Easy Tatting (Dover Crafts: Lace)

Very nice instructions in a few pages. Wish there was a wider selection of projects.

I thought I was just getting a starter set of patterns to learn shuttle tatting. What I got was that, organized into an effective beginner's course in shuttle tatting. The instructions and diagrams are clear, and the whole book is organized to teach skills in an order that allows brand new tatters to start creating tiny treasures right away. I started out having never tatted in my life, and I am now writing my own patterns. I have been a fiber artist for over 30 years, and this may be the best beginner's book I've ever seen, in any of the mamy fiber arts I've tried. I can't recommend this highly enough!

If the thought ever crossed your mind to try tatting, this is where you start. I started here... You can too.

I am new to tatting. My eventual goal is to incorporate beads into tatted pieces and make jewelry, but since I have never tatted before, I figured it was best to start with the basics. This is an inexpensive and small book, but it contains a lot of information.I knew very little about tatting before purchasing this and I didn't realize how simple it was. (Not that I am good at it yet, mind you, I just figured it would be a lot more complicated. And practice will make perfect, eventually.) Although there are some larger projects in this book, including a doily and a mat for the table (what I imagine to be the size of a place mat, though the book notes the photos are not always to scale), there are a lot of small projects to start out with, such as individual motifs that look a bit like flowers, snowflakes, and the like (the cover shows some representative examples). I imagine these will be useful for my eventual goal of jewelry making since they look to be a great size for pendants, brooches, and earrings, with some added jewelry hardware.This is a shuttle tatting book, exclusively (there is also something called needle tatting which is not covered here). I bought both shuttle and needle tatting books because I am not sure which form I will end up preferring, and because you really don't need many supplies to try both. Of course there is a (blissfully small) section on tools required as well as one on various threads to use. Some time is also spent discussing the shorthand used in tatting patterns and I think this material really helps you to understand the patterns later on.The illustrations and photos are all in black and white, but I find them to be clear (and remember, I'm coming at this as a beginner). For this particular craft, I find that a thick book with glossy paper and color photos is not necessary.This is a pretty bare bones sort of book, and I do think instructions could be clearer on how to prepare/wind the thread on the shuttles, as an example, but my shuttles had instructions that covered this so I was able to proceed. I should also note, I learn from printed patterns and instructions very well (taught myself needle knitting, loom knitting, many seed bead stitches, etc., that way), so I may be having an easier time with this than people who have different learning styles. I am going to assume this book was written for right-handed people based on the drawings that incorporated hands, so lefties may need to adapt the instructions (I am ambidextrous so I just followed them as-is).Overall, though, I found this useful and I learned from it.

I tried to learn shuttle tatting a few years ago, basically just watching videos and tangling strings on my own, I finally got a few stitches to flip, and put my shuttle down and didn't pick it back up until just recently. This time, with a little more patience, and some videos with a little better explanation, I got it, and decided this would be my starting point with pattern books, and I'm not disappointed in the least, it's a great little booklet, and I've been working on working each one of the projects at least once... twice if I really like them, or if there's something I don't get right away. The patterns in this book are balanced just right, not so hard as to be frustrating, and not so easy that I'll be stuck in a boring rut.

I was taught the basic tatting knot 30 years ago, but could never get past the first ring. This book is a excellent source for beginning to understand how rings, picots, and chains connect. It may seem like a jumbled up mess somewhere in the middle of your first design, but keep going, it sorts itself out. I am doing needle tatting, but the patterns and designs are the same. Give it a try and you'll be pleased that in a matter of a half hour practice, you can produce a lovely little flower.

I thought the samples were hard to follow instructions.

This isn't exactly the first thing you'd pick up to learn how to tat-- I consider this pamphlet sized text to be more of a pattern book, than a how-to on shuttle tatting.The patterns are awesome, and the instructions on how to construct them clear and easily followed for the absolute beginner. For this I give it a 5; I coupled it with the equally sized Learn to Tat with DvD and was able to learn shuttle tatting in a few days.

Well put together. Was bought for 85 yr old mother-in-law. She loves it Good print size and step by step instructions for patterns. I would recommend this book

Merci beaucoup, revue impeccable , à bientôt!

Good book

once you know how to make the basic double stitch, picots and how to join them, this book is great for beginner with simple patterns and explainations. recommend only for a beginner

excellent new book. Sup4er fast delivery