This image was courtesy of Hope Wright's personal collection
NO TABLE OF CONTENTS
Photo courtesy of the Stephens' family
Title: Snowflakes: Complete tatting Patterns for 12 Snowflakes plus Interchangeable Patterns For 40 Rings-and-Chains To Make Over 2000 Different Snowflakes
Author/Designer: Marilyn Reibel Stephens(Sept. 18, 1931 - March 22, 2003)
Format/Publication Date: TPB:1977
Publisher: Self, Manchester, CT
Language: English
Page Count: 15
Book Dimensions(ht. x w.): 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"
ISBN: None
SUMMARY- This small self-published book was brought to my attention by Hope Wright, who also supplied a huge amount of information on books and magazines from the 1800's. This was Hope's first tatting book - and remains one of her most treasured. Proof, certainly, that a book doesn't have to have a glossy cover to be cherished. You get a clear black-and-white photo of each sample, as well as instructions in written notation. She did them old school, in one large block, and because Mrs Stephens was using a typewriter, there was little formatting to help break up the text and to make it easier to follow. Type is large and easy to read, so I don't think that is as big an issue if these had been larger, more complicated patterns. Many of her snowflakes use bare thread between rings, which gives them a more delicate ethereal appearance. They would work up very quickly so you could fire out a batch of them even if pressed for time - not many books have that advantage. Mrs Stephens states they will need to be starched, but if they're to be used as ornaments, I'd use diluted white glue to make them stiff enough to hold their shape. She gives you 12 snowflakes, but what really makes this book a unique gem is the chapter on how to individualize your snowflakes with variations in centers, rings, and chains - effectively giving you a beginner's lesson in design. This is a fantastic little book, and a crime that so few people know about it and can enjoy it. Hope is attempting to get in touch with Mrs Stephens' children, to get permission to share it as a PDF, so that Mrs Stephens contribution to tatting will not be lost. Please keep your fingers crossed...
There was an obituary, complete with a lovely photo at:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/hartfordcourant/obituary.aspx?n=marilyn-stephens-reibel&pid=883244&fhid=4101
If anyone knows of a legal copy I may purchase, please get in touch! I would love to add this one to my collection.
NEW NEWS!!! One of Mrs. Stephens' granddaughters found this review while she was doing geneology research on her family. She showed it to her mother, and Kay got in touch with me! She still had a stash of the books in storage, but was able to find them over the holidays(2023). Kay not only sent me two copies for the Craft Bibliography Project, she sent me a letter of permission to make the book available(free!) to anyone who wants a copy. So I've made ten copies I'm going to send out to all the lending libraries I am aware of, and I've made two PDFs that can be downloaded - one can be printed off and folded to resemble the original book, the other has had the pages digitally cut and pasted into sequential order for those who can work off a screen. The letter of permission is included in the PDF so that everyone is very clear on the terms under which it is being made available. I'm so excited! I think it will make you smile too.
HERE ARE THE LINKS TO THE PDFs:
PDF suitable for printing - can be folded into the original book
PDF of pages in sequential order
Kay's story of her mother:
Marilyn was a stay at home mother to four children. She was very creative, using her talents to benefit all of us. She was a master seamstress, knitter, tatter, and had an old platen press in the basement in which she printed note cards from her linoleum block carvings. She was a water color painter as well and dabbled in woodworking projects with our father Guilford. They passed on the love of creative hobbies to all of us with 2 that do woodworking, 1 master seamstress and knitter and one jack of all crafts in the family. Two of us also know how to tat, although very rusty.
There wasn't anything she couldn't create and her book on tatting was a reflection of that. It was initially advertised in the back of Yankee magazine. It was a great joy to see how thrilled she was when someone ordered one. We all hope that anyone that gets a copy of the booklet enjoys it and remembers it as a heart felt project from an amazing woman.
Thank you for sharing your mother's talent with all of us. We are truly grateful.