Oh my! Just one day of 50 degree weather here at the farm and I've already got Spring Fever. I know lots of tatters are inspired by the return of spring to get new colors of threads and tat up loads of flowers and birds and eggs and shamrocks. This year (2011) I am inspired by a new book.



Marilee Rockley published this book last year, "Up and Tat'em."






I was really impressed with the presentation here. It is in full color. (It had to be to do justice to the gorgeous hand-dyed threads Marilee used!) If you haven't seen it, the spotlight is on jewelry. The jewelry patterns cover earrings, necklaces, bracelets and much more. There are full color photos throughout.


But it is a teaching book in disguise! There are photo lay-outs for the instructions all the basics, i.e., ds, join, shuttle lock join, rings, chains, tat over ends, sewing in ends, reverse work, picots. But the first flower pendant slips in a teaching segment on the self-closing mock ring(scmr); approaching the technique without fanfare, nothing that might intimidate a beginner.



Marilee's book introduces the use of a space holder for later joins. The mock picot is used and beading in several methods in covered. A simple bracelet pattern teaches pearl or maltese tatting! The ds count is overlaid on photos of the actual tatted piece. The atom motif uses node stitch and split ring. The stained glass window motif teaches the difference between RW and TW. And by the end they are already making beaded woven picots into designs!



Beautiful patterns, beautiful threads, colorful presentation and straightforward tatting techniques. A treat for all tatters and a tool for the beginner tatter. And for me, a cure for Spring Fever. I'm winding shuttles right now!



Ed.'s Note: I acquired this book myself for my personal reference library. G Seitz