The origin of the word “tatting” has been debated. Some attribute it to the Scandinavian word “tatters,” meaning small pieces; the Indian word, “tattie,” meaning a “mat;” an Icelandic word taeta, meaning “knot;” the old English word, “tat” meaning to “entangle or weave;” or that when women got together to tat they “tattled” with gossip, but none of the suppositions are conclusive.

Even though the word “tatting” did not appear in print until 1843, there is some documentation that tatting was done in the mid- to late-eighteenth century. According to Mary Konior, in a 1739 edition of a German book there is mention of shuttle lace, which would differentiate it from knotted or bobbin lace. There are some chair covers from 1780 that appear to have tatted trim on them and in 1781 there was a mention of the purchase of small ivory shuttles.

Each language developed its own name for tatting and, according to Elviga Nicholls, the word “tatting” first appeared in 1843 in The Ladies’ Handbook of MiIlinery, Dressmaking and Tatting. Prior to this date, she found no mention of tatting in any needlcwork book. (I have a comprehensive needlework book published in 1842 and tatting was not included.) The author wrote,

"This kind of ornament [tatting] for children’s and other dresses was once in high repute, and again appears likely to become a favorite. It certainly is pretty, and can be laid on the bottom edges of various articles of attire, in an almost infinite variety of forms. It is made by the hand; and the material employed is a [silk or linen] thread or cotton. The instrument used in making it is called a tatting needle [a shuttle was shown in the engraving] and can be procured at any of the fancy needlework establishments. The annexed engraving shows how the fingers are placed, while the loop is forming: and this, together with the following directions, will, we hope, enable our readers to execute, after a few trials, this very difficult kind of work."

An Englishwoman, Mlle. Eleonore Riego de la Branchardiere (more commonly known as Mlle. Riego) was appointed as the Artiste in Needlework to Her Royal Highness, the Princess of Wales. Between 1846 and 1887, she was the author of over one hundred books on crochet, lacework, and tatting. In 1850, she wrote the first of eleven tatting books and completed her last tatting book in 1886. Riego could possibly be called the "mother of modern tatting” since she was such a prolific tatting author and was responsible for various innovations, including the modern chain. She described earlier tatting in her first book as being:

"... of very ancient origin, and one of the many stitches used in Point Lace ... it is worked with a shuttle and pin, forming coarse trimmings, &c., consisting of small pieces worked separately, afterwards tacked on a paper pattern and sewn together with a very fine needle and thread, a process extremely tedious and trying to the eyesight."

Until the advent of some of her innovations, tatting consisted of only a series of knots, worked with a single thread with no picots (a small loop enclosed between knots at certain intervals), which were used to create the intricate patterns. After the picot (also known as a loop or pearl) was introduced, they were used to connect the rings (also known as oeillets, ovals, or dots) by sewing the picots together by hand, using a sewing needle and thread. Riego developed the technique of circular motifs that used a center ring, which contained a number of picots, and another round of rings was joined on this center ring at the picots. This innovative motif replaced the previous line of rings that had to be sewn into a circle. Her designs and methods were well received, and in 1866 she wrote:

Interest in tatting in the United States seems to have revived by the mid-nineteenth century, and the January, 1856 issue of Peterson's stated that, "For a considerable period the art of tatting, long disused in this country, has been revived in the fashionable world; and like many other things that have disappeared for a time, has acquired greater lustre and beauty than it ever before possessed."

The exercise of the art of tatting, as known to our grandmothers, was merely an elegant apology for exhibiting a pretty hand and brilliant rings; the actual production was never more elaborate than a neat, but rather substantial edging for a child’s dress or a lady’s frill... At the later French Exposition of Industry, however, some very beautiful and elaborate specimens having been exhibited, this kind of work again became the rage, both in France and England; doubtless the elegant pieces of tatting which may be seen in our own exhibition, will tend yet further to keep the work popular.

Although tatting techniques, tools and patterns continued to change and improve throughout the nineteenth century and into the twentieth century, there is not space here to include more than a brief mention of developments made in the years after 1865. A few of the later tatting authors were Isabella Beeton (1870), S. E A. Caulfield (1882), Therese de Dillmont (1886), Her Majesty the Queen of Roumania [sic] and Lady Katherine Hoare (1910). Some of these women just included tatting instructions and patterns in their books and others were true pioneers, who introduced new techniques or patterns. There are a number of later period books and magazines listed in the bibliography which contain additional information and later patterns.

In recent years, needle tatting has become a popular method of tatting, but, unfortunately, the modern version of needle tatting is not a period method of tatting. "Tatting needles" were mentioned as early as 1843 in The Ladies’ Handbook of MiIlinery Dressmaking, and Tatting, in 1850 in The Ladies’ Work-Table, and in Riego’sTatting, but on further investigation, pictures of the “tatting needle” show either a tatting shuttle or a double-forked netting needle. Furthermore, the descriptions of tatting needles were nothing like the tatting needle of today.

Modern tatting needles are fairly long and come in a number of different sizes that use different sizes of thread; they also have a long closed eye at one end, whereas a period tatting/netting needle has an open fork at both ends to enable the winding of the thread from end to end. In most publications after 1850, instructions did not specify only using a tatting/netting needle and, if there was a reference to using a tatting needle, the author usually stated that a shuttle was preferable.

According to Barbara Foster, the first reference to modern needle tatting was in Modern Priscilla Magazine in April, 1917, but apparently the technique was not widespread until it was reintroduced in late 1970s by Edward and Selma Morin of Portland, Oregon. They popularized this method, which was thought to be a quicker technique to learn than shuttle tatting, with the end product looking the same. Even though both techniques produce look-alike products, they are structurally different. In shuttle tatting and in the earlier tatting instructions using a tatting/netting needle, the knots are made separately on the foundation thread, and are independent of each other, i.e. when you cut one knot, only that single knot will unravel. Whereas, in modern needle tatting, since the stitches are formed on the needle and not a foundation thread, when one thread is cut, the entire ring or chain will unravel.

"To obviate the difficulties above mentioned [knotting each join with a sewing thread] I have substituted a netting needle for the shuttle which has enabled me to attach and shape the pattern while working, and where the loops [picots] are too small to admit of the netting needle passing through, I have given directions for using a sewing needle instead.” A netting needle was pictured in the book, but it was difficult to see the thread wound around the needle in the illustrations of tatting positions, and there was no picture of just the needle. In addition to the netting needle, she sometimes called for a sewing needle to be used in conjunction with netting needle. In her later books, there was no further mention of using tatting/netting needles; and there were only instructions for using a shuttle and sewing needles.

Mrs. Pullen, in her 1859 book, The Lady's Manual of Fancy-Work addressed the use of a netting needle in tatting.

... I may observe, that a netting-needle is sometimes used as a substitute for a shuttle. It is very pleasant to work with, but not suitable for carrying in the pocket: and as the convenience of being able to carry it about is one of the chief recommendations of this sort of work, an ivory shuttle ought always to be possessed, although a netting-needle, also, may sometimes be employed.

In the same book, Mrs. Pullen, described a netting-needle as "...a bar of steel or ivory, open at both ends, and with a small round hole in which to fasten the end of the thread..." Unfortunately, there were no pictures of netting needles, tatting shuttles, or patterns in the section on tatting.

In “The Whole Art of Tatting” (pre-1864) it was suggested that for very fine tatting, it might be more convenient to use a netting-needle, but stressed that a shuttle was usually used. Some other period needlework books also mention using a netting needle, but either they are an almost word for word copy of an earlier publication or suggest using either a shuttle or needle.

According to Pam Palmer in the book Tatting the latest primary reference to a netting needle being used for tatting was in 1867 in instructions for a “Maltese Insertion in Tatting” that appeared in The Ladies’ Book of the Month. The article mentioned using a “fine netting needle” instead of using a shuttle. After that, there seems to be no further mention of netting needles being used in tatting instructions.

One advantage of using a shuttle over a tatting/netting needle is the length of the tatted piece possible with one piece of thread: depending on the size of the thread used, a shuttle can hold approximately fifteen yards of thread and a netting needle can only hold about four to five yards. Therefore, by using a shuttle, it is not necessary to connect the tatted pieces as often with weaver’s knots. Since the thread is wound around a netting needle lengthwise, only a limited quantity of thread can be placed on the needle, so connections are more frequent, taking more time and also reducing the strength of the finished piece.

After examining the period references, then, it becomes evident that the technique used in modern needle tatting was unknown during the nineteenth century. In doing Civil War period living history interpretation, if your only goal is to use a tatted edging for trimming garments and not to do tatting as a demonstration in a period setting, modern needle tatting, although constructed differently, is acceptable in appearance. If you plan on actually showing others how tatting was done, only a period style shuttle or a netting needle would be historically accurate.

Mlle. Riego’s method for tatting was very similar to our modern tatting, but at first she reversed her “stitches” or knots. Instead of making her double stitch as we do, she made our second stitch, (called the “French stitch”) first and our first stitch (called the English stitch) second, so that her knots, on the front, looked like our knots do on the back. Picots (sometimes called loops or pearl loops) were made between the first and second stitches of a double stitch, instead of between two double stitches, as we do today. Most other period tatting instructions have the reader make the English stitch first and the French stitch second, just as we do today.

In 1851, an anonymous woman wrote a book called, Tatting Made Easy, in which the author described the joining of picots, using neither a sewing or netting needle but, instead, a small crochet hook. The hook was used to draw the thread through the loop, thus joining the picot to the next ring. (This is the same method we use today for joining picots if our shuttle is like a period shuttle and does not have a convenient tip or hook on the end.)

Her method described the process of joining the picots as such, “Lay the loop under the pearl [picot] to which it is to be joined.” The loop was pulled through picot using a small crochet hook or tatting pin, and the shuttle was then passed through the larger loop. She made her picots in the middle of double stitches, instead of between two double stitches. Mlle. Riego, not crediting "The Lady," claimed this technique as her own, adopting the method of joining picots, and made no further mention of using a needle to join them. In 1861 Reigo stated in her book, Tatting:Edgings and Insertions, "This fashionable Art has been little used for the purpose to which it is now applied, as by the previous method, it wanted firmness and strength, but by a careful study of the work, and a new method of joining this difficulty is obviated, and these patterns will be found as durable and wash as well as those in crochet or knitting."

In a set of instructions that appeared in the January, 1856, issue of Peterson's, the author described period tatting forms. "Common tatting is merely a length of tatted loops [rings], with or without picots."

Modern tatting makes use of both rings and chains. Chains differ from rings in that rings are made with only one thread and shuttle, and usually begin and end at the same point; chains, using two threads and two shuttles or a shuttle and ball of thread, begin and end at different points. The chain is used to join rings in order to form a particular pattern. In early tatting edging patterns, some rings looked like scallops in that they were not closed (one can usually see the connecting thread between the two ends) and resembled chains, but on further reading one discovers that they were formed using one shuttle and one thread, leaving the ring only partially drawn together. Other design components that resemble modern chains were really buttonhole stitches worked on the thread (now known as a "false chain") between the rings. Oftentimes picots were included on the “false chain” while using a buttonhole stitch. The chain that we know today was not developed until Mlle. Riego introduced it in her book, The Royal Tatting Book, in 1864. Mrs. Pullen, in The Lady's Manual of Fancy-Work, called this “false chain” a "bar" and her instructions were very similar to those of Mlle. Riego. In her first books, Reigo used the "false chain" but in 1864, she briefly described the method for making a true chain using two separate threads; thus the true chain was created. She instructed the reader to use two shuttles, one red and one white.

"...Turn this oeillet [ring made with the white shuttle] down under the left thumb; the stitches between the oeillets are now worked, using the other thread instead of commencing a loop, thus - place the thread from the red shuttle between the second and third fingers of the left hand, holding it about two inches from the work, and work six double stitches on this thread, so that the white shuttle will form the foundation or drawing thread, and the other the six stitches; drop the white shuttle, take the red in the right hand and work with it.

She again described the chain in her 1865 book, The Complete Tatting Book; she still did not call it a "chain" but called it "a straight thread." (The word “chain” was not used until well into the twentieth century.) This technique of using rings and/or rings and chains was later called "single" (rings only) or "double" (rings and chains) tatting. The use of two threads for chains, strengthened the work and made possible a number of variations in patterns. Tatted designs developed before 1864 did not have true chains, and it was several years before the true chain was common in patterns because the new technique was not immediately adopted. The first references I found (other than Riego’s) using a straight thread or true chain were in Peterson's in the February, 1866, issue and in Godey's in September, 1867.

The Josephine stitch, knot or picot (small rings made of single stitches, using only the English or French stitch), was named after Napoleon Bonaparte’s empress and was used in early French tatting. Even though the Josephine knot was mentioned in some period patterns, it did not seem to have developed widespread acceptance until Therese de Dillmont wrote the book Encyclopedia of Needlework in 1886. She built some of her concepts on Mlle Riego’s, but went on to develop additional improvements.

In an 1868 issue of Harper’s Baazar there were instructions for using a crochet hook for tatting. The illustrations show a crochet hook being used much like modern tatting needles, with the stitches being formed on the hook/needle and the thread being pulled through the formed stitches. Other than this reference, I have not seen mention of this method, but it seemed similar to Japanese hook tatting which was introduced in the 1970s.

Shuttles came in three standard sizes, the finest, No. 1; the most commonly used medium size, No. 2; and the largest, No. 3, and did not have the sharp point or hook on one end as some modern ones do. (Shuttles did not start having points on one end until the early twentieth century.) There are many period style tatting shuttles in various sizes available in shops or catalogues that specialize in lace-making supplies. They are made in bone, ivory, horn, silver, various woods, mother of pearl, and plastic that resembles tortoise shell or bone.

Tatting pins, sometimes called purling pins, were usually mentioned in period publications and were apparently the invention of Mlle. Reigo. They were used to either form the picots or join the picots to one another and were made in four sizes, with No. 4 being the largest. The pin assembly included a ring of bone or brass, which was attached to a chain about three inches long, worn on the thumb of the left hand, with a small crochet-like hook or long, blunt tipped needle attached to the end of the chain. Some sources, including Mlle. Reigo, also suggested as an alternative, using a large blunt rug needle attached to a silk braid or coarse thread with a loop on the end for the thumb. In her book, Tatting, Pam Palmer quotes from Treasures in Needlework(1855), where the use of a tatting pin is described.

"The pin is used for making an ornamental edge....thus, slip the ring on the left hand thumb, that the pin attached may be ready for use. After making the required double stitches, twist the pin in the circle of cotton, and hold it between the forefinger and thumb whilst making more double stitches: repeat. The little loops thus formed are called picots.

Since many modern shuttles have a sharp point or a crochet-like hook on one end, and we do not usually need the pin for joining picots, and with experience, a pin is not needed for forming the picots. A pin would be needed, however, in using a period tatting shuttle with a correct design in an interpretive situation.

Silk, linen, or cotton thread was most commonly used for tatting because a strong, smooth thread was needed to produce a neat appearance. At first, silk thread was preferred because cotton was not strong enough. But in 1835 John Mercer developed the mercerization process for cotton. That process made a stronger thread and gave it a smooth finish; it then had the two qualities that made it well suited for tatting. Even in later years, however, silk thread was used for collars and the fancier pieces. Mlle. Riego also suggested that wool could be used.

A number of sizes of cotton thread were used for period tatting and ranged from size 20 to 120, with the latter being the finest. Modern tatting thread is No. 80 which is very fine and tends to break easily if too much pressure is used closing the rings. For most projects, I use thicker No. 20 cotton thread; it makes a sturdier finished product, but is not coarse or chunky looking as with some even larger threads (thread is now available up to size 5). Most of the tatting patterns suggested which kind and what size of thread to use, and in particular Mrs. Beeton's Book of Needlework included a rule of thumb chart which indicated what size of thread to use for a particular type of project. She also indicated that on average two yards of thread were needed per square inch of tatting using a single shuttle and three yards of thread using two shuttles. In Peterson's, January, 1856, the author stated:

"The thread used for frivolite should be both strong and soft; something like knitting-cotton, indeed, but of a rather different kind to that fabric. The only article really suitable for this work is manufactured by Messrs. Walter Evans & Co, of Derby, who recognizing the unfitness of all other cottons for this purpose, have spun a thread expressly for tatting. This article is at once so soft that it never twists, and so strong that it will bear the jerk with which the knot is formed. It is made in three sizes, termed Evans’ tatting cottons, Nos. 1, 2, and 3."

Mrs. Pullen also suggested using the thread of Walter Evans & Co. since it was strong enough to "bear the peculiar jerk" of tatting.

Most of the period tatted pieces we find today were made from either white or ecru thread, Riego sometimes recommended using a strong color thread, including gold tatting cord, black, deep green, garnet red, tones of violet or indigo blue. Variegated or ombre shaded thread was also used, but the variegation was not multi-colored; it was dyed with different shades of the same color. Today the colored threads are not always easy to find in sizes larger than No. 80, but several European companies make in it the No. 20 size. Silk thread is also available from some suppliers.

The shuttle, tatting pin and work were often kept in tatting bags or cases. In 1866, Mlle. Riego advertised (no picture of the case was shown) a leather tatting case that was designed to hold "Book of Instructions, cottons and every requisite for the work. It is made in Russian leather, and forms an elegant little work-box for presents, &c." There were also small tatting cases of covered cardboard or wood made to hold one’s supplies for tatting. Mrs. Beeton gave directions for a small drawstring bag of linen that was three and three-quarters inches high and three inches wide, and was trimmed with simple tatted lace. Annie Frost pictured a circular French kid tatting case, lined with silk. In the June, 1870, issue of Godey's there was a scarlet merino covered cardboard cylindrical tatting case which was then embroidered with decorative stitches.

There are many tatting tools and numerous colors and sizes of threads available from various vendors that specialize in lace-making supplies, of which a number are listed on the Internet. Using any of the search engines, look under tatting, lace-making or needlework to find available sources.

NOTE: I did not include basic tatting instructions, either period or modern, in this article, due to its considerable length and the ready availability of modern tatting instructions. In the bibliography, I listed a number of primary sources for correct patterns for the time period. Some of those publications have been reprinted, as noted in the bibliography, and others such as Godey's and Peterson's are available through antique book dealers, special collections in some libraries, and on microfilm. There are a number of needlework books that were originally published in England and may be available for viewing in libraries or museums in England.

I would like to thank Elizabeth Bowling, Barbara Foster, Linda Gray, and Janice Jones for sharing their primary references. I would not have been able to so as comprehensive a history of nineteenth-century tatting without their generosity. I also wish to thank Elizabeth Bowling for her illustrations of the various tatting tools.