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Tips
on Tatting Techniques
- What I have found
that works for me, when reading a detailed pattern written in shorthand,
is the following: Make a photocopy, then "laminate" it with clear Contact
Paper. To keep my place, I use a water-soluble pen (from the fabric
store), and mark the completed section with a " )". No more "was that
eleven or twelve picots seperated by 2 ds on which ring?" When I've
finished, I can wipe the pattern with a lightly damp cloth, and store
and re-use this favorite pattern. (Tip courtesy of Liz
A.)
- A "trick" I discovered
early in my tatting career is to tie firmly a ten- to twelve-inch length
of colored thread around the spindle of my tatting shuttle so that when
I need to rewind, all I have to do is tie my thread onto the starter
thread and wind away. I like the Boye plastc shuttles best and they
have a hole in the spindle to tie onto. (Tip courtesy
of Helen C.)
- This is a fairly
simple tip, but I found it very handy when I was away from my thread
stash, ran out on my shuttle bobbin, and wanted to refill without cutting
the ball thread.
If you are tatting with size 30 thread or larger, carefully crush the
cardboard core of your ball of thread. It starts out "O" shaped -- you
want to crush it to a crescent shape. With very stout scissors (embroidery
scissors will break), cut the core, taking care not to cut any of the
thread. To remove the cardboard from the center, roll it into a coil
and draw it out. Now it is fairly easy to find the inside end of the
thread and fill your shuttle from that. Tie a bit of bright-colored
thread to that end after the shuttle is full so you don't lose it when
you want it again. Store thread from which you have removed the core
in a plastic bag, because it is more prone to tangling than thread on
the core. I don't recommend doing this with finer thread, having found
that it is also too easy to tangle when off the core. Size 10, 20, and
30 are fine this way, and a zip-top baggie of thread with no core will
fit into a small tatting bag. (Tip courtesy of Lynn C.)
- When working with
tiny thread put a piece of fabric that contrasts with the color of thread
you are using on your lap. This helps you to be able to see the stitches
better. I have a piece of black and a piece of white fabric for this
purpose. (Tip courtesy of Debbie.)
- There are times
when my thread runs out before I'm finished something, but there is
enough string left to finish the object, and would be a waste to wrap
more on the shuttle or bobbin. I've learned to tat without a shuttle
at all. Just pretend you are holding a shuttle in your hand. Silly I
know, but there it is. All is needed is a piece of thread and of course
a small hook if you want to join it to something. (Tip
courtesy of Georgette.)
- When doing a project
which requires a lot of motifs to be done, you can figure out how much
thread you need for each motif and help eliminate some wasted thread.
In order to figure out the length of thread needed, put a *measured*
length of thread on your shuttle. I measure by arm stretches. My arms,
fingertip to fingertip, are 5 feet, so I measure in these lengths and
it gives me the foot length. If using two shuttles do the same for the
second shuttle.
Then do the motif. When finished, cut off the shuttle(s) and measure
the remaining thread. Subtract the two amounts, and you have the length
of thread used in the motif. So the next time you do the motif, you
can wind the exact amount you need (plus a bit for safety) onto your
shuttle and not waste any thread! (Tip courtesy of Lori
L.)
- One thing that
I have found handy is to make a photocopy and the use a highlighting
marker to highlight every other thing that you will be doing. You can
even use a second color for special notes or for a second shuttle. I
find this very handy as I take my tatting everywhere I go and it is
easier to stop and go over and over again. And, by using a photocopy,
your books don't end up all torn up.(Tip courtesy of
Kim B.)
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