Front-side/ Back-side tatting – Sue Hanson © 2010 Joy asked me to add my post of 9th July 2010 to our technique file. This “style” of tatting is purely personal preference. It is not compulsory ☺ Which of the two sides you choose as the front is also your choice. I use it because I can hide all the ends at the back of the work It has many names: Exhibition tatting, One-side, Front-side, Perfect tatting… I like to call it topside tatting. *** To make it simple pick, which side you want as the front side... I am presuming you work your rings 1:2 which is the under then the over move... When you turn your work then you reverse your order of working the ds. 2:1 (over then under moves) Joins also have two ways of working (to keep the “topside” appearance) If joining from the front of the work. Pull the loop through the picot to the back and pass the shuttle through the loop formed. If joining from the back/reverse of the work. Pull the loop though the picot to the front and pass the shuttle through the loop formed. If you imagine the double stitch to be a pair of trousers with two legs and a waistband... look for this at the front when forming your stitches. The picots will exit between each waistband (each ds). From the reverse/back, t'other side (whatever you want to call it) the picot will exit between the two legs (for want of a better description - the zip) I’d like to add to my original post that it is not just changing the order of working for Rings and Chains because sometimes we throw off a ring from a chain or a ring from the side of a split ring etc… So the rule to remember (and I am quoting the Shuttle Brothers here) WHEN YOU TURN YOUR WORK – REVERSE THE ORDER. Does this make sense? Hope so Love, light & peace SueH list mom HBT