Favourite doily

After a remark I made on HBT I thought I'd better post this doily!!! I must have made it about 355 years ago. Well, slight exageration! I bought the Penelope leaflet (number 4, for those who are interested in the pattern) when it first came out - brand new!!!! Doesn't that date me?! In those dim and distant days there were very few things to make that interested a youngster but this always struck me as being particularly pretty. It's called 'Snowflakes' and below you'll find a picture of it as shown in the leaflet (on the left) and the one remaining finished one that I made. This is worked in sewing silk thread which was the only way I could get colour into my tatting in those prehistoric days. It measures a bare 7" across.

Tatted Christmas Tree Earrings

I made these earrings yesterday. Well, I made one and a half pairs as that darn thing - time - ran away from me yet again!!!

The first pair are white and silver and have red beads. Why am I telling you that when you can see for yourselves? Duh!!!

The second pair (when the other one arrives!) is/will be black with a silver filament running through. I would love to know anybody/everybody's opinions on these as I am thinking of putting some in my Etsy shop and/or on Ebay. I shall make some more in traditional green but want to try something different. Maybe even bright pink next?????!!!!!!!!!!

I have to finish these off as you can tell by the lack of findings and the 'tails' running from the bottom bead!

Tatting outside the home!!

Yesterday evening I went to a village a few miles outside of the town I live in to give a talk to a group of women - the subject matter was tatting (well, what else!!).
I took my small suitcase full of bits and pieces including the tattysaurus, some pattern books, a few of my shuttles etc, etc.
The meeting took place in a house - it's a posh village with a lot of wealthy people living there and enormous houses. I'd made notes to follow which were my original notes for the last talk I gave - but with a bit more added. Pamela Myers asked me yesterday how I planned this sort of thing and I told her that I took these notes along but usually just 'winged it'. I find I can't stick to a natural progression as things lead me sideways. Again the hit and miss method works well.
After twenty years in a classroom full of four/five year olds I am able 'go with the feel' of the event as it was happening.
After the talk I had about four people who wanted to learn and they all caught on pretty quickly. There's also another group in the village who have craft meetings and they asked if I was prepared to do a workshop for them. Wonder if it'll happen?
Apparently they all enjoyed it but the biggest compliment came from a lady who said she thought she was eccentric but I'd proved that I was much, much more so!!!!
I gave everybody a little butterfly to take home with them - a real crowd pleaser!!!!

Mystery shuttle - continued

A search on google using the key words 'patent tatting shuttle 1915 ' threw up a link on which I found this:- Correspondence with Mrs. Emma Law regarding her patent on a tattingshuttle. 1915. Here's the url for further information.

I had the following email from Heidi Nakayama

Even though the mystery shuttle looks very similar to the Parker patent, the Parker shuttle was made of bone and the 1868 patent date makes its years apart. Jane, I would suggest to the shuttle owner to visit the US Patent website:

http://www.uspto.gov/patft/

Look for the “Issued Patents” box. Click on “Patent Number Search”. Enter 1,173,102

Click on “Images” to see full description.

The Dill Shuttle is the closest match to this shuttle. The application was filed in 1914 and the patent approved in 1916. There’s a possibility they put 1915 on the shuttle because they thought it would be approved by 1915. The best thing to do is read the description and look at the shuttle to see what similarities there are. There's also a possibility that the mark "Patd 1915" was put on the shuttle to discourage copies or it could be an English patent.

Enjoy researching this, please let me know what the shuttle owner thinks after reading the patent.

Heidi Nakayama

For more information on all American shuttles please read Heidi's book which can be found here.

Another message on HBT from Sharren also suggested looking in Heidi's book. See following.

Heidi Nakayama's Tatting Shuttles book has one similar on page 25, with the caption of "1868 E.N. Parker Patent #76,512, Tollinger Collection.

It looks very similar except the bobbin on the shuttle above is wound using a key. Her dad might have adapted it for her, or it might be something new.
Is there a UK patent office? It might be worth calling them or if they are online, looking through the site.

Jeannette wrote this too

I got a shuttle somewhat similar at a flea market last year. When tilted just right in bright sun light, we were able to read "Goddard". I Googled "Goddard tatting shuttle" and had some hits. It seems mine was made in the 1930's and could be a later style from the same company perhaps?

My bobbin does come out and inside the blade tips is a small piece of the same material that reminds me of a lever type spring. There are no holes in the shuttle or bobbin and no pins to hold it together. Try this: Goddard Tatting Shuttle with Bobbin Celluloid 1930's this is what mine is.

Another suggestion was that there may be a hole in the shuttle for a crank. The owner says this isn't so as there's no sign of a hole.

I will add any further information to this blog if any comes in. I tried accessing the patent site but the images wouldn't show up for me. What a nuisance!!!

Mystery shuttle

A lady recently contacted me about the shuttle below. She'd be very grateful if anybody knows anything about it. Here's part of her messages to me. If you do know anything, could you contact me and I'll pass messages back to her? I can be reached via my web site (janeeborall.com).

My father gave me this shuttle and I would love to find out more about it. If you could just point me in the right direction that would be great. It says PATD. 1915. It is a great shuttle and tats great. I would love some information about it. The bobbin appears to come out. however, I have not removed it. The shuttle is not very flexible and I don't want to take the chance of damaging it. There is also a hole in the center of the bobbin to tie the thread. It appears to be made of French Ivory or Cellulose Acetate.