On Sat, 27 Sep 2003 08:52:47 +0100, Annette in London wrote: >Thank you to the people who described a couple of weeks ago how to do sewings >with a Lazy Susan (sorry, I can't remember who it was). My first attempt at >sewings, a couple of months ago, was deeply traumatic, as I was using a fine >crochet hook. I swore I'd never do sewings again. But after reading your >advice, I got a Lazy Susan from Tim Parker, and tried it last night - success!
Appropriate tools are necessary for sewings, but they aren't the whole story. Another essential is making a good edge to sew into. There's more than one way to get firm crisp edges; I'll pass on the method that Yvonne Scheele-Kerkhoff teaches in Withof. Having worked a row of cloth stitch, put two twists on the workers. Move the worker threads against each other holding them with the ends pointing out in the same direction as the thread should lie, usually horizontal. This tensions them against the passives. Then make a cloth stitch with the edge pair. Put two twists on each pair, and hold them so that the former edge pair are vertical and the former worker pair are horizontal. Again move the threads in each pair against each other to tension the stitch into the right place. When all threads are lying in the appropriate position, put the pin in under both pairs. Then you are ready to start working the next row. Don't use the pin to tension against. I think that the idea behind this is pulling against the pin can put too much tension on the pairs, so that the edge is tight and the workers are pulled tight; either of these will make the hole for the sewing smaller. Perhaps someone else will comment on other laces; I remember that Honiton was similar but with three twists. The technique can be adapted to use in any lace, using however many twists are needed in the pattern. My own choice would be that a sewing edge must have at least two twists on all pairs, one isn't enough. -- Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who would want to live in an institution. Henry Louis Mencken Steph Peters, Manchester, England [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
