Gidday Julie, Robin and all, <<matter at this stage, but if I really keep going at this, I'm going to have <<to find a way to have better prickings with fewer bent pins.
<<If you want fewer bent pins, you're going to have to break down and <<pre-prick. That's the only way to minimize bending brass or insect pins. I agree. I always totally pre-prick my patterns, and as I do a lot of fine Point Ground work that means sometimes huge numbers of pinholes. I still bent a lot of pins even doing that. I have found that the best thing is to think of it as part of the total "getting ready" package i.e. winding the bobbins, getting pricking ready, pre-pricking. What I used to do (before accompanying nearly-DH to South Africa meant a Visa that does not allow me to work over here..........gee what a shame VBG) was take the pricking to work, and sit and prick during my lunch break. You can easily prick and eat at the same time and it then is wasting non-productive time anyway rather than jutting into your busy at-home life instead. I am at the moment getting my things together to start Miss Channer's Mat (or Miss Marple's Bathmat as it is affectionately known around our house) when we return from our wedding in Australia, and have the daunting task of pre-pricking the largest piece I've ever done. I will do it in stages, half an hour blocks I think as I'm not in a hurry and you can't do too much in one hit without getting a very sore hand. I also find that using an ergonomic pricker (little wooden handled one that fits inside your fist, rather than a pencil-shaped one) makes a huge difference to how much I can do at a time. If you do the pricking on decent pricking card and pre-prick, it will definitely last longer if you intend to do a pattern more than once too (not that I intend doing the Bathmat more than once!). I only use the contact-over-photocopy quick method for workshops or samples. Michelle an Aussie in South Africa, where it is light at 6.00am now and we are heading for some warm Spring weather already down here Ian & Chelle Long +27 35 788 0777 - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
