Tatted Nativity Scene

© 2010 Jenni Sherriff

This tatted nativity scene will rapidly become an essential part

of your holiday celebrations.

Materials Needed:

Size 20 Tatting thread: 5 colors Black sewing thread (for eyelids/eyelashes)

Size 80 Tatting thread: 1 color (for star) Backing fabric
2 shuttles Embroidery hoop for hanging/display
55 seed beads to match color chosen for Angel Thread for couching motifs to backing fabric
 The Angel Gabriel
© 2010 Jenni Sherriff
3/4 inch long picot, joined
back into ring (double picot)
4
LBP 6 6
-1 5 be
ads 2 2 LBP - 15 beads

7 7

11 111 Picot 1/2" long

(1" when flat)

8
4
4
3 4
2 4
2 4
2 4
2 3

Body:
R: 2ds, LBP (15 beads), 1ds, join LBP back to R, 7ds, 6p (1/2" long when folded) separated by 1ds, 7ds,
LBP (15 beads), 1ds, join LBP back to R, 2ds, cl
R: 6ds, p (at least 3/4" long when stretched), 4ds, join p back into R (double picot), 6ds, cl, cut and tie

Before starting skirt, thread 25 beads on ball thread.

Skirt:
R1: 8ds, join to 6th long picot of body, 4ds, p, 4ds, cl, rw
Ch1: 3ds, 5 beads separated by 2ds, 3ds, rw
R2: 4ds, join to r1, 4ds, join to 5th long picot of body, 4ds, p, 4ds, cl, rw
Repeat Ch1 and R2 three more times
Ch1
R3: 4ds, join to picot of previous ring, 4ds, join to final long picot of body, 8ds, cl, cut and tie
 The Christ Child -- Swaddled
© 2010 Jenni Sherriff

2
1 1 1 12

Eye -- tatted of black

sewing thread

1 3

For head: Make circle of block tatting, joining with a catherine wheel join every 4 ds, till sphere
measures 1/2 inch in diameter. Make elp (at least 3/4 inch before doubling), 3ds, catherine wheel join,
join elp back to chain (making halo), continue block tatting till almost directly across from halo, 5 vsp
(should barely be big enough for joining) separated by 1ds, 1ds, cut, thread core thread through previous
row of ds then tie off.

Body:
Round 1: 10 bds, 3 ds, vsp, 3ds, 10 bds, cl r, fasten to center p of head with lock join, lock join to next p
over. Do not leave thread space between lock joins.

Rounds 2&3: 16 ds (or whatever is necessary to reach center p), join to p of previous r, vsp, 16ds (finish
round), lock join to p nearest center ring, lock join to next p, rw, tat around to p, join, finish 3rd round,
join to final p and tie off. (If your picots are too big there may be a gap between layers. If that happens,
lock join to the previous picot on that side of the mock onion ring then to the picots indicated for that
round so that the layers remain close together.)

To make eyes: with black sewing thread make 2 ds, 5p separated by 1ds, 2ds, pull tight enough for
eyelid to curl. Clip picots then saturate with fray check. Sew to head when dry.
 The Christ-child's Manger
© 2010 Jenni Sherriff
2
15 rows block tatting 8 4
2
7
8 5 7 5
8 5

15 6 8
12
6
5 * Red picots in diagram are drop
Start here
picots. Pattern is written with the
8 8 8
8 old-fashioned method of placing a
marker in the stitches. Feel free
to make your drop picot with
Tat over shuttle 1 thread Tat over shuttle 1 end thread victorian sets if you like, just
for first 8 stitches, shuttle 2 for first 8 stitches, shuttle 2 adjust the pattern accordingly.
thread for second 8 stitches end thread for second 8 stitches

Make sure to leave a 6-8 inch tail on each shuttle thread. It will be needed later.
The slant of the block tatting seen in the diagram is created by pulling the upper left corner out as the
piece is couched to the base fabric.

Main body:
Row 1: ls, vsp, 15 ds, ls, ss
Rows 2-14: vsp, 15 ds, lj to vsp of previous row, ls, ss
Row 15: 15 ds, lj to vsp of previous row, rw, do not ss

End Piece:
R1: 8ds, p, 8ds, cl, rw
ch: 8ds, place marker, 4 ds, rw
R2: 7ds, remove marker in previous chain and join to space remaining, 5 ds, j to p in r1, 5 ds, p, 7ds, cl,
ss, rw
R3: 2ds, p, 2ds, cl, ss
Ch: 5ds, j to p of R2 with a catherine wheel join, 8ds, place marker, 5ds, rw
R4: 6ds, remove marker in previous chain and join to space remaining, 6ds, j to p in r1, 12ds, cl, cut and
tie, leaving 6-8 inch tails

Legs:
Separated beginning tails. Holding one tail by the end and holding it parallel to the shuttle thread, tat 8
ds, wrapping core thread. Slide ds up core thread till they are tight against the body of the manger.
Leave that tail and tat 8 ds more, wrapping the second beginning tail. Be careful not to leave a space
between the two sets of 8 ds. Seal each end with fray check then cut all threads. Repeat process with
the tails left at the end of the work.

Tatting the legs of the manger:

Tatting down the second tail

tatting up the first tail

 The Stable at Bethlehem
© 2010 Jenni Sherriff

Split rings A-G: SR 10/10

Split ring H: 14/6
Cluny I: 15 wraps
Ring J: 10ds, join to space between ring F and ring G, 10ds, cl
Ring K: 10ds, p, 10ds, cl
Cluny L: 15 wraps
Ring M: 10ds, join to space where ring H and cluny I meet, 10ds, cl
Splir Ring N: 10/10
Cluny O
Ring P: 10 ds, join to p of ring k, 10ds, cl
Ring Q: 10ds, p, 10ds, cl
Cluny R
Ring S: 10ds, join to space where Ring N and Cluny O meet, 10ds, cl
Split Ring T: 10/10
Cluny U
Ring V: 10 ds, join to p of ring Q, 10ds, cl
Ring W: 10ds, p, 10ds, cl
Cluny X
Ring Y: 10ds, join to space where Ring N and Cluny O meet, 10ds, cl
Split Ring Z: 10/10
Cluny AA
Ring BB: 10 ds, join to p of ring k, 10ds, cl
Ring CC: 10ds, p, 10ds, cl
Cluny DD
Ring EE: 10ds, join to space where Ring N and Cluny O meet, 10ds, cl
Split Ring FF: 14/6
Split Ring GG: 10/10, cl, lj to Ring CC keeping knot as close to Ring GG as possible
Split Rings HH-MM: 10/10, cut and tie after MM

14 10
14
M N S T Y Z EE
H FF
10
6 I L O R U X AA DD 6
G 15 GG
J K P Q V W BB CC
F HH

E
Red rings indicate split rings
Blue rings indicate regular rings II
Clunies are in purple
D JJ
Except for upper corners (H, FF) which are 14/6,
C all rings are 10-10 and all split rings are 10/10 KK
All clunies are 15 wraps.
B LL

10
A MM
10
 Star of Bethlehem
2 2 © 2010 Jenni Sherriff
4 4
3 3
3 3
4 4
5
5
2p2 ring takes some manipulation
to close properly. Be careful.

Rays created by beginning

and ending threads

In order for the star to be in the proper proportion to the other pieces, it must be tatted in a much smaller
thread. I used a size 80 here.

Leave at least 8 inch tails when beginning, they will be needed later.
R1: 5ds, p, 5ds, cl
*SR1: 3/4, cl
SR2: 4/3, cl
R2: 2ds, p, 2ds, cl
SR3: 4/3 Take care that no thread space is left between R2 and SR3
SR4: 3/4, cl
R3: 5ds, j to p of R1, 5ds, cl*

Repeat between *s 4 times then

SR1: 3/4, cl
SR2: 4/3, cl
R2: 2ds, p, 2ds, cl
SR3: 4/3, cl Take care that no thread space is left between R2 and SR3
SR4: 3/4, cl Cut and tie, leaving 6-8 inches of thread

When couching star onto the base fabric, securely sew down all 5 points and then sew the tails down
with an embroidery backstitch to create the rays of light coming from the base of the star.
 Final Assembly

Tat all motifs before beginning final assembly. If the fabric you have chosen for a background is thin or
of loose weave then you may want to reinforce it with fusible interfacing before beginning the couching
process as the tension needed to make stitches disappear will pull the threads of the fabric and create
holes. Place the fabric in the embroidery hoop and lay out the pieces as desired, marking where each is
to go. Sew the baby on first, then the manger. Third should be the stable. The star at the top and the
angel should be saved for last, when you can get the star perfectly centered. Make sure the tails of the
star are at the bottom. Finally, thread each tail of the star through a sewing needle and create the rays by
backstitching down a couple inches as demonstrated in the diagram below.

A hint for couching the pieces down: the split rings in this pattern are small and may be couched by
catching the bit of thread in between halves of the ring. For other pieces, bring the needle up and down
between double stitches, picots are especially convenient for placing couching stitches. When you pull
the thread tight it will pop down between the double stitches of the tatting and will become virtually
invisible.

Couching by stitching in between Couching down the

double stitches. Pull thread tight split rings
and stitch disappears

Create the rays of the star

by backstitching