to reverse. I started with shuttle and ball and soon enough I realised that part of the long chain is going to twist when I joined it to the ring as per the instructions. (I did not take a picture of this so cannot show the twist). To avoid the twist, I needed to make the SLT in several parts as I progressed, so I stopped.
I started again with two shuttles, and this is the result.
But even with two shuttles, there are still some parts that I think could have been tatted better. The parts that I was not happy with is in the short space in the chain which I have pointed with the arrows. To achieve the symmetry in the chain before and after the ring, I had to reverse work, switch shuttle and made a picot on the the underside of the chain. Well .. okay, call me a perfectionist ... but I know that, that non-symmetry is going to be staring at me each time I look at it.
I don't tat edgings so much but I like edgings because they can be turned into bookmarks. That is what I did with this edging,
I may reduce the number of picots in the middle when I tat this again.
On another note, there is a discussion on In Tatters about sharing charts drawn out of worded patterns that are already available for free online, whether such action infringes any copyrights or not. When I started tatting these Norma Benporath's patterns I can see that the instructions may be difficult to follow to someone who is not used to the old style of writing tatting patterns. Although the Trove website provide for readers to make corrections on the OCR text, the corrections did not really simplify the patterns itself. I had thought about drawing charts for the patterns that I have tested and maybe sharing them with other tatters. Now that the issue of copyrights has been raised (not directly to me on these Benporath patterns, by the way), I am unsure of whether this can be done or not. The discussion is still open on the topic.
While we think of early tatting to be either in white, cream or natural thread colours, Norma Benporath advocated the use of colours for these edgings. As with the earlier patterns, it was not stated if is is a shuttle-and-ball pattern or a two-shuttle pattern, or when to reverse and when not to reverse. I started with shuttle and ball and soon enough I realised that part of the long chain is going to twist when I joined it to the ring as per the instructions. (I did not take a picture of this so cannot show the twist). To avoid the twist, I needed to make the SLT in several parts as I progressed, so I stopped.
I started again with two shuttles, and this is the result.
But even with two shuttles, there are still some parts that I think could have been tatted better. The parts that I was not happy with is in the short space in the chain which I have pointed with the arrows. To achieve the symmetry in the chain before and after the ring, I had to reverse work, switch shuttle and made a picot on the the underside of the chain. Well .. okay, call me a perfectionist ... but I know that, that non-symmetry is going to be staring at me each time I look at it.
I don't tat edgings so much but I like edgings because they can be turned into bookmarks. That is what I did with this edging,
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| Thread used is DMC Dentelle #80 |
I may reduce the number of picots in the middle when I tat this again.
On another note, there is a discussion on In Tatters about sharing charts drawn out of worded patterns that are already available for free online, whether such action infringes any copyrights or not. When I started tatting these Norma Benporath's patterns I can see that the instructions may be difficult to follow to someone who is not used to the old style of writing tatting patterns. Although the Trove website provide for readers to make corrections on the OCR text, the corrections did not really simplify the patterns itself. I had thought about drawing charts for the patterns that I have tested and maybe sharing them with other tatters. Now that the issue of copyrights has been raised (not directly to me on these Benporath patterns, by the way), I am unsure of whether this can be done or not. The discussion is still open on the topic.
I do like your idea about turning edging into bookmarks! I reduced tatting edgings because couldn't see the way of using them. Thank you for this idea!
ReplyDeleteWhat a sharp edging! I like the look as a bookmark too! :)
ReplyDeleteI love what you've done with this edging pattern! It is very pretty!
ReplyDeleteI've been following your blog for some time and I just love your work! The have also thought about turning edges into bookmarks, and what you've done motivates me even more - it's beautiful :)
ReplyDeleteI love the idea! I've been following your blog for some time and I think your love is just wonderful - right away I'm starting to flick through my pattern books and look for some nice edging :)
ReplyDeleteI like your bookmark / edging.
ReplyDeleteI would think it would depend on if the pattern are public dominion or not on copy right laws . If in public dominion the copy right has expired. Then making diagrams for those patterns I think would be ok. Ask a Libraian they know all the copy right laws.
I love the edging turned into a bookmark. It's very elegant.
ReplyDeleteAbout the copyright thing, if you make a diagram from a written instructions set, then mention the original source when you publish your diagram, I would think that you're not violating any copyright law (although I am new to this copyright thing). And it would probably make it a lot easier for 'modern' tatters to follow this pattern. As long as you site the reference and do not say that you created the original pattern itself, I believe that you should be good.