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“I had to know what it was and once I learned that I was looking at a tatted border, I wanted to know how to make it,” the Morgantown, West Virginia, native says. She found a tatting teacher and her mother-in-law gave her a gift of lessons. She remembers that her teacher Martha Becilla continually reminded her students to learn to relax. “My hands felt stiff when I tried to hold the thread wrapped around my fingers.” Tabitha says. “Once I got the hang of it, I understood what she meant. I say the same thing to my students.” She calls tatting 3-dimensional lace making that imitates bobbin lace. The thread is wrapped on a shuttle and then looped through her fingers. When you examine her unique patterns, you will see that they consist of rows of central rings decorated with “picots” that turn the rings into flower-like designs. She uses her tatted lace to trim everything from christening gowns to pillowcases. Her tatted earrings and other jewelry are conversation pieces. “You can tat in a car, in a doctor’s office or while listening to a lecture in a class. I always ask a teacher if they mind my tatting while they talk. No one seems to mind. It actually helps me focus on what they’re saying.” Tatting probably evolved from the ancient art called “knotting,” that was used to decorate clothing. The Egyptians used knotting work on ceremonial dress. The early Chinese also used knotting and incorporated it into embroidery. This Chinese form of needlework eventually found its way into Europe probably through Dutch traders.
Knotting was worked by winding thread onto a shuttle and then making a series of knots on the thread at close intervals so that the work looked like a string of beads. The transition from knotting to tatting probably took place in Italy when someone decided to join their knots into a ring instead of making a string of them. “I like to use cotton or silk thread, not synthetic fibers,” Tabitha says. “It doesn’t seem appropriate to work an antique craft with modern materials.” When she planned her wedding, she allowed four months to tat her veil. “I developed the pattern for the veil myself and felt so elegant wearing it,” Tabitha says. “And I don’t think of it as only a veil. It can double for a christening gown if my husband, Jeffrey and I ever have children.” Tabitha, a 1997 graduate of West Virginia University, recently fulfilled her dream to become a licensed practical nurse. She also enjoys attending Renaissance Fairs such as the 35th Pennsic War that was celebrated in western Pennsylvania this summer. “I wore a Renaissance costume to this fair that covers the 11th to the 17th century,” she says. “My younger brother participates in the reenactment of a war with the great swords. I enjoy watching these events but when I go to the fair, I’m also looking for special materials that lend themselves to my tatted work. Various dealers participate in the fairs and some of them feature materials that I can use to trim with tatting. Tatting and renaissance seem to go together.”
One of her most popular items is a hanky and garter set for brides. Delicate-looking lace baby bonnets and booties are surprisingly sturdy. Christening gowns are another heirloom choice. Tabitha will also bring tatted choker necklaces with bead trim. Buy earrings or pendants separately to wear with pearls or match with your own accessories. She uses only sterling silver fasteners and chains to complete her jeweled treasures. “Tatted lace is very lasting,” Tabitha says. “The pillowcases I trim with tatted lace will wear out, but the tatted lace will not. Generations of women have cut the lace off worn out articles and saved it to sew on something new. I look forward to introducing this wonderful art form at Old Fashioned Christmas in the Woods. © Copyright ShakerWoods.com |
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