Christmas Tatting at Missenden Abbey.

I had very busy couple of days last weekend at Missenden Abbey in Buckinghamshire. The course was called 'Tatting for Christmas' so I'd taken patterns for snowflakes, baubles, embellishments for cards and an angel.
Four of the students were absolute beginners so their first challenge was to learn how to 'turn' the stitch. As anyone who teaches tatting will know, some people achieve this quicker than others but it isn't a race and they were all pleased with their progress. Two made at least one simple decoration to take home and the other two were well on the way to finishing their first tatted project. They all did very well.
On the first evening I gave all the students, who could tat, a fairly easy pattern to work but from then on each lady decided what she'd like to make next, with a bit of advice from me when necessary. When they found that the pattern used a technique that they didn't know, or had forgotten, we had a learning session. The most popular designs were the little angel and a beaded snowflake (not shown in the picture). Some tutors of tatting courses move on to a new pattern each session but from what I've been told by students what they don't finish on the course usually ends up as a UFO and they all chose to finish one project before moving on to another.
I wouldn't usually do the choirboy, choir girl or snowman on a weekend course because there is too much tatting or sewing to be able to complete just one of them in the time. These projects I've done with my groups at home where we do part at each meeting and there is time between classes for my ladies to catch up ready for the next stage.
I've got two more tatting events before Christmas so my bungalow has boxes of tatted decorations in most of the rooms because it isn't worh putting them away.

Snowflake with mock rings

An easy snowflake

One or two of my ladies found the 'daisy picots' a bit difficult last month so instead of making the butterfly I gave them the option of doing this snowflake instead. It is quite easy and uses mock rings instead of normal ones in the second row.

When they had all gone home last night and I was tidying up I noticed that there weren't any of the patterns left on the table!

A butterfly using the 'daisy picot' technique

I promised I'd give them a pattern this month that used their newly acquired technique so here's a picture of the little butterfly we did.

Daisy picots

Last month I did 'daisy picots' with my groups and they made these little flowers.

I suggested that instead of throwing away the thread left their shuttles they could make these little flowers and either use them on cards or send them to Jane Eborall to go on the bookmarks she makes to be given away at the Ring of Tatters' stands at exhibitions.

I'm into baubles this year and I did this one for the workshop in Bristol at the beginning of October. I'd taken red and purple baubles so that the ladies could choose. The pattern uses self closing mock rings and for the workshop it was worked without beads. I showed them the beaded version and gave them all the written instructions, with diagrams, for adding the beads so they could do that version at home.

Do you, or someone you know want to learn how to do traditional shuttle tatting?

Learn to Tat with the Ring of Tatters’ DVD

** Members of the committee have used their knowledge and experience acquired from teaching in schools and colleges along with their many years of tatting to compile this DVD.

**It is aimed at absolute beginners and covers the basic techniques.

**The student is shown slowly, step by step, how tatting ‘works’ and included are the instructions for how to make a simple edging.

**It also explains how to follow a tatting pattern.
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Email Lynne : Resources@ringoftatters.org.uk for overseas cost and for details on how to get your copy (PayPal available)