About Tatting by Christy

Handcrafted in the Heart of Acadiana

My name is Christy Castille, and I am a shuttle tatter —a keeper of tradition, passionate about passing on the ways of yesterday.

Shuttle Tatting is one of the oldest forms of lace-making in the world, created by looping and knotting thread with a small hand-held tool called a shuttle. It is slow, deliberate, meditative work — and I love every stitch of it. Each piece I create is one-of-a-kind, made entirely by hand, and built to last for generations. That's what makes tatted lace heirloom quality: it doesn't fray, it doesn't unravel, and it only grows more beautiful with time.

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Rooted in Acadiana

I live and work in the heart of Acadiana — a region with a deep, proud history of handcraft, community, and cultural preservation. That heritage is woven into everything I make and do.  

One of my most treasured partnerships is with Jerry and Mary Alice Hale, local growers of Acadian Brown Cotton — a rare, naturally pigmented cotton with roots stretching back centuries in Louisiana's Acadian farming tradition. When I tat with their cotton, I'm not just making something beautiful. I'm connecting with my great grandparents who grew the cotton and my other great grandmother who did the shuttle tatting.

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Preserving the Craft

Shuttle Tatting is a disappearing art, and I am committed to keeping it alive. I teach needle and shuttle tatting workshops at museums and sewing centers across the region, and I participate in historical lectures and living history events — to share the story of traditional handcraft in its full cultural context.

You'll also find me at folk festivals and vintage markets throughout Acadiana, where I love meeting customers face to face and putting a piece of work I have crafted. Also sharing how tatting is done or filling in a piece of their family story.

I was inducted in 2025 into the Louisiana Folklife Center's Hall of Master Folk Artists (Northwestern State University of Louisiana).

You can watch my interview done at West Baton Rouge Museum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol_YlSvleDY&list=PL9Z7DVJc9sZqiyxAnOerRXnU339mLf4Dq

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Why Handmade Matters

Every item in my shop — from baby booties and bonnets to rosaries, bookmarks, crosses, and clasp bags — is made by me, one at a time, with care and intention. When you buy from Tatting by Christy, you're not just buying a gift. You're supporting a local artist, honoring a centuries-old tradition, and bringing something truly irreplaceable into your life.

Buy Handmade. Buy Local. Support Local Artists. Keep it Local.