Saturday, January 03, 2009


I can't believe it's so late already! hmmm...I was up around 5:00 a.m. and then went back to bed about 6:30 and slept til 10:00 a.m. The only bad thing about having several days off in a row is that I naturally revert to my normal body rhythm. I'm a nightowl. I'd be up until 2 or 3:00 a.m. every night if I didn't have to get up for my day job. LOL! That's also when I do my most creative work. Ah, well...today I did tat but I think that piece is going to Trina so I can't show it yet. I also finished up the 2nd filet crochet piece for the bag. This is going to be an example for the crochet lace class next spring and it will also probably be involved in our Lace Day. (March 28th!) This pattern is for a glasses case but I used a bigger thread, size 10, so that the stitches can be seen more easily so it's really too big for glasses unless you happen to have big oversized movie-star specs. I'm going to alter the way it's put together a little bit. I'll crochet a shell edging around all three sides, crocheting the two pieces together at the same time and continuing around the top. The pieces are supposed to be sewn together and then a fabric lining made and the uppermost row of crochet turned in and stitched to the fabric. I'll make a fabric lining but it will be removable. It will be a good exercise in following a graph.


I mentioned recently that I'd been going through my old Anna magazines. The one thing that struck me as I checked out all the tatting projects is how they use tatting with linens. We do a lot of motifs and use a hellatious number of techniques in the process but I don't think we (meaning Americans) work with tatting design and fabric very much. It's a shame really. The photo above is one from a scan someone sent me several years ago. It and the one below were in one of those "compressed" files that I have trouble opening but today as I was looking for something else, I found a couple of those files, opened them and saved them in a different format. I believe these are both from older Anna magazines from overseas. The language was not English but didn't appear to be German either.

It's hard to see the tatting clearly in this table cover but you can see there are four square pieces - think of a 12"-14" square doily - which is alternated with fabric (probably linen) squares and the blocks are joined by strips of tatting. You can see the tatting is an open and simple design for both the blocks and the strips. I can't tell if the linen has a simple tatted insertion or if that is drawn thread work. I suspect it is drawn thread work.

I think of all the people who are in the process of making a tablecloth or even a runner made up of only tatted motifs. No wonder they get discouraged and put off finishing it!

I'm thinking it would be reasonable to assume you could tat a square doily in a month's time. The four squares could be done easily within a year. The more time consuming (and tedious) part would probably be the connecting strips. Wouldn't that be an elegant table cover though????


I was equally entranced by this pillow. It looks like 3 large motifs and half a dozen medium motifs. I think the smaller segments with the holes are embroidered, not tatted. I also can't tell if the tree itself is embroidered or padded, as in trupunto.

Why aren't we decorating more of our linens and clothing with tatting? I was telling someone recently that I need to make a curtain for my kitchen window and I wanted to make white panels with tatted inserts and an edging. And then I laughed. Such grand dreams, it seems sometimes....and yet....how hard would that be?

I'll let you know.

11 comments:

  1. That tree pillow is beautiful! All those projects look lovely...

    You sure picked a wonderful color for your yarn for the filet crochet project!

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  2. I am also up late tonight err I mean morning :) That pillow is so pretty too I found myself studying it for a bit. Your filet crochet is pretty!! I did that long ago I made what was supposed to be a curtain of praying hands into an afghan for my mom. I really need to get a picture of it.
    I cant wait to see your curtains :) I know you will do it!!
    Heather

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  3. I used to crochet in my hippy days but have never really mastered filet crochet and admire your ability to do this. Wish I lived nearer I would like to be in your class. I still have all my Anna magazines from years ago, you have inspired me to go through them again and look out tatting designs. I love the tree cushion I am sure it could be adapted to use todays patterns.

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  4. I have not crocheted for quite a while. I have a crochet tablecloth waiting to be completed which I started over a year ago.

    I have this idea of tatting edgings on hankies and joining them up together to make a tablecloth. I am thinking of using the big men's hankies. Do you think it'll work?

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  5. I'm up early! I have a terrible time staying up after 8:30, but I can easily get up at 4!

    I am amazed at the creative way lace has been used to embellish linens through the years. I agree that a large piece such as a tablecloth would be much less daunting if the lace were to be used as an embellishment. I think the eye would be drawn to the lace portions and would then make the lace the focal point.

    Now you've got me thinking... I was given a journal for Christmas. Maybe I should start jotting down ideas!

    Lace Days end of March? Ooh! I loved the last one! I'll have to see if I can make it!

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  6. I also collect Anna magazines (small collection so far) and also Il Lavaro just for the same reason they combine the most beautiful tatting with linen. Il lavaro has several panel curtains with tatted motifs featured (let me know if you'd like me to send you scans for inspirations)
    Connie

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  7. The tree might be a satin stitch...Actually in Colcha Embroidery one could get this effect quite easily with close couching stitches..
    However it was done, it is really beautiful.
    I, too, would like to take tatted lace a step further...but I'd need to learn some new sewing skills. Which I would enjoy, but never had the opportunity to learn. I think the concept of using large linen hankies, tatted together with a 1 or 2" strip (edging) would look wonderful...And be much quicker than tiny little motif as I attempted with the table runner (which I'm happy to report is now 3/4 done! yea!)
    happy tatting and creating
    Ridgetatter

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  8. I think if using hankies, they would need to be of very good quality. For me, some hardanger on linen might be my choice for the fabric squares. There are so many options when you start to think about it!

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  9. The tree is simply beautiful! That's started all kinds of ideas popping in my head - I've got too many projects going now.

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  10. Everything is beautiful. I particularly love the pillow. I have been wondering how I could tat a tree and do it justice. Trees are one of my favorite things in the world. Let us know how it goes.

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  11. So glad to hear that somebody else is a nightowl! It was so difficult for me to get up early when I was working. I can now indulge in a late night schedule, but most people don't understand that I don't want to get up till 10 am and don't want to go anywhere until Noon! The world is set up for the early birds!

    Love the mittens on your prior post, and also all the photos of linens and the gorgeous pillow on this post. Back in 2003 I filet crocheted a 'banner' (6" high)of each of my two nieces' names (fortunately they have short names!) and I sewed the banners diagonally across pillows I made for them out of crushed velvet material. They were among my 'larger' crochet projects, and I was surprised I didn't get bored!

    Your list of things to do for the year made me dizzy! But I don't doubt that you'll accomplish your goals! By the way, thanks for being one of the 'creators' of the 25-Motif Challenge. Sharon filled me in on the early history, too.

    Sounds like you have the roof/tree incident under control! That was pretty scary!

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