Directional tatting

Tatted lace has always had a front and a reverse (back) side. By convention, traditional tatting (as we know it today) made the ring side the front, and the chain side, the back. This was for ease of ending off (with knots), and for slip-stitching behind the lace in order to start at a different place. Lady Hoare's 'The Art of Tatting' (1910) features articles where the thread was slip-stitched behind the work.

In traditional tatting, a contemporary double stitch appeared with a 'bar' linking the two halves across the top, and so picots were placed between two of these whole stitches, as with rings on the front side. Naturally, having reversed work (RW), the picots of chains faced the back of the work.

In the late C19 some tatters preferred that all the picots, on both rings and chains, faced the front. So they encouraged tatters to reverse the order of the halves of the double stitches of the chains, i.e. 'reverse order double stitch'. This brought all picots to the ring side, or the front of the work, i.e. 'directional tatting'.

Directional tatting became very popular in the 1990s, even 'de rigueur'. Joins were made downward and upward to suit, and on occasions, reverse stitch (unflipped ds) was introduced. Pattern books were published with a new shorthand notation, cf Jan Stawasz of Poland.

All this helped tatters focus on the visual effects they were producing in their lace. Some deemed it necessary in various situations, others didn't. It became a personal choice, and still is.

So interesting to learn the history and timeline of techniques! I do think the technique I choose for a given project is influenced somewhat by whether or not I want it to have a "traditional" look, but may not have formulated the thought in that way. At any rate, I think I like it !

@jmjtat, it's all up to you, bearing in mind that some current designs are traditional, whether they are tatted in colour or not. Contemporary designs tend to have fewer fluffy picots.

Of course, thankfully along the way, new techniques made tatting easier to manage by eliminating the 'cut and tie', and ending off invisibly.

Yes, I'm also learning about where it's worth doing directional tatting. It's very worthwhile for Jan Stawasz's patterns, with all their clusters of picots. But not really worth it for modern patterns with few picots.

@GraceT, if you plan to appliqué some tatted lace to a garment, it's worth using directional tatting. This keeps all the picots flat against the fabric and adds a visual effect to the piece. Whether there are many picots in a design or not, all picot joins need to be considered in directional tatting.

You'll find that directional tatting is a concept in which you can employ many of the techniques and effects that you already know.

in reply to JudithConnors's post:

Thanks, Judith. I am still learning!

As we all are, Grace. There are some traditional designs where chains and rings change direction for a short distance. This causes the 'ring side' and the 'chain side' to swap over, so to speak. Mary Konior's 'Patchwork' is an example:

Directional tatting, mainly RODS, will help keep the appearance better, rather than have interchanging faces of rings and chains. Of course, some tatters will even use reverse stitch.

in reply to JudithConnors's post:

You're right, Judith. When I was doing Mary Konior's Spinning Wheel Glass Mat, I realised that you have to keep switching the "directionality" to keep all the picots facing the same way. For myself, I didn't bother. It wasn't worth it to me at that time. But perhaps, one day, it will be...

Tatters who enter their lace in competitions and exhibitions feel that they need to make a definite front side for everything by using directional tatting. This would be a matter of personal choice. The question arises whether traditional designs should be tatted traditionally, i.e. chains to the back. Have any tatters been in this situation?

Whatever the manner of tatting, judges should be qualified enough to discern how the entrant has presented his/her piece.

Here are several effects/practices which tatters use to make their lace 'directional', i.e. visually regular throughout. Some are done without tatters even being aware of them.

• Downward picot joins

• Reverse stitch/unflipped double stitches/lark's heads.
  To keep the appearance regular, the order of the half-stitches is transposed as in split rings, encapsulation of threads, and some chains.

• Dora Young join (aka Catherine wheel join)
  This join is useful in forming onion rings, coils, Catherine wheels, and joins on a curve where the tatter requires a join resembling a lark's head.

• Reverse order double stitch (RODS)
  See above for discussion on this.

  This medallion has been tatted 'directionally' throughout.

If you have never attempted directional tatting, don't be concerned. Not every piece of tatting needs to have a specific front side, but it can be useful for lace that is mounted on a background e.g. braids and some motifs/medallions, and for insertions and jewellery.

A braid which can also be used as an insertion.

Thanks, @JudithConnors!