Ice Drop tutorial

Monday, June 7, 2021

This is it!

 

This is the pattern that sparked my interest in tatting! I was given a cross bookmark as a thank you the summer of 1969. Mom knew that it was tatting, but didn't know how to tat. I remember that we went to the five and dime and purchased a shuttle, some thread, and a Coats & Clark book. For 20 years I periodically referred to the book and tried to figure out what to do. It never made sense.

One day, my friend Denise called and said she had found a video by Mildred Clark that would teach us to tat. Denise lent the video to me, and within 20 minutes I was tatting!

It took me years to identify the pattern as one from Workbasket. I have a copy of that Workbasket magazine somewhere. When I find its safe place, I'll let you know what issue it is.


I figured out that the thread is size 40, and I know that it is hand-dyed. It's a beautiful thread, and I'm glad that I had enough for the cross and a button ornament. This is an ornament I will keep. I had a stack of Dad's shirts that I had cut apart for quilt blocks, and I saved the buttons. I plan on making button ornaments with all the buttons I saved from Dad's shirts. When they're finished, I'll let family members choose ornaments for their trees. I hope they think they're special!

7 comments:

  1. I love hearing how people learnt to tat! I found a pamphlet and shuttle in my mum’s sewing box, couldn’t figure it out, but a friend of my aunt’s showed me the flip and the pamphlet was good for the rest. The cross is certainly inspirational! Gorgeous thread.

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    1. Thanks, Jane! I am forever grateful that Denise found that video so many years ago. Written directions often confuse me, but once I've seen something done I can usually do a fair job.

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  2. The cross pattern is from the April 1955 issue of The Workbasket. Love the button ornament idea to use your dad's buttons.

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    1. Thanks, Sandy! I have so many boxes of books and patterns that I've collected over the years. I know my copy is tucked away safely. I took a picture of it with my iPad (back when iPads first came on the scene), and I've used that picture as my pattern for many years.

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  3. Great cross and tatted button ornament!!! :)

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  4. Beautiful post, actually all in this post is beautiful, the tatting, the thread and the story!

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