Free Tatted Edging Pattern!

My mom and I like to make day trips into the Indiana countryside, and on one of those trips, I found the antique white dresser scarf you see in the picture. I was struck by the way the designer of this edging stacked large ovals to form columns, reminiscent of classical architecture. I had never seen this particular design of tatted edging before, and the price was right, so I bought the scarf for my friend Stephen Bowman, lacemaker extraordinaire, who was having a birthday soon, as I recall.

Stephen is gifted in all the lacemaking arts. He is the founder of the Bedford College of Lacemaking, our first tenant at the Old Jail Art Center, and he was/is my tatting and bobbin lacemaking teacher. Check out Stephen's website at www.bedfordcollegeoflacemaking.com for more information on lacemaking classes and other fun stuff. Stephen rose to the challenge of preserving this edging pattern for posterity by figuring out, stitch by stitch, how the original artist made it and documenting his findings. He worked it up in a blue size 20 thread (see the top photo), and checked his enormous library of tatting patterns (including about 40 years of Workbasket magazine) to ensure we wouldn't be violating any copyright laws in making the pattern available to you.

Here is the pattern for an antique edging that Stephen calls "Rowena's Tatted Edging" and I call "Tatted Columns." Enjoy.

Abbreviations:

R = (ring) Ch = (chain) Clr = (close ring) Rw = (reverse work) + = (joining of picots)
P = (picot) Rnd = (round) Tw = (twist stitch) Ds = (double stitch) Sep = (separated)



R 3ds, p, 3ds, p, 6ds, clr, rw

Ch 4ds, p, 4ds, rw


R 6ds, p, 6ds, clr, rw


Ch 4ds, p, 4ds, rw


*


R 6ds, p, 6ds, clr, rw


Ch 4ds, p, 4ds, rw


R 6ds, join, 6ds, clr, rw


Ch 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, rw


R 6ds, join, 6ds, clr, rw


Ch 4ds, p, 4ds, rw


R 6ds, join, 6ds, clr, rw


Ch 4ds, p, 4ds, rw


R 6ds, join, 6ds, clr, rw


Ch 4ds, p, 4ds, rw


R 6ds, join, 3ds, p, 3ds, clr, DO NOT REVERSE WORK


Ch 4ds, p, 4ds, DO NOT REVERSE WORK


R 3ds, p, 3ds, p, 6ds, clr, rw


Ch 4ds, join, 4ds, rw


R 6ds, p, 6ds, clr, rw


Ch 4ds, join, 4ds, rw


R 6ds, p, 6ds, clr, rw


Ch 4ds, join, 4ds, rw


Repeat from * for desired length.