Something New in Shuttlework

This pattern was posted to the lace list. This is quoted from the July 1929 Issue of Needlecraft Magazine. The Article is titled "Something New in Shuttlework" by M. Beatina.

The flower illustration looks like a Rose of Sharon, or a flattened outline of the roses in irish crochet. It begins in the middle, with the tatted cord twisted into a small circle, and the cord is wound around loosly, like a nautilas shell, for about three loops before the cord begins to be pulled out into petal outlines.

"Something New in Shuttlework" by M. Beatina

Padded tatting is a decided novelty, and sure to be welcomed by all who enjoy plying the shuttle: it is easy to do, and so very effective that the wonder is somebody has not thought of it before! Nowadays, in our favorite home-crafts, we are all seeking new and broader avenues of expression, and this latest addition to the repertoire of shuttlework lends fresh interest to a somewhat monotonous theme. Just a bit of it gives an entirely different appearance to a motif that, lacking this novel touch, would receive very little attention.

It will be surmised, of course, that padded tatting consists of double knots worked over a padding cord, and is therefore, distantly related to Irish crochet. The detail of the rose motif shows so perfectly how the work is done that one who understands tatting will have not the slightest difficutly in following it: and the shell like scallop, of which it is the center, makes with others a most attractive border for centerpiece or scarf.

Six strands of perle or soft-twist cotton were used for the padding in this instance, but the cord may be knitting cotton or any similar thread, and larger or smaller as required. Tie the working-thread securely to the foundation-cord: beginning at center of rose, make 4 double knots, (picot, 4 double knots) 4 times, draw up closely to form a ring, carry the cord across and continue with 4 double knots, (picot, 4 double knots) twice, join to next picot of center, single knot, Picot, repeat around, joining at base of ring: again go around with 4 double knots, (picot, 4 double knots) 3 times, join in the same place as before, missing the 2 picots and joining to next, single knot, picot; each loop or chain of next round consists of 6 picots, separated by 4 double knots, then, at joining, picot, 1 double knot, join, 1 double knot, picot and repeat; each chain of the final round of petals has 18 picots, 4 double knots between: then, after the last 4 double knots, join to 1st of 2 picots between chains, 2 double knots, join to next, 4 double knots, and continue; join each petal by 1st 3 picots to last 3 picots of preceding petal, and last petal to 1st in the same way, carrying the end of cord underneath and fastening off neatly.

Each petal is filled with a network of grounding of loops and knots, as follows: Working from the back, join to the 2nd of the connecting picots between petals, leave a little space of thread, make a single knot-- the 1st half of the double knot-- join to 1st of the 6 picots of previous chain, again a single knot, slip shuttle through the loop and draw tightly, leave space of thread-- about one fourth inch-- and repeat, joining to each picot, as directed, with an equal space of thread between picots, and continue. Work the 2nd row in the same way, joining to space of thread between the knots of previous row, and a 3rd row if need be to fill the deeper petals; in working the last row, leave not more than half the usual space of thread; make the knot in 1st space; then-- leaving the tiny bit of thread--join to picot of petal, at the back, then to next picot, knot in next space, join to next picot, knot in same space, and continue. Explicit details for work of this character are likely to be confusing rather than helpful, as there is constant repetition, however, and one has only to adjust the filling to the space to be filled. If preferred, and many may like this better, any simple, pretty lace-stich can be used.


**The article goes on to give the instructions for a tatted border to be used with the motif just completed. In short, you make as many rose motifs as you want, and join them to your border. It doesn't give the instructions, but suggests the same method could be used for cloverleaf motifs.