A month or so ago I bought a leaflet off Ebay and when it arrived I thumbed through it (as you do) and came across a very familiar pattern!!!
Familiar as I know I made it way back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. YES, I was/am a dinosaur in Tat Land as you know!!! I knew I didn't work it from this leaflet as this one is all in Italian and I don't speak or understand that language!!
It's bothered me ever since I saw it so yesterday I donned my safari outfit and set out with courage by my side and fought my way to the bookshelves. Why, oh why do we both 'dump' stuff in the back room and always in front of MY BOOKS?
Anyway, I arrived breathless and perspiring having fought off snakes, lions, elephants etc to find the folder with the odd loose sheets in - least I knew roughly where to look. Now to my surprise - there it was.
This is just a loose sheet which I must have inherited when my gran died. I've got quite a few but this one is a mystery as I've no idea which publication it came from. Looking on the back of the sheet it wasn't a tatting book. I'm wondering if it was from 'The Lady' as it's got an article about a National Trust property on the back. When I have assembled an army of volunteers to accompany me again (well I'll ask the cat if she wants to help) I may take another trip to the bookshelves to see if I've got anymore that are from the same source but with more clues. As it's suggesting that Coats thread is used I've a feeling they must have sold the pattern to the magazine.
Bet you want to know the name of the Italian leaflet I bought? It's Il Lavoro Chiacchierino 4.
No prizes for spotting that the Italian and English versions both have the very SAME photo!!!!
There are other patterns in both my loose sheets and the Italian leaflet that are the same. Does anybody know the history behind this? Bet Georgia knows!!!
On my way with 2 3/4 cats to help!!! LOL
ReplyDeleteI don't know it's history, but I'm very impressed by your filing system!! - knowing exactly in which pile a wanted pattern is. As long as no-one else has tidied everything up, of course!
ReplyDeleteMaureen - I'm impressed too!!! Believe me it doesn't always work!!!
DeleteLooks like something from Norma don't remember last name from Austraila or the other famous tatter from Austraila. I just got up and I am brain dead still. What do you think...does this help?
ReplyDeleteNorma Benporath ?
DeleteNo, I don't think so, Pigmini. See my comment below.
DeleteWell, Sherry, I'm not sure it would come from Norma as this piece is naked - no picots and she loved her picots!!!! The style doesn't 'feel' right for her either. I also don't think due to the long distances involved and lack of easy communications in those days (I'm thinking around the 1950's/early 60's) that her work would've migrated much over here. Although, have said that gran and I borrowed Norma's book from the library around then - before we got our own copy!!!! It's a mystery at the moment!!
ReplyDeleteisn't that what they call a 'cheval set'?
ReplyDeleteYes, Tally Tatty but why it's called that is a mystery to me!!!
DeleteI'm not familiar with your publication, and I was pretty much unaware of tatting way back when. I had a tatted cross from a friend and a Workbasket pattern for a pair of booties, no instructions or tatting supplies. I guess my point is, I'm no help to you! It will be interesting to see what you learn!
ReplyDeletehow about the Paragon pamphlets? http://www.knitting-and.com/tatting/paragon112.html
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link, linb54. I'll take a look.
DeleteI haven't seen those designs before. I'll keep an eye out for them, though...
ReplyDeleteDear Jane,
ReplyDeleteMy dictionary reveals that a cheval-set is a set of lace that is used on a dressing table, in front of a cheval mirror. ‘Cheval glass’ means a full-length mirror, mounted so as to swivel within a frame. You are supposed to put your bottle of perfume and your moisturizer lotion on the small doilies, and your brush and comb on the larger one.
I have seen on or two sets like that before, but not the one you show here. Or I watched too many Western movies.
Oooh, thanks Tally Tatty. I meant to look it up but got distracted!!! Cheval sets were still popular when I was a kid. That makes me feel VERY old!!!!
DeleteNo, you are not old.
ReplyDeleteHi. I found the pattern in an old issue of The Ring of Tatters newsletter. Spring 1988. It says that the pattern was taken from Needlewoman, no 133, reproduced by kind permission of WM Briggs & Co.Ltd. I'm not sure if this helps at all.
ReplyDeleteWell that's interesting as I'll have that pattern in the ROT too!!! Sounds as if Needlewoman didn't mind selling on that particular pattern. I wonder if the paper copy I've got came from there? The detective work will continue. Thanks for taking the trouble to look.
Delete