Thoughts on Front-Side / Back-Side (FS/BS) Tatting

 First of all, this is my preferred style of tatting. When I was that lone tatter in the panhandle of Texas saving a Dying Art, I "discovered" what I termed as "Technical Tatting." Bear in mind, this was LONG before home computers and certainly before the internet ... somewhere around 1973. The only resources I had available were a book in the library (Elgiva Nichols' 1962 book entitled Tatting: Technique & History) which I couldn't check out. I also had the start of my personal library: a Coats & Clark' Learn to book and DMC's 1965 Tatting. None of the books I was able to consult talked about style or presentation. The style that was pictured in the books was Traditional. 

In my own defense, I am married to an engineer and my dad would have been a wonderful engineer had he gone to college after his discharge from the US Navy. During my school years, most of my friends were the guys; I could help them with their cars because I knew what the tools were (thanks, Daddy and Pappo). Very early in my relationships with the males in my life, I learned to qualify and quantify my statements. Truthfully, I enjoy the banter and mental exercise to "protect" myself. This also leads to an odd sense of humor; I'm not a great punster but I enjoy puns as I think they are one of the highest forms of humor.

I discovered through trial and error that if I tatted chains and started the chain with the second half of my double stitch and continued that all picots on either rings or chains would point into the same "plane." This also helped reduce the potential for "gaposis" between elements. The picots would appear between full double stitches on the front side. After enrolling in the Tatters Across Time Proficiency Program in 2002, the Glossary termed this as Front-Side/Back-side tatting. Jan's Way from Jan Stawasz' (1947-2013) books showed a really impressive although confusing series of diagrams.

To visualize the difference without a picture, put your hands in front of you but have one hand palm-side up and the other hand palm-side down. Slightly bend your fingers. Now, think of this as a piece of tatting with your fingers being the decorative picots. See how, on one hand, the picots (fingers) are pointing upwards but on the other hand, the fingers (picots) point downward. This would be the view, on edge, of a tatted point. I find this manner to be more difficult to block. If you turn both hands so that the palms are facing the same direction, voila! the fingers (picots) are all pointing in the same direction. I find that tatting my pieces in an FS/BS manner, the piece is easier to block. It is also easier to determine how to lay out a flat piece. 

One last thought. I see where many people need to mark which side is the right side but I would ask one question. Have they ever run their fingers over their tatting on both sides? When doing FS/BS, the back side of the piece will be smoother while the front side has a definite textural feel. We sometimes think of doilies and motifs as being two-dimensional. In addition to a width and length (square, rectangular, or oval) or a diameter (circular), there is a third dimension which is represented in height from the size of the thread being used. That "depth" or texture is more prevalent when tatting FS/BS. 

If you decide to explore the FS/BS style of tatting, you will quickly feel the differences, and marking the piece will no longer be necessary but at the start of a piece may help until the smoothness of the back-side is evident. Just remember, there is no right way or wrong to create a double stitch. Regardless of the tool (fingers, needle, or shuttle) to manage thread or how you tat (Reverse Riego, Needle, Slip 'n Slide, etc.), tatting is a wonderful way to pass the time and create beautiful lace at the same time.

As you can tell, I enjoy writing and hope to share some of the knowledge and know-how that I have gained through the many years of crafting, especially various fiber arts.