But She Didn't Want To!

This is a story I have heard countless number of times, but I forgot   about it until I saw this commercial spool of thread on her bureau. It has been there for as long as I can remember.
This is a story about a young girl who just "didn't get it."
Her father insisted that she learn how to tat. She just didn't catch on to it at all and did not want to learn how. She told me that she figured that sewing, crocheting and knitting was plenty of handwork to do.
Her father was strong willed however, and told her that yes, she would learn how. I was never told why he insisted, but he did. Marie told me that he brought home a huge spool of thread and made her practice and practice. It did not come easy for her.
She had to stop and start many times and for quite some length of time before it finally registered in her mind how to tat successfully.
My mother tatted and I would watch her as she watched television and did her tatting, crocheting and knitting. The whole handwork hobby never registered in my mind. It made me very nervous, therefore, I was a complete flop. My eight year old niece learned at my mother's side in a flash. She does excellent work.
I have a handkerchief that is beautiful that I received as a gift when I was sixteen. It is in a drawer and will probably be thrown out when I'm gone.
Marie does not have any handkerchiefs or any other tatted handwork that she made.
She did tell me though, that she sold some handkerchiefs for about twenty-five cents a piece. In my estimation they were worth many times what she sold them for. In the ten years that I have known her, she never did any tatting.
The value of tatting, in my mind is invaluable. The skill and time it takes to make these beautiful things in itself, makes them valuable. My mother had a set of sheets and pillowcases that were tatted around the edges and were beautiful. No they were never used and were given to my sister when she married.
I also remember Elizabeth Taylor wearing a tatted choker in one of her movies.
I copied these pictures of trimmed sheets and a handkerchief from the internet.
A note I mentioned Elizabeth Taylor it showed Marilyn Monroe with those choker necklaces also.
If any of you readers should happen to have anything that Marie tatted please send me a picture. I would love to put them on here instead of the internet one. Thank you so much.
I decided that I would put this 50 year old handkerchief that I received from my great aunt at my piano recital when I was sixteen years old on this post. It is now residing in Florida at my nieces's house. So very glad that she wanted to give it a new home. Yes, I ironed it!!