Tatting demonstration

Yesterday my husband and I were cleaning before re-arranging the living room when I came across one of my daughter’s old school newspapers from 1993 with my picture in it. My youngest was in second grade that year. Her teacher, Mrs. Val Graber, had the students invite parents or other family members to come in to share their skills and hobbies. My daughter asked me to share tatting with her class. I remember trying to come up with a presentation for 7 & 8 year olds. I talked about the different names tatting goes by in different countries and had them help me try to pronounce them, then shared some of it’s history. We had them sit on the floor close by and I tatted a few rings and chains for them. Each child received a 3″ x 5″ note card with some little bit of tatting on it, a butterfly, a caterpillar, or flowers I had made, the backgrounds made with markers. They were very pleased to get them, as I was very pleased to do them.

This was the first time I had gotten up in front of people to demonstrate or talk about tatting. Since then I have given other demonstrations, most to people of a slightly more advanced age, but all built on the confidence I found in sharing my enthusiasm about tatting with second graders.