I had not even learned to tat yet when Rhoda Auld published her book on tatting in 1974. I heard it spoken about but did not acquire a copy until some time in the 1980's. I was a thoroughly traditional shuttle tatter when I started, so even the cover of her book was a shock to me. No delicate lacy pieces, no collars, no cuffs, no hankies. Instead the cover is a collage of colors and tatted bits which, to my eyes at that moment, were a hideous mixture of forms and colors and sizes of thread. Egad!

But when I delved between the covers I relearned the lesson about not judging a book by its cover! After a reassuring section on the history of tatting illustrated with the lacy tatting I had been expecting, she also discussed shuttle and threads. But it wasn't until pg. 40, a color plate, that I began to see that she was using her experience in tatting as the foundation for creating a free-form style of tatting. Her use of surprisingly large threads in many textures, I believe, was a reflection of the popularity of macramé at that time.






Contents Page

Her illustrations of techniques, especially the addition of beads, are masterful.





Sample of pattern style

This classic book of tatting from Rhoda Auld touches on all aspects of tatting from techniques to history, tools to threads. 128 pages of large photos, easy to read diagrams and step by step directions, many patterns to practice which also teach the techniques, includes beading and needle tatting. Hardback.






Inspirational tatted picture using many techniques.

I gladly added this book to my personal reference library many years ago and still find it both inspirational and useful for teaching. G. Seitz