Ribbonwinners Tatting Patterns & Shuttles by
Georgia Seitz
11460 Via Appia
Anchorage Alaska 99515-2905 USA
AKTATTER@aol.com
www.georgiaseitz.com




Applying Needle Tatting or Split Ring Tatting to Floral Wire


Excellent projects for the newest tatters, these decorations, floral wreaths and corsages can be made from any thread or yarn. The finished project will also need corsage leaves, netting, ribbons and beads etc.



Use the basic needle tatting technique to wrap yarn/thread on the floral wire:

The following is a revised excerpt from Book 6 of the Ribbonwinners Series, "Tatting Talk: A Self-Improvement Guide for Tatters". Used by permission of the author, Georgia Seitz copyright 1998.



Take the tail of the thread and bring it up to the middle of the wire.


Place the tail end under the thumb. The thumb is the pinching point.


Position the left hand with the thumb sticking up and the four fingers slightly curved inward and around the left hand side of the thread loop formed above. Take the thread as it comes up and over the forefinger of the left hand and stretch it taut between there and the pinching point.


Bring your right hand and the wire towards you and around your upright thumb clockwise. Place the point of the wire on the side of the thumb closest to you and go from the base upwards sliding under the thread. Gently pull the needle to the right and the thread slips off the thumb. Note here that a loop, i.e., the first half stitch of thread is around the wire.


Holding the thread in the left hand firmly pull down slightly until the slack is gone from the loop and the thread completely encloses the wire. Slide this loop to the mid point of the wire and hold it in place with the outstretched forefinger.


With the left thumb upright take the wire and move it away from you wrapping the thread around the thumb in a counterclockwise movement. Take the point of the wire and place it at the base of the thumb on the side farthest from you and slide the wire upwards again picking up the loop of thread. Let the thread slip off the thumb. Note here that the thread is again in a loop around the wire, this time in the opposite direction, i.e., the second half stitch.


Holding the thread in the left hand firmly pull down slightly until the slack is gone from the loop and the thread completely encloses the wire. Slide this loop to the mid point of the wire and hold it in place with the outstretched forefinger.


You will now see the familiar double stitch of tatting has been wrapped around the wire. Continue in this manner for two more double stitches. As you tighten the first half stitch of the 4th DS leave a space of thread about 1/2" long. Reach forward with the forefinger to hold this loop in place while the second half stitch is wrapped. When the 4th DS is complete physically push the DS down next to the first three DS. Note that the space of thread is forced outwards and thus forms a picot.


You can place DS and picots on the wire as desired, moving down for the length required. When finished, just bend the wire together and wrap bare wire ends with floral tape. Bend the thread wrapped portion into a leaf of blossom shape.





Shuttle Tatters should apply the split ring wrapping technique to the floral wire in the the suggested projects.


The following is an adaptation of the basics of split ring tatting from Book 4 of the Ribbonwinners series, Tatting on the Edge...and Beyond, Used with permission copyright 1996 Georgia Seitz



There is more than one way to accomplish the split ring technique. There is more than one way to hold the hand when making a split ring. This description is the starting point for learning all about split rings.



The Fascination of Split Ring Tatting

In split ring tatting we have learned that it is necessary to keep the working thread (between your forefinger and middle finger) taut. Do not let it relax. Do not let the loop be transferred. Using the floral wire guarantees that the foundation thread/wire is taut. Thus the tatter can simply wrap the ds onto the wire and pull the shuttle thread gently down towards the thumb/pinching point in the middle of the wire.


If you consider the double stitch in two parts, the first half carries the thread under and then over; the second half carries the thread over and then under. I count the stitches by thinking, "...and...one...and...two." When working the split ring picots would be created as the second half stitch, or and, is drawn up.

Form petals or leaves as mentioned above.



NOTA BENE: Tatting on wire is different from tatting with copper wire. See the example of the Sitka Rose (pattern found in Book 3 "Tatting Tiny Treasures") created by Dianna Stevens in copper wire tatting:



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