A Victorian Purse in Tatting and Beads

Enjoy a free purse in tatting and beads pattern from PieceWork’s Trimmings. This column offers a collection of patterns, charts, and instructions that have been gleaned from old magazines and books that are no longer generally available. Most of the patterns and instructions for these small needlework articles are worded exactly as they appeared in the original publication.

Here’s “A Purse in Tatting and Beads” as is was originally published in Beeton’s Book of Needlework by Mrs. Isabella Beeton, published in 1870 by Ward, Lock and Tyler, London, England:

Melissa Mead’s version of the “Purse in Tatting and Beads” from the 1870 edition of Beeton’s Book of Needlework. Melissa used size 10 Flora cotton thread and vintage steel beads and lined the purse with burgundy silk taffeta. Photos by Joe Coca.

A Purse in Tatting and Beads

Materials: Grey purse-silk; steel beads; scarlet glacé silk; a steel clasp with chain.

This purse is worked in tatting with grey silk and beads. The beads are threaded on a piece of silk, with which you work over another piece of the same. Begin each of the second halves of the purse with the circle in the centre, which consists of 1 purled stitch, 1 purl (all the purl of this circle are three-tenths of an inch long, and are covered with six beads, which must be drawn up close together before working the purl), 12 double divided by 1 purl. Join the stitches into a circle by knotting together the two ends of the silk.

2nd round: Begin again and work one of the small circles; * 2 double, draw up one bead after each, 1 double, 1 short purl without beads, 2 double, 1 bead after each, 1 double, fasten the silk on the purl of the middle circle, so as to let it come between the 3rd and 4th bead of the 6 beads on that purl; 2 double, 1 bead after each, 1 double, 1 short purl, 2 double, 1 bead after each, 1 double, join the stitches into a circle, draw up 2 beads; work a larger circle without fastening the silk belonging to the smaller one; 3 double, 1 bead after each, 1 double, 1 purl with 4 beads, 3 double, 1 bead after each, 1 double; 1 short purl, 3 double, 1 bead after each, 1 double, 1 purl with 4 beads, 3 double, 1 bead after each, 1 double; draw up 2 beads close to this large circle and repeat from *. Each following small circle must be fastened on the next purl of the circle which forms the centre; they are also fastened on to each other, instead of working the 1st purl, by fastening the piece of silk over which you work on the preceding small circle; in the larger circles, instead of working the 1st purl with 4 beads, the piece of silk must be fastened on the last purl of the preceding circle, so that it comes between the 2nd and 3rd beads. At the end of the round, the ends of the silk are knotted together and fastened off.

3rd round: * 3 double, 1 bead after each, 1 double, 1 short purl, 3 double, 1 bead after each, 1 double fastened on the middle purl of the 1st circle of the preceding round, 3 double, 1 bead after each, 1 double, 1 purl with 2 beads, 3 double, 1 bead after each, 1 double; join the stitches into a circle, and work at a short distance a 2nd circle; 3 double, 1 bead after each, 1 double, fastened on the last purl of the just-finished circle of this round, 3 double, 1 bead after each, 1 double fastened on the purl of the preceding round which is between 2 circles; the loop must come between the 2 beads; 3 double, 1 bead after each; 1 double, 1 purl with 2 beads; 3 double, with 1 bead after each; 1 double; leave a small interval, and repeat 11 times more from *, then fasten the ends. When two similar parts have been worked, line them with scarlet glacé silk; fasten them together round the outside, and sew on the clasp. A round of large circles edges the purse round the outside. The 1st of these circles consists of 12 double, 1 bead after each, 1 double, 1 purl with 2 beads, 4 double, 1 bead after each, 1 double. Work a 2nd circle at a short distance from the 1st: * 4 double, 1 bead after each, 1 double fastened on the purl of the 1st circle of this round; 7 double, 1 bead after each, 1 double, 1 purl with 2 beads, 4 double, 1 bead after each, 1 double; leave a short interval, and repeat from * till a sufficient number of circles have been made. The last purl is not worked in the last circle.

This project originally appeared in the <a href="https://shop.longthreadmedia.com/products/piecework-may-june-2010-digital-edition" rel="noopener" target="blank">May/June 2010 issue of_ PieceWork. For another free vintage tatting pattern, see our blog post “<a href="https://pieceworkmagazine.com/vintage-tatted-edging-needlecraft-magazine/" rel="noopener" target="blank">A Vintage Tatted Edging from_ Needlecraft Magazine.”