A look at an Old Tatting pattern
This is a scan of an insertion from The Pearl Tatting Book by Mlle Riego.
I took a look at it and thought - this is an easy one to try. Don't have to read the instructions in detail - make the first row, turn and make the opposite side, joining the rings at the centre. But then, I decided to follow exactly as the pattern was written and I made an interesting discovery on how the rings are joined.
I would have thought that when making the first row the two rings in the four-rings cluster are joined together first as the row is made and the other two rings are then joined to it in the second row
But the instruction say to make the first row without any joining of rings. The rings are only joined in the second row.
What is interesting about the join is that the picots cross over each other to make the join, with one picot going through the other. I hope it can be seen clearly in this enlarged scan. There is no gap or hole in the centre where the join is made - as what you'd usually get when several joins are made to one picot.
The pattern stated to use cotton No. 60 but I made this using a size 40. Even then I was struggling with the tiny ring in the middle which is (2-2), :-).
And I cheated a bit - I used a split ring to turn whereas the instructions say to cut after the first row and rejoin the thread to the tiny ring to begin the second row ... he .....he ....
I took a look at it and thought - this is an easy one to try. Don't have to read the instructions in detail - make the first row, turn and make the opposite side, joining the rings at the centre. But then, I decided to follow exactly as the pattern was written and I made an interesting discovery on how the rings are joined.
I would have thought that when making the first row the two rings in the four-rings cluster are joined together first as the row is made and the other two rings are then joined to it in the second rowBut the instruction say to make the first row without any joining of rings. The rings are only joined in the second row.
What is interesting about the join is that the picots cross over each other to make the join, with one picot going through the other. I hope it can be seen clearly in this enlarged scan. There is no gap or hole in the centre where the join is made - as what you'd usually get when several joins are made to one picot.The pattern stated to use cotton No. 60 but I made this using a size 40. Even then I was struggling with the tiny ring in the middle which is (2-2), :-).
And I cheated a bit - I used a split ring to turn whereas the instructions say to cut after the first row and rejoin the thread to the tiny ring to begin the second row ... he .....he ....
Jon, this is beautiful! I really like the way the centers are joined... it looks so neat and clean!
ReplyDeleteWell, isn't that interesting. That does make a difference in the appearance of the edging, doesn't it. I may use this technique on a couple cross patterns that I like.
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty. Riego's patterns usually offer a lot of challenge. I'm dieing to make the Square Maltese Motif in the Maltese Tatting Book. I have made a couple of patterns from that book but the Square is very big. May be one of these days I'll try it.
ReplyDeleteVery pretty, and it would never have occured to me to join the rings that way. That is such a nice, neat way of doing it!
ReplyDeleteI saw something called a "swirl join" several years ago in a few bookmarks and a picture of it is at http://www.georgiaseitz.com/2004/nlibinswirl1.jpg.
ReplyDelete