The name Elgiva Nicholls is known to keen tatters all over the world as one of the most significant figures in twentieth century tatting, but until now, published material on her life has been scanty and uncoordinated.

This is a  new, illustrated, paperback biography of the author of A New Look in Tatting, Tatting Technique & History and Tatting Techniques.  The book is based in part on conversations with Elgiva’s family, and friends and contacts in the tatting world.  It looks at her early life, her career as a dietician, her discovery of tatting and her subsequent publishing success, and her legacy to present-day tatters.

Illustrated with many previously unpublished photographs of Elgiva and her work.

About the author

Heather Lickley is a craft teacher in adult education, enjoying the creative possibilities of cookery, embroidery and church vestments, patchwork, quilting, crochet and knitting, and tatting. 

Heather learnt to tat in the 1980s, and was Librarian for the Ring of Tatters from 1992—2000. The research for this book was made possible with the kind assistance of the Ring of Tatters.