Favourite Books please!

[Frivole]

Hi,

I would like to purchase some new tatting books. Well, I don't really NEED anymore of course, but I fancy something new. I have a few and the ones I use the most are my three Mary Konior books (they are wonderful).

So can anybody recommend their favourite ever book (which is not a Mary Konior) to get me started on which one to buy next.

Many thanks!

Best wishes,
Frivole

[carolivy]

I just bought Tatted Doilies by Iris Niebach and 24 Snowflakes in Tatting by Lene Bjorn from BeStitched and they both have some very pretty patterns I can't wait to try.

[Lace-lovin' Librarian]

Mary Konior is my absolute favorite. After her books, I would go with carolivy's suggestions. Both are great books!

[efaull]

Go to reference book is "The Complete Book of Tatting" by Rebecca Jones. Always refer here when I forgot how to do something! Love DMC book of charted designs too.
EF

[Antiquarian]

Definitely 24 Tatted Snowflakes.

I have also enjoyed:
"Tatted Snowflake Collection" Jon Yusoff - My all time favorite tatting motif is in this book...I borrowed it from a friend when I was learning to tat and it got me HOOK. *adds it to her to buy list*
"A Tatting Adventure" by Ben Fikkert - these are a bit time consuming and I had trouble with them as a beginner, but I really do love them.
"The Tatter's Treasure Chest" Mary Waldrep ed. - This is a Dover book filled with older patterns from 1938-1950. Lots of edgings and insertion motifs, as well as collars and cuffs. It has 3 baby bonnets. My only dislike of this is that the patterns are all written out long hand and I've had to translate them - make up visual patterns of them.

[Frivole]

Thank you for your suggestions... More please!!

I feel a bit useless but I have to admit that I find Iris Niebach's book of doilies difficult to follow for me. I know a lot of people prefer diagrams but I struggle to follow hers. I've been disappointed because I have three of the little books from that series (Iris Nieback Tatted Doilies, 24 snowflakes and tatted handkerchiefs) but I have not used those books much because I find I need a bit more direction! Makes me feel a bit stupid when so many people like these books and don't seem to find them hard to follow.

I shall have a look at the Tatter's Treasure Chest.

Does anybody have Iris Niebach's Fantasia 1? Are the diagrams the same in that as in the doilies book?

Thanks again.
Frivole

[xstchntat]

Three that haven't been mentioned and I use a lot are:
Tatting Technique & History - Elgiva Nicholls can be found at Lacis
(http://lacis.com/catalog/)Practical Tatting - Phyllis Sparks will have to be watched for on Ebay or Amazon
Every Woman's Complete Guide to Tatting Illustrated - Norma Benporath can be found at Handy Hands
(http://www.hhtatting.com/detail.cfm?ID=60)One I don't have but want that I borrowed from the library is:
An Illustrated Dictionary of Tatting - Judith Connors(She is a member here)can also be found at Handy Hands (http://www.hhtatting.com/detail.cfm?ID=1490) or Lacis (http://lacis.com/catalog/)

The Practical Tatting book has diagrammed patterns.

[Lace-lovin' Librarian]

I have all of Iris's books, and I love them! Yes, the diagrams are the same as in the doilies book. The patterns can be a bit difficult to follow. My solution is to enlarge and photocopy the pattern. I write in the stitch count for each ring and chain in a "spoke", and then I make enough copies for the correct number of pattern repeats, usually six or eight. I keep a pencil next to me, and I color in the rings and chains as I finish them. It does slow me down a bit, but I have been able to make some beautiful pieces following this method. Please don't give up on Iris's patterns. You will have such a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment when you are finished!

For me, The Tatter's Treasure Chest is much more difficult to follow. I guess it's a good thing there are so many patterns for us to choose from!

[Maureen L]

Iris is very helpful, if you email her; I, too, have trouble with diagrams, although gradually getting more comfortable with them. On one or two of the designs I haven't even been able to work out where to start! - because it hasn't been marked.
I asked Iris, and she pointed me in the right direction.
I usually have to spend time translating diagrams, I think it's simply that I have always learned by reading - words make sense, maps and pictures don't.Other people process instructions differently.

Stretches the brain more! - which is the reason tatting is so good for me.

I can endorse the recommendation for the Phyllis Sparks book; also, don't overlook the Big Book of Tatting, there are some great patterns to be found in that.

[Frivole]

Thank you Rachael, I'll look at your suggestions (and thanks for the links as well!)

Diane and Maureen, maybe I should give Iris another try then. I looked at her booklet again last night (some of the doilies are very pretty) and tried to follow a pattern... but when there's lots of elements, I'm not always sure which bit I should do first and next... I would have liked just a bit more written explanation to go with the drawings.

My favourite pattern is always one that has both a diagram and written instructions, then whenever you're not sure, you can always check one against the other. Some diagrams I have no problems with at all, but I do find Iris' trickier than others.

I'm really enjoying hearing about people's favourite books. Thank you!

Best wishes,
Frivole

[monedido]

My favourite books:

1) http://www.hhtatting.com/detail.cfm?ID=1387
2) http://www.hhtatting.com/detail.cfm?ID=2530
3) and book by Jan Stawasz

lots of patterns, and all of them are diagrammed )

[Frivole]

Thank you kind ladies for all your suggestions.

I just had another go tonight with Iris Niebach' s doilies... Nope. Still no good. I get lost very quickly. Not sure which direction, whether I should reverse work or not... I must have a deficient brain but it appears it can't cope with the particular type of diagram that Iris uses. How sad.

[Judy]

I love my Italian Chiaccharoni.(6)... eek,I can't spell it. Their work is displayed in a format that resembles a fashion magazine, not a pattern book. I can sit and drool over the pictures in between translating the Italian text. I've gotten quite good at it. Some have diagrams, others do not. Many items have inserts of tatting, or tatting around a linen or other cloth.

[Marty]

I just had another go tonight with Iris Niebach' s doilies... Nope. Still no good. I get lost very quickly. Not sure which direction, whether I should reverse work or not... I must have a deficient brain but it appears it can't cope with the particular type of diagram that Iris uses. How sad.

I, too, love Iris's doilies, motifs and every other thing she does. The best way to work her diagrams is to look carefully at the photo image as well. Like Diane, I sometimes copy the diagram the number of repeats necessary and create a whole diagram to follow. The other thing I do is mark which way the stitches are oriented on the diagram. That helps me figure out which shuttle I need to use as the working shuttle, and whether or not to reverse work. I mark that orientation by looking at the photographs of the finished pieces.

[glendalee]

My new favorite is "A Tatter's Notebook" by A. Tatter. Editors Jules and Kaethe Kliot. Visual very nice and a good story to it as well.

glendalee

[Frivole]

Marty, I guess I have to put more work into the Iris doilies then if I want to have a chance at making one... Maybe like you say, I need to redraw the whole thing for me, with my notes, studying the photo. Shame as I think that with a just a few more written indications, not so much work would be needed to tackle her patterns (but that's just my point of view - I know many get on fine with them).

Thanks for the other suggestions, I will investigate them!

Best wishes,
Frivole

[Liyarra]

hmmm hard choice......

Tina Frauberger - Schifchenspitze - lots of edgings and patterns that I think you would really appreciate. Expensive but I think well worth the money. I drool jsut at the thought of the book LOL
Jan Stawasz - Tatting Theory and Patterns - because anything I have made from this book just WORKS!!!!!!!!!
Ruth Scharf - Occhi and Neue Blatter - out of print but you can get them now and then - very interesting books.