>>>From: Shirlee Hill [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] I'm thinking the answer might be "do whatever makes you happy," but I'm wondering if there should be a certain weight to the spangle or if the weight matters at all ... <<<
Weight does matter somewhat. Fine threads can be stressed by "heavy" bobbins, and they're easily broken with relatively careful manipulation. Very coarse threads need "heavy" bobbins to keep them under control. The bobbin is more than just a handy way to move the threads about--it's also weight to keep the thread under tension, to help make the lace crisp and tidy when it's done. Too much weight/tension breaks threads, but too little can leave puckers and wiggles in the lace. A bobbin "too light" for the thread also allows the thread to jump its hitch and you have a renegade bobbin dashing for the floor. That being said, there's not an exact weight necessary for each thread. Just "heavier" bobbins for "heavier" threads and "lighter" bobbins for "lighter" threads. A given bobbin can be used for a wide range of thread weights, and a given thread can be handled nicely with a wide range of bobbin weights. The Springetts published a booklet, "Spangling Bobbins the Springett Way", and many people learned to spangle from that book. Those beads are what Christine prefers for the range of thread sizes she uses. Some people prefer a variation on her method, some pay no attention to her method. Antique bobbins have all sorts of spangles, with buttons, beads of all sizes and shapes, big loops/small loops, loose wire, you name it. You can spangle with whatever you want, it's just that Christine's method makes a nice "rule of thumb". The most common mistake I've seen in spangles is making them too big. All those lovely beads, you want to use them all on a spangle. Big spangles get in each others' way on the pillow, and I found I had to re-do many of my early bobbins and some I bought because the spangles were too big in diameter. Also, big means heavy, unless you're using plastic or other light weight beads, so you're back to breaking fine threads. The other common mistake I see is choice of doo-dads to put onto the spangle. I put tiny seahorses onto a pair, and the stupid things keep grabbing each other's tail when I try to separate them. Also, a really big bead sticks up from the pillow and, like a big loop of beads, gets in the way--especially when there are lots of bobbins on the pillow. Sometimes you find a really neat doo-dad that's enough weight all by itself. You can make a spangle out of just that, but be warned--it will roll. Some people like spangles specifically because they stop the bobbins rolling about the pillow (untwisting or overtwisting the thread), so they will hate this 1-bead kind of spangle. Some people just use seed or rocaille beads, but you need rather a lot of them to provide weight, and you're back to the big-ring problem. However, these small beads are good for a heavier bobbin, such as brass ones. A small ring of them will be enough to control rolling without making the bobbin even heavier than it already is. Personally, the thing I don't like about the Springett method is that the spangle is loose and floppy. When I pick up a bobbin, the spangle dangles and catches on the one I'm trying to flip past. So I bring both ends of the wire through the bobbin hole and around to the side of the bobbin, where I twist them together. I bend the twisted bit down against the wood so it doesn't catch on things, and then the spangle sticks straight out from the end of the bobbin as a single, rigid unit. Beyond that, my spangles vary tremendously, depending on the beads I have, my mood the day I spangled them, and what "goes with" the bobbin. But I generally have the largest bead on the bottom, medium beads to the sides, and a smallish bead against the wood (the last is because that's what fits best against the wood). But there may be disks or other shapes in there, and there's often not a smooth progression of sizes. I like the variety. Everybody has personal taste in spangles (except, perhaps, the people who prefer unspangled!), in diameter of the ring, diameters of the largest and smallest beads they're willing to use, kinds of beads, and how they're attached. Much of spangling is personal taste, and you should experiment to find the design you prefer. The Springett method makes a good starting point, but it's not the "official" spangle design. Robin P. [EMAIL PROTECTED] Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA http://www.pittsburghlace.8m.com - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
