Lost in Translation - Julia E. Sanders errata

This is a huge project. Is it possible that sections were assigned to people to tat for the publication photos? That could account for all these differences, as well as for how poorly assembled it seems to be. I don't know if these early publications actually farmed out piecework for tatting, but I know it was sometimes done for crochet and knitting projects. At least, that's what I was once told by a lady who was a professional knitter for several publications in the early 20th century. What say you, @JudithConnors? Any information on this practice?

I'm going to hate myself for this, and all the work that's now in the trash, but I'm going to re-do the second triangular motif, completely. I'm going to keep the old one for reference for the joins. The points of the triangle will use some number of DS approaching 9 (depends on how it looks, and this may mean that the first and last picot of the cloverleaf is attached at first and last picots of the neighboring chains or the second/second to last. I'm going to keep the 4ds short chains on the oval motifs surrounding it, because that's the only thing that makes sense from looking at the picture, but I'm going to do the new version which looks tidier and won't be crumpled up when it's blocked.

I'm trying to see this as "cutting out an infection." It's painful, but it has to be done to save the rest of the work.

It's really really painful.

And you're a very brave tatter. "Bite the bullet" never had a better application.

in reply to wodentoad's post:

I feel your pain!

I suppose you are determined to do this tablecloth the way it was "meant to be", and that includes the triangles that I consider to have been poorly designed! In your place I would give up and do the triangles composed of round medallions eight times.

Forty more of those medallions would have driven me batty, especially after the 200 rings that form the central flower. No, I enjoy the variation in the pattern, it gives it more visual depth, but golly, I know why so few people get this far. I do want to match the pattern in the book, but I would love to find out how such variations (reference the very different look of fig 59 from the ovals in 58) happened. I mean, I understand mistakes, miscommunications, and adaptations happen. I'm just really glad this is public domain.

I feel for you, but understand your desire to get it right.

in reply to wodentoad's post:

Yes, it is very odd about those ovals...

in reply to wodentoad's post:

I've done that sort of surgery before and thought "is this really neccessary.....?" Yes, it's painful, yes, it's a LOT more work, and maybe you could let it slide....... who's to know......... but if it is something that bugs you, it becomes very neccessary to the whole and your own piece of mind.

Above all, you need to feel good about your work! No, could of, should of..... and no regrets! That's what makes it all worth while!

in reply to Lynn's post:

Lynn, I wouldn't know about the Priscilla books, but I do know that the books ascribed to Anne Orr were actually trialed in her 'studio' where other needlewomen and lace makers worked.

in reply to JudithConnors's post:

So, it is entirely possible that this massive project was worked on by several different tatters and assembled by someone else. That makes all kinds of sense, especially if they were working under publication deadlines.

All tatters will bless @wodentoad for her efforts in rectifying and clarifying all the bloopers. A lot of these old patterns need that, but not many of us have what it takes to do it.

@wodentoad I admire your tenacity and persistence! Cheering you on!!

Thank you, everyone. You will never know how much of this piece is yours as well as mine, because I would not have come so far. Sometimes it feels as though there are no other tatting projects in the world, but come hell, high water, or zombie apocalypse, I HAVE to finish, and it has to be re-written for future generations.

It will take me a while to work back through everything, as I am a taturtle, but I'll post pics as things develop. In the meantime, please keep making all the beautiful things for me to look at! There has to be more lace in the world.

in reply to Lynn's post:

Lynn, group effort happened in the lace world of the past, as it still does in some places today. However, machines have replaced human effort greatly.

Maybe someone could do the Butterfly corner on P.73 of the Dover Tatter's Treasure Chest. Enough tatters working together could issue a re-release of these books with corrected and re-photographed patterns in modern notation.

in reply to wodentoad's post:

Wow, that would be a great project for a tatting group...

Fig 1. is on my list next, and I've done fig 29, which also needed a correction as a hairbow which turned out quite dainty. I'm not sure how we would replace cordonette, though. I've heard a company makes it, but I may also replace it with something easier for tatters to get, such as a bit of some other kind of cording. It really would be a fantastic project. I just have to boogie on the tea cloth.

I've wondered about replacing the cordonette myself. Would a size 10 or 8 work, I wonder? Or two or three heavier threads held together? There's got to be a work around. I've just never spent the time playing with it to figure it out.

If I were to tat it using ten, it would have to be MUCH bigger. Like worsted or sport weight. I'll have to go poking around the craft store. I'm also considering a rolled ribbon, since it's worked around.

@wodentoad & @Lynn Do you mean coronation cord? If so they have it at www.lacis.com and I've seen it at another online shop as well though I can't recall which one at the moment. It's the cord with nodes on it, right?

This is coronation cord.

in reply to xstchntat's post:

Yes, that's the kind of coronation cord I have also..... and what they show and call for in the book..... mine has a gold thread through it. I bought it online a couple of years ago but don't remember who or where. I have a project for it but haven't found the time to get started on it....... some day...

I know, I have seen it online, but it is hard to get for your average tatter. I was thinking of replacing it if only to make the projects easier for the tatters. I have also considered using my lucet (knitting nellie, i-cord), which would mean that I could make a thicker cord out of whatever thread I was already using. This would help as coronation is only white/natural.

Doh! Yes, Rachael, of course it's coronation cord. It's been a very long time since I searched for it. I wasn't aware that it was again on offer. Thanks for the heads up.
Erin, I like your idea of knitting an I-cord instead. I have some very tiny sock needles that would work well for knitting larger weight tatting thread. But the time! I'm already an old woman. Time is not my friend.

Lacis has it http://lacis.com/catalog/data/AB_LaceNeedleBattenbergBattenbergTapes.html towards the bottom of the page.

I would pull out a knitting cord maker or my lucet, which produce cording a lot faster than knitted i-cord for me. and I've never been good at it.