The Bath Tatting Book Informative Summary

Overview:

The Bath Tatting Book, published in 1865, is a comprehensive guide to the art of tatting, a delicate form of lace making using a shuttle and thread. The book provides detailed instructions and illustrations for creating a variety of intricate designs, including doilies, edgings, and insertions. Each project is broken down into step-by-step instructions, with clear explanations of the basic stitches and techniques. The book also includes specific recommendations for the types of thread and pins to use for each design, ensuring that readers have the best materials for creating their tatting masterpieces.

Beyond its practical instructions, the book offers a glimpse into the Victorian era’s craft culture. It highlights the popularity of tatting as a leisure activity for women and demonstrates the intricate detail and artistry involved in this delicate craft.

Key Findings:

The book provides specific instructions for creating six distinct tatting designs.
The book emphasizes the use of specific types of thread and pins for each project, showcasing the importance of quality materials for achieving optimal results.
The book reveals tatting as a popular leisure activity for women in the Victorian era, highlighting its importance as a form of artistic expression and skill development.

Learning:

Tatting Basics: This book teaches readers the fundamental stitches and techniques of tatting, including double stitches, reversed double stitches, loops, ovals, joins, tying, and attaching. This foundation provides the skills necessary to create any tatting design.
Detailed Instructions: The book provides comprehensive instructions for creating intricate designs, breaking down each step into clear and concise instructions. This allows readers to learn the process of creating a complete piece of tatting, from start to finish.
Victorian Craft Culture: Through its detailed instructions and descriptions, the book offers insights into the Victorian era’s craft culture. Readers can learn about the popularity of tatting as a leisure activity for women and its importance as a form of artistic expression and skill development.

Historical Context:

This text was published in 1865, a time of significant change and progress. The Victorian era was a period of industrialization and technological advancement, which led to increased leisure time for women of the middle and upper classes. This newfound leisure time fostered a flourishing of domestic arts and crafts, including tatting. The book reflects this cultural context by providing detailed instructions for creating intricate designs, showcasing the intricate detail and artistry involved in this delicate craft.

Facts:

Tatting is a form of lace making using a shuttle and thread. This is a definitive fact about the craft and its process.
The book recommends using Ardern’s crochet cotton No. 8 and Evan’s Boar’s-head No. 18 for specific designs. The book explicitly states these as recommended materials, making them facts about the book.
The book includes instructions for making six distinct tatting designs. This is based on the text’s structure and its clear division into various projects.
Tatting was a popular leisure activity for women in the Victorian era. The text’s historical context and its detailed instructions for creating intricate designs reflect this cultural practice.
Tatting is a delicate and intricate craft. The text’s descriptions of the designs and instructions for creating them highlight the precision and skill required for tatting.
The book was published in London. The title page clearly states the city of publication.
The book was published by Emily Faithfull, who was the Printer and Publisher in Ordinary to Her Majesty. This information is directly stated on the title page.
The book was printed in 1865. The title page indicates the year of publication.
The book was priced at one shilling. The title page explicitly states the price.
Tatting requires specific types of thread and pins. This is a fact about the craft based on the text’s recommendations for specific materials.
The book includes detailed illustrations. This is a fact based on the text’s format and description of its contents.
Tatting involves a variety of stitches and techniques. The book explains multiple stitches and techniques in detail, making this a fact about the craft.
The book describes the process of creating tatting designs in detail. This is a fact based on the book’s structure and detailed instructions.
The book includes instructions for making doilies, edgings, and insertions. This is a fact based on the text’s content and descriptions of the various projects.
The book suggests using a pin number 2 for certain projects. This is a fact based on the text’s specific recommendations for materials.
The book suggests using a pin number 3 for certain projects. This is a fact based on the text’s specific recommendations for materials.
The book suggests using Evan’s Boar’s-head No. 20 for specific designs. This is a fact based on the text’s specific recommendations for materials.
The book suggests using Evan’s Boar’s-head No. 28 for specific designs. This is a fact based on the text’s specific recommendations for materials.
The book suggests using Evan’s Boar’s-head No. 30 for specific designs. This is a fact based on the text’s specific recommendations for materials.
The book suggests using Ardern’s crochet cotton No. 12 for specific designs. This is a fact based on the text’s specific recommendations for materials.
The book suggests using Brook’s No. 8 crochet cotton for specific designs. This is a fact based on the text’s specific recommendations for materials.
The book suggests using coarse purse silk for specific designs. This is a fact based on the text’s specific recommendations for materials.

Statistics:

66 loops are required for each side of the foundation strip of the first doily. This specific number is mentioned in the text and gives the reader context about the process of creating the foundation.
12 centre loops are used in the centre piece of the first doily. This statistic highlights the structure of the centrepiece and the number of elements used for its creation.
12 plain ovals are used in the centre piece of the second doily. This statistic gives the reader a clear understanding of the structural components of the centrepiece.
48 loops are used in the 6th and 7th circles of the chrysanthemums for the second doily. This statistic highlights the growth pattern of the chrysanthemum design.
14 single stitches are used in the intermediate designs for the second doily. This statistic gives the reader a clear idea of the design’s structure.
20 single stitches are used in the intermediate designs for the second doily. This statistic gives the reader a clear idea of the design’s structure.
12 similar roses are used for the third doily. This statistic gives the reader a clear idea of the design’s scale and how many roses are needed to complete the doily.
14 loops are used in the 4th row of the centre piece of the third doily. This statistic gives the reader a clear idea of the design’s structure and the number of elements used for its creation.
12 similar ovals are used in the 1st row of the centre piece of the third doily. This statistic gives the reader a clear idea of the design’s structure and the number of elements used for its creation.
3 loops are used in the first leaf design of the centre piece for the third doily. This statistic gives the reader a clear idea of the design’s structure.
4 loops are used in the second leaf design of the centre piece for the third doily. This statistic gives the reader a clear idea of the design’s structure.
6 times the row is repeated in the 2nd row of the third doily when joining the roses. This statistic gives the reader a clear idea of the process of joining the roses to the centrepiece.
5 loops are used in the 1st row of the 1st leaf of the 4th edging design. This statistic gives the reader a clear idea of the design’s structure.
9 loops are used in the 1st row of the 2nd leaf of the 4th edging design. This statistic gives the reader a clear idea of the design’s structure.
8 loops are used in the 1st row of the 2nd leaf of the 4th edging design. This statistic gives the reader a clear idea of the design’s structure.
4 loops are used in the 1st row of the 2nd leaf of the 4th edging design. This statistic gives the reader a clear idea of the design’s structure.
9 loops are used in the 2nd row of the 4th edging design. This statistic gives the reader a clear idea of the design’s structure.
2 loops are used in the 2nd row of the 4th edging design. This statistic gives the reader a clear idea of the design’s structure.
4 loops are used in the 3rd row of the 4th edging design. This statistic gives the reader a clear idea of the design’s structure.
9 loops are used in the strip of the 1st insertion. This statistic gives the reader a clear idea of the design’s structure.

Terms:

Tatting: A delicate form of lacemaking using a shuttle and thread.
Shuttle: A small, handheld tool used in tatting to hold the thread and create the stitches.
Oval: A basic tatting element, created by forming a loop of thread and working stitches around it.
Double stitch: A basic tatting stitch, formed by passing the shuttle thread over the back or palm of the hand and pushing or pulling the shuttle.
Reversed Double stitch: A variation of the double stitch, where the stitches are worked in the opposite order.
Loop: A knot formed in the thread by wrapping it around a pin or other object.
Join: A method of connecting two separate tatting elements together by drawing the thread through a loop or space.
Tie: A method of securing the thread by passing the shuttle through a loop or space and drawing it tight.
Attach: A variation of tying, where the shuttle thread is passed around another thread before being drawn through the loop.
Foundation thread: A length of thread used as a base for building a tatting design.

Examples:

First Doyley: This doily features a raised cornflower design, with a central piece and a border of vandykes. The instructions detail the creation of each element and how they are joined together.
Second Doyley: This doily features a central piece and a border of chrysanthemums and intermediate designs. The instructions detail the creation of each element, including the individual loops and stitches that form the chrysanthemum.
Third Doyley: This doily features a central piece with leaves and a border of roses. The instructions detail the creation of each element, including the intricate steps involved in forming the rose.
Edging No. 1: This edging design features a combination of plain and figured ovals, creating a repeating pattern. The instructions provide detailed guidance for creating the individual ovals and connecting them.
Edging No. 2: This edging design features a series of ovals joined by a foundation thread, creating a repeating pattern. The instructions include options for adding loops to the design.
Edging No. 3: This edging design features a combination of plain and figured ovals, creating a repeating pattern with a rosette and leaf element. The instructions provide detailed guidance for creating the individual elements and connecting them.
Edging No. 4: This edging design features a repeating pattern of leaves, with each leaf formed by a series of loops and stitches. The instructions detail the creation of each leaf and how they are joined together.
Insertion No. 1: This insertion design features a strip of tatting, with a repeating pattern of ovals and single stitches. The instructions detail the creation of the strip and how it is joined together to create the insertion.
Insertion No. 2: This insertion design features a strip of tatting, with a repeating pattern of ovals and single stitches. The instructions detail the creation of the strip and how it is joined together to create the insertion.

Conclusion:

“The Bath Tatting Book” offers a comprehensive guide to the art of tatting, encompassing basic stitches, detailed instructions for various intricate designs, and valuable historical context. Readers can learn the art of creating delicate and beautiful lace using a shuttle and thread. The book’s detailed instructions and illustrations make it an ideal resource for both beginners and experienced tatters.

By exploring the book’s instructions, readers can not only develop their tatting skills but also gain insights into the Victorian era’s craft culture. The book reveals the importance of tatting as a leisure activity for women and its role in fostering artistic expression and skill development. Whether used for practical crafting or historical exploration, “The Bath Tatting Book” remains a valuable resource for understanding and appreciating this intricate and elegant art form.

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