Thought I’d point out a website that I ‘discovered’ through a post on HBT Yahoo Group.  The post pointed out an old (and fabulous!)  book by Judy Banashek in relation to a tatted cluny loom that she invented and sold probably 20 years ago.  (I need to write and article about Judy sometime in the future—she was a TRUE tatting innovator, before she suddenly dropped out of the tatting world.)  

The website is called LEIGH’S NEEDLEWORK & CRAFT BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

The author’s main expertise is in soft doll scupting and she has compiled a bibliography of meterials related to this subject with over 600 personally written reviews. It seems that she branched out from the doll world next into Tatting and this is where we benefit. According to her info, she has about 400 reveiws of Tatting materials (books, periodicals) published plust alot more listed on the site (not reviewed–yet).

When you open up one of the listings (press the REVIEW button), you will find the author’s personal summary/review of the book.  She also has a nice Table of Contents so you can better see what is in the book.   This is especially invaluable to someone like me who has waaaayyyy to0 many ‘pattern’ books but who loves ‘technique’ books.  (Actually I have most of the books that she has on her list anyway—YIKES!!)  But if there is a ‘technique’ book I may have missed, I might be able to discern this information from her printed Table of Contents.

If you follow this link it will take you directly to her bibliography of Tatting books, periodicals, etc.: http://www.somethingunderthebed.com/CURTAIN/TATTINGbiblio.html

This link takes you to the list of the bibliogaphies the author has compiled & has a button to get you back to the Home Page of the website:
http://www.somethingunderthebed.com/CURTAIN/BEHINDcurtain.html

In addition to Doll/Soft Scupting and Tatting she also has a less comprehensive start of biliographies for Candlemaking and Polymer Clay.  I am interested in reading her website further because she outlines how she got started in compiling these lists/biographies as well as why she feels it is important to write REVIEWS of the books and periodicals she has collected in this list.  She claims that her most important contribution with this website is the bibliography collection of magazines/periodicals and that “there is no other accessible database of this nature out there!”  The magazine bibliography is at the bottom of the page (past the books section).

I was pleased to see my two books Fun with Split Ring Tatting and MORE Fun with Split Ring Tatting in her bibliographic lineup with reviews!!!  (BTW, she DID like them!)

She also has a start to a section on Tatting Suppliers and future section under Professional Organizations.