Picot Play by Martha Ess

Martha Ess, "Picot Play"
As a tatter, tatting teacher, tatting book collector and tatting shuttle collector, I seem to acquire every new tatting book. But I would rather have a new tatting book than a pair of new shoes. As I turn the crisp new pages, I seem to hear the click of the shuttle in the background. As my eyes take in each new pattern I seem to be thinking of which of the new Lizbeth colors would show it off best. But what I hope to see in each new book is actually a new technique, an old technique presented in a new circumstance or a new interpretation of something I thought I knew all about, like a picot.

Yes, the humble picot. This most decorative of the tatted elements, perhaps the element used most often, doesn't actually exist. The picot is truly just a space left in the work, which, when we surround it with thread, "peeks" up in a most pleasing manner. But there is a trick to how we surround the space with thread. And Martha Ess has recently looked with new eyes at a very old tatting publication by Mrs. Cornelia and Miss Austin, "Tatting or Frivolité.", (1862) and discovered there is more to a picot than we have previously realized.

Martha Ess published a new book, "Picot Play", to pique our interest. ©2011, 44 pages with comb binding, 19 patterns which include bookmarks, hearts, snowflakes, edgings, insertions, a cross, graduated picots, Mrs Mee picot rings, broomstick picots and four pages of definitions and abbreviations.

Martha's other books:

Martha has also been a frequent and generous contributor of patterns to the Online Tatting Class.

The Riego Grapes https://www.georgiaseitz.com/classes2001/essgrape.html

Angel of Tatting and Hairpin Lace https://www.georgiaseitz.com/classes2/ess.html

Strawberry https://www.georgiaseitz.com/2007/essberry.html

Caroline https://www.georgiaseitz.com/2003/esscaroline.html

Praying Mantis https://www.georgiaseitz.com/classes2001/project/essmantis.html

Celtic Style https://www.georgiaseitz.com/2002/essceltic.htm

1895 Edging Modernized by Martha Ess and Hope Green https://www.georgiaseitz.com/classes2001/1895/1895.html

Martha Reinvents the Wheel https://www.georgiaseitz.com/2006/esswheelbkmrk.html

Bicolor Tatted Bee https://www.georgiaseitz.com/classes2001/essbee.html

Block Tatted Cat https://www.georgiaseitz.com/2006/essblockcat.html

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