Tatting Follow Up

Here's a closer view of the edge tatting.  The double stitch is just a couple of half-hitches that are mirror image.



The picots are formed by leaving a length of thread between double stitches.  Then when the chain is cinched up and knotted you have a frilly arch of thread.



And here's a fuzzy view of the bead tests I did, where the bead covers the bit of thread that would be the picot.

In addition to frilliness, picots create loops for attaching a second level of tatting to the piece.    

A plain, bleached linen handkerchief with a few levels of black tatting was a required accessory at most Victorian funerals.  To me a cloth hanky is a much nicer, and more comforting thing to slip into a mourning friend's hand than a box of paper tissues.

If you'd like to see some lovely, well crafted versions, Google will provide images -- mourning handkerchief .

A gentleman's handkerchief should have a plain black piece of cloth, a plain ribbon attached to the outside edge of a white piece of cloth, or a conservative crochet stitch, like crab stitch, worked on the outside edges.