Through the years I have happily ignored that old rule of needle work which advised us to not mix our mediums. As I have continued my study of tatting, I have found that many other needle workers, especially tatters, have ignored it, too. In the files of the Online Tatting Class there are many examples of tatting mixed with other needlework types.

Tatting has been combined with teneriffe lace. Teneriffe is a needle lace method in which a web of threads is worked out across a foundation which may be a piece of heavy cloth, a pin cushion or a specially designed form like a wheel or square.

To further study teneriffe lace, please see these books here on BellaOnline.com. "Teneriffe basics star" which demonstrates how the teneriffe wheels are formed on a loom. These delicate designs make excellent centers to be surrounded with tatting. I also suggest the book "The Technique of Teneriffe Lace" by Alexandra Stillwell, which you can download for free from the online archive of weaving related documents courtesy of the author. Despite it´s complex appearance, teneriffe lace is an extremely simple lace to learn. This page contains her collection of vintage instructions and pattern booklets, plus pin templates that she has drawn herself. Instructions for using pin templates are included in her book.



https://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/8427.asp







Delicate butterflies were worked into this teneriffe circle by Mindy Araji.







In this sample, Mindy has worked a dense center and two decorative round. The loops on the outer edge are just perfect for joining to a tatted round next.

Gentleman tatter, Jeff Hamilton from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, learned shuttle tatting from an old tatting booklet that belonged to an unknown relative. He had prepared samples of teneriffe and tatting for us to study.

Teneriffe lace has also been called Sol lace, sun lace, and it looks similar to a lace from South America called ñandutí. Nanduti is supposed to mean a spider web. This spider web description carried over to the USA where it was also called Polka Spider Web Lace.