Virgina Mescher is familiar to the online tatting class from her article on Civil War Tatting which we all enjoyed in class last year. Her new book is a real gem for tatters and tatting historians alike. Petite in size (8.5" x 5.5" or 21 x 14 cm), it is immense in the scope of information contained. It has 120 pages and contains an 8-page bibliography.

This fascinating look at tatting offers many 19^th century instructions and patterns (similar to the Metternich Cravat by Mlle. Riego worked in class last year) from 1842 - 1889. Each pattern is fully documented with source and date. Many historical references to tatting and its origins are included.