Sunday, June 14, 2015

Korea's Mother of Tatting

Hey world, after 16 months of being cut off from the world wide web. I am back!! We were finally able to get an outrageously expensive and yet extremely limited Internet plan! Isn't that lovely!
Anyhow, I will be able to blog again and I view that as a real victory.
This is a story I've been wanting to share since October 2014 when I first learned it myself. (Even though in a round about way, it is sort of a story about me.)
We have to go way back to the time I lived in Korea. For all my bloggy reader pals you will remember my blogs during this time. After living in S. Korea for a few months I learned that absolutely no where could tatting be found in their culture. So I made some Korean girlfriends and I taught them to tat. That in itself is a lovely story. But wait until you hear what happened after I left!!!!

One of my students, my star student Anna, went on to start her own Korean tatting blog and became a tatting teacher and designer herself. Well, unbeknownst to me, her blog became wildly popular and quickly gained thousands of followers. Tatting had officially taken off in Korea like wild fire.

Fast forward to the present. This student ended up marrying an American soldier and has come to live in America. One of my other students, who is one of my dearest friends and kindred spirit came to stay with us for a few weeks in MS, this was her very first visit to America. This all took place last Fall. We learned that Anna lived in Destin, FL which is only a few hours from us...so of course we all went road tripping. Plus it was lovely to share our white sand beaches with our visitor Kyoungmi.

This is the part where I learned the following. In 2014, the country of South Korea had a television special about tatting in Korea, of course it all started with Anna, who is now and forever reverently called, "The Mother of Tatting".

One of her students went on to write two Korean tatting books which Anna gifted to me on our visit. Of course, in the midst of all this there is a tiny mention of me, the American who brought tatting to Korea. Anna showed me all the press and it's all Korean, Korean, Korean, Sherry Pence, Korean, Korean.

Absolutely delightful!

I can tell you, I was one excited teacher to hear that all this had been taking place since I left Korea in 2009.

You know, I almost never went to Korea? It was decided that I would stay in America while my husband did his year tour. But at the 11th hour, I made the decision to go. And of course I am SO glad I did!

How cool is all this???

This is Kyoungmi, myself, and Anna (who at the time was expecting her second child).

These are the beautiful Korean tatting books!

All this happened in essentially 5 years.



Okay friends, please be patient with me as I update all my links and information. I will also be reopening my Etsy tatting shop, where I will continue to sell my one of a kind tatting shuttles and hand dyed silk and cotton threads, and of course my Tatting books.

Also, I have been out of the scene for sooo long that I don't know what I've missed. Neither do I know how ancient and outdated I must be by now. Would anyone kindly mind educating me and bring me up to speed on what is current?

And finally, I will be going to Palmetto Tat days in September, so I hope to see a lot of you there! Yay!

28 comments:

erin said...

Yay! So glad you're back and super stoked you'll be at Palmetto! What a lovely story, too. Congratulations!

Deana MacKenzie said...

Welcome back....we have missed you

Karen said...

Welcome back! What a wonderful story. Such a testament of your teaching abilities and friendship. Look forward to reading more of your adventures. Have missed you. Karen in OR

Sharon D. said...

Welcome Back. Missed you!

Anonymous said...

Fantastic story. Really amazing to see how your small tatting class in Korea started off a whole new life for the students. Really good to see you back. Waiting (patiently) for the shop to open again. Cheers, Lesley S

StringyDogs said...

What an amazing story. I guess you are the Grandmother of Korean Tatting! That is really exciting.

Glad you are back. It will so fun to see you at Palmetto!

Cindy said...

Oh, how we've missed you! I was jus thinking yesterday, "I wonder what's happened to Sherry and if we'll see her blogging again?" Welcome back!!!!!!

Adrian said...

Welcome back! And what an amazing story!

A thought; if Anna is the mother of tatting, and you were her teacher, does that make you the grandmother of tatting in Korea? ;)

Jane McLellan said...

What a wonderful story! I'm very glad to see you back and look forward to reading more.

victats@gmail.com said...

See how small actions have a big influence? I have the book in the right and it's an absolutely fabulous intro to tatting. The pictures are amazing. I wish I read Koren to find out all her secrets! I wondered how Tatting got to Korea and how long it had been there so the mystery is now solved. Hurrah!

Phyllis said...

Glad you are back. Look forward to meeting you at Tat Days. Look forward to your shop opening.

Fox said...

Cindy and I must have ESP! I too was wondering about you last night ! So glad to see you again. XXOOXX Fox : ))

Crazy Mom! said...

So VERY glad to see you blogging again! Welcome back to the world!

And I'll see you at Palmetto in September. Just got back from seeing Jane in SuA!

S

geraldine said...

Well come back. From small Acorn's mighty oaks grow. Well done on growing the seeds.
LOT'S OF NEW TATTER'S. How's miss P?

Marilee Rockley said...

Fantastic to have you back! Congrats on your far reaching influence on tatting, it's such a beautiful story. I'm glad you'll be opening your Etsy shop again; I've been wanting your Branching Encapsulation book for ages.

Bernice said...

Wonderful story, welcome back online

Randi said...

Well-deserved congrats to you! What an exciting experience that you have been a part of - introducing tatting to a few and then learning your efforts multiplied exponentially. And the real blessing is to be able to continue having contact with those special friends you met while you were in Korea. Welcome back to the online tatting community, you have been missed and we are excited we will be able to enjoy your contributions once again!

Re: 'catching up' with tatting fun, visit 'Tatting by the Bay; you'll enjoy the creativity there.
Randi

JB said...

Hooray! I am so glad you are back online. That is a wonderful story. What a blessing to see the impact you had on S. Korea. Just think of the impact you have on us here in the U.S. You have been missed tremendously in those 16 months.
I am so excited that you will be attending Tat Days. I will get to meet you in person.

Lace-lovin' Librarian ~ Diane said...

I'm so glad to see a post from you again! Yes, I've been keeping up with you on Facebook, but it's just not the same. It's been a while since I've been able to purchase my shuttle of the year, something I look forward to adding to my collection!

Madtatter80 said...

Glad you are posting again, I just joined your blog and happy you brought tatting to Korea. I have seen your older posts floating round on internet and enjoyed them. I have a blog now too it's Carollyn's tatting Blog http://tennbrown.blogspot.com/ if you wanted to check it out.
We will look forward to seeing more fun things from you :)

muskaan said...

Such an inspiration & tatting pioneer you have been !!! You must be so proud, and deservedly so.
There is a Korean tatter Sunbee Theresa Lee ((http://m.blog.naver.com/2sunb/220065692906)) who acts as an interface between the English & Korean tatting communities ; trying her best to translate & make resources available to her people. I'm sure she must be one of the beneficiaries (direct or indirect) of your endeavour :-)

In Aug last year, I tatted your lovely Hope butterfly & blogged . Had tried to leave a comment on your blog, but was unsuccessful, Want to thank you for sharing the wonderful pattern.

tattrldy said...

Great to have to back! It's great how you planted the seed of tatting in Korea and to see how large it's grown! If Anna is the Mother, does that make you the Grandmother??? :-)

Ladytats said...

welcome back!
so looking forward to reading your posts and seeing your wonderful tatting and pottery. And your Dyed threads.

Have a great summer!

IsDihara said...

Oh poo! I won't be going to Tat Days this year. I am so sad to miss seeing you. Will sweet Miss Piccadilly accompany you to Tat Days?

Margarets designer cards said...

What a brilliant story, well done, I have been on holiday so I missed this post.
I am so glad to have you back blogging again,
I started teaching in January and so far I have enjoyed it.
Have a nice day
Margaret

LadyShuttleMaker aka MadMadPotter said...

Thank you everyone! Sincerely thank you!
Miss P is wonderful but she will not be attending Palmettos with me.
I am looking forward to meeting many of you for the first time.
Thank you for the blog addresses, I will get them listed in my blogroll. And Karen in OR, thank you for your cards, I have cherished them and have meant to write back...sigh. Love you!

Jmt200 said...

hi there!

I will be going to Seoul in Dec 2015 for my daughters wedding. I had tasked her fiance with finding me tatting shuttles in South Korea..looks like I had better task him with something else LOL!

:-) joan

AKTATTER said...

Oh glad to see you back online.
Thanks for sharing such a happy story.

May I know the names of the books you mentioned? I want to be sure that I have them for my tatting reference library.