Thank you all for the nice comments about my threads book, especially
with the recent discussion about mixing threads. For the newcomers to
this group I have to say that it would never have got going without all
the support from Arachnes from around the world.
Like most people I used what I was told to use in the early stages of
learning BL - in fact I was told not to use anything which wasn't an
"accredited lacemaking thread" whatever that was and I still don't
know what accredited thread is! As I started doing my own thing (I
used colour!) I had a few disasters along the way and even when I
started teaching I wasn't really sure what was what. When I did the
City & Guilds exam as a guinea-pig one of the things on the list was to
know the difference between a 2 ply thread and a 3 ply thread and apart
from simple counting I didn't have a clue!
The thing that got me started on he T4L project was a two hour workshop
with Bill Hornsby at a Lace Guild convention. Everyone had a reel of
thread size 100 in advance and worked a sample on the same pricking and
then did a winding and Bill explained the varying results. I thought
that this was a great way of comparing different threads and by doing
windings of all the threads I had access to I could build up a useful
teaching aid. I talked about doing it to a few people locally and on
Arachne and so many kind people delved into their stashes and suddenly
it wasn't just a list; it was a whole book.
I have learned so much along the way. I've made lots of little samples
to see how the different threads work up and my recent bookmarks
project is part of that. I now know that a 2 ply thread is softer and
squashier than a three ply thread and that the double spun 6 ply
threads are very firm and round and keep their shape when made up -
that's why DMC Cordonnet makes a makes a crisp but harsh feeling lace
suitable for mats and doileys whilst DMC Broder Machine makes a much
softer lace more suited to a hankie or underwear which will/might touch
the skin.
I have discovered that most threads designed for machine stitching of
seams is three ply, but Anchor Drima is only 2 ply and suddenly I
realised that that was why that thread kept breaking when I used it on
the sewing machine. Coats Drima is 3 ply and OK. Threads intended for
machine embroidery are 2 ply as they spread out and give better surface
coverage for the satin stitch.
Do I mix threads in BL? Yes of course I do. For most projects I try
to keep silk with silk as it's a protein fibre whilst cotton, linen and
rayon are cellulose and will mix together. Metallics or synthetics I
generally only use for accent and are fairly inert if it comes to
washing the lace.
Now to look through the stash to find something suitable for the next
computer manipulated pattern. It's lace meeting later today and I want
to be winding the bobbins if not actually starting the lace.
Brenda in Allhallows, Kent
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.uk/index.html
-
To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line:
unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
