Tansy Bishop
Flower Knots
Based on the knotting shuttle, the predecessor to the tatting shuttle for making lace, this piece represents flower motifs being present throughout modern human history. Flowers are a timeless pattern that have been used consistently in many cultures all over the world since at least the trade of textiles. Used for creating a pattern of knots on a piece of string, and then sewn onto cloth, knotting was once a popular pastime in the 18th century. In this piece, the shuttle is represented as a vessel in which flowers (that were once knots) can flow out on a river of threads.