Steampunk style belt tatting pattern

The pattern is finally done! Really, I had forgotten all about it until someone showed me a picture from my post in 2014 and asked to buy the pattern. Well it is finished now and is listed in my Etsy shop here. The details are in the listing description.

The size 3 thread makes quite a bold and sturdy eye-catching accessory. I'm sure finer threads could be used for a more delicate lace (with smaller buttons, beads and ribbons to correspond) but I have not tried it. I like the "wow" of the big belt, and yes, it is sturdy, due to the central joining picots set at an angle. The end ribbons tie like a sash with a bow in back, so the belt is one size fits all.

The shank buttons are purely decorative and serve no practical function except to look "steampunk". Note: they really do need to be "shank" buttons for this project (not buttons with holes). There are loads of "steampunk shank buttons" offered for sale on the Internet. Please do not ask me where I bought mine - it was 10 years ago!

 

 

Adventurer

For those who are looking for a neutral, camouflage, shaded khaki thread. This batch of my hand dyed leans just a wee bit to the olive side. I had in mind the image of an adventurer off on an expedition to an exotic locale, possibly with a military espy.

The earrings are tatted from size 20 of this batch. I added a brass corrugated bead and a gear for a steampunk style that an "adventuress" (female adventurer) would find pleasing. They almost look like they could be hiding some sort of mechanized ansible device (but they're not - they're only earrings)! Just fun!

Steampunk tatted belt

Size 3 thread makes big, bold tatting

 Motivated by a desire to wow the visitors to my vendor's booth at the Concinnity Convention, April 5, 2014, I have come up with a tatted belt. I used size 3 Lizbeth thread, and worked at the design until I was satisfied that it was sturdy enough. I used metal beads, antiqued copper wheel buttons, and satin ribbon lacing in the front for my little attempt at steampunk detailing. The belt ties like a sash with ribbon in the back. The ribbon end feature saves the work of tatting an entire length of a belt, and also makes it one size fits all.

First attempt had a structural flaw...

...it folded when pulled - not good for a belt!

My first attempt didn't turn out, so I had to cut it apart and do over - yes, that happens a lot when designing! You don't want your belt to fold over or curl while you're wearing it. So, I changed how I added the beads. Instead of putting them over picots in the exact center, I moved them to picots set at an angle. I got the idea from a TV show that was explaining architecture. The strongest structural shape is a triangle. So, I added picots at an angle for joining the chains, thereby forming a sort of triangle. It works! The belt is nice and sturdy now.

I used big shuttles to tat the belt with, since size 3 thread gets used up very quickly. I wouldn't recommend working with size 3 for beginners, other than for when they need something big to see how the double stitch is made when they're first learning. Size 3 requires more physical effort to work with. But, I feel up to the challenge and wanted to design something suitable for the bold look of big tatting.

I sometimes get asked about needle tatting. Well, I do know how, but I like the firm product produced by shuttle tatting, since most of the time I don't need to bother with any stiffening. I also just simply enjoy the process of shuttle tatting and I appreciate its Victorian roots. If time allows in the future, I may design something specifically for needle tatting, but for sure it won't be anything conventional and won't be shuttle tatting convertible.

Need to figure out a bow tie next....

The finished belt shown on black