Join me as I explore tatting history. I may trace the development of the craft, translate old patterns into modern notation, or play detective tracking down the earliest appearance of a technique, design, or term.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Quote for the Day

"I do not think any person who has not seen Tatting done can accomplish it by any description." -- Mrs. Gaugain, The Lady's Assistant in Knitting, Netting, and Crochet Work, Vol 2, 1842.

Mrs. Gaugain on the difficulty of learning to tat though words alone, without seeing it done. Nonetheless, she was the earliest person I know of who published tatting instructions in English.

5 comments:

victats@gmail.com said...

Does that make those that learned from written instructions speacial? or just crazy? abnormally persistent?

connie said...

Well, its a great quote but it makes me even more amazed that I learned how to tat from a book.

Martha said...

I learned from a book, too. Well, actually from 2 books from the library. Neither book made complete sense, but each filled in for the other's weak spots. Let's say I was persistent.

Heather of Tatted Treasures said...

I am not at all surprised by this. It is difficult enough with a teacher sitting next to you, nevermind still photos and (often poor) descriptions.

Gunhild said...

Hmm, Victats, I think you are right;-)). I have to say I learned it also from a little red book in the library, when I was 16 years young.I didn't knew anybody who knows how to do. I succeded to make a line of rings, all by myself. As I didn't need doilies or handkechiefs with 16, I didn't continue, but kept my line of rings like a secret in a little box, together with the 2 shuttles, and saved that over 25 years, moving from one flat to the other, saving it. Then I started again with shuttle tatting and threw it away, ...