When you first inquired about a silky thread to use at convention, I wrote
you a long memo about Zwicky. But I decided not to send it. I remembered you
knew about Zwicky (from some old correspondence you had originated) and I
thought you had rejected it as a candidate for your project.
Nope. I just plain forgot about it; it's been about 15 yrs since I last used it and/or looked in my embroidery box, and my memory being what it is, the thread doesn't "surface" all that often... :)
I had a feeling you must have rejected Zwicky, Tamara, because it clings to
less-than-smooth hands.
Doesn't it ever :) But it repays the effort in the long run; the "crazy quilt" pillow I did using it (copying stitches from one that MIL gave me; which was lovely, but past saving) looks as good now as it did 15 yrs ago.
I mean, what we call "dishpan hands", or hands that do a lot of gardening.
My hands are, indeed, somewhat rough but not from overwork -- from overwashing. They sweat, and I can't stand their stickiness, so I wash them many times a day. But, in summer, I only put lotion on them for the night, and usually only on the backs of the palms; can't stand the feeling of lotion on my hands either, even the non-greasy ones :) As you say, it wouldn't matter so much in a gimp; once I got as many strands of it as I needed and wound them onto the bobbins, I would not be handling them directly any more.
Zwicky would be my choice for what you described. I do not like the use of
synthetics as gimp threads,
I don't like synthetics. Period :) I do use metallics, but that's because they're (at least in colours) in a class of their own and there's no other option. But replacing silk with rayon (for example) is folly and not a saving, IMO.
If you choose to use any synthetic thread with linen or cotton
Actually, my base thread will be silk also, so compatibility in respect to heat is not an issue. But my base is Gutermann which has very little luster. I want the gimp slightly paler but made to *look* a *lot* paler when viewed at different angles, because of the luster and the way it "catches" light.
As you know, I recommend blocking and finger-pressing after washing lace, but some
people will reach for an iron!
I wet-stretch most of my lace on the glass of the coffee-table, but an iron has its uses sometimes :) Only, I use an old and damp (cotton) diaper between the iron and the object to be ironed if it's something delicate or semi-delicate. But, frankly, I don't consider *new* lace, made of cotton or linen "all that" delicate; certainly not when it's made in thread equivalent to cotton 80/2 or thicker and not dyed. About 17yrs ago (before I knew anything about lace and lacemaking) I repaired and re-fitted my MIL's highschool graduation dress to serve as my step-daughter's wedding dress some 70 yrs later. The *fabric* was in bad shape and had to be dealt with gently, but the lace (which, since then, I identified as Beds-type, cotton, and probably Chinese) was fine; hardly a thread broken :) The same dress was used again (with a new under slip) by DH's niece 7 yrs after that and the lace was still fine, though the fabric had deteriorated some more. Lace can be a tough old bird :)
Zwicky can be found in shops that sell fine embroidery materials, not in
craft shops.
Good old Lexington has neither; the closest we come to it is the craft section in WalMart... :) Which is why I'll be taking myself off to Lynchburg next week; Kreinik's Serica (lovely shine, several possible colour options, very loosely plied, so can be un-stranded) might fit the bill, and Lynchburg *does* boast a needlework shop...
A google search for Zwicky thread will turn up lists of purveyors of this thread.
You mean, you want me to "go googling" *two nights in a row*??? How cruel can you get? <g>
Thanks for all the reminders though; I am now back to the 5-yr old stage -- things have to be re-inforced many times, before I can remember them (*if*)
----- Tamara P Duvall mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Lexington, Virginia, USA Formerly of Warsaw, Poland - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED]
