Hi Sue, To transport a pillow, all the bobbins etc have to secured to the pillow, then no matter how it's carried, nothing will move or break.
I have dealt with various cookie or flattish pillows, not bolsters, so that's where my experience lies. Here's some ideas that I, and my friends, use. Ribbon: Lay a strip of ribbon or braid across the bobbins, and pin between the bobbins. Suggest using large headed pins for this purpose..easier to insert and remove. Also, slant alternating pins up or down to make in very difficult for the pins to pull out by accident. Crocheted strip: A strip of crochet that looks like a narrow ladder is easy to make. Insert the bulb of a bobbin in each hole, or alternate holes. Pin down the strip in several places. This is good only for bobbins without spangles. Knitting stitch holder: This large safety-pin type of holder is good for spangled bobbins. Insert the pin through the spangles. Pin down each end of the holder. Tongue depresser: Inexpensive holders can be made with the flat sticks called tongue depressers (in a drug store) or craft sticks (in a hobby shop). As mentioned before, elastic thread can be attached through holes in one end, and looped over notches in the other end. Method two - tongue depresser: Using wire clippers, snip off the corners of the stick so there is a stub in the center of each end. Slide stick under a group of bobbins and loop a large elastic band over the stubs. Method three - tongue depresser: Get some little wooden wheels from the craft store, the same width as the tongue depressers. Glue a wheel to the very end of one stick, and glue a second stick on top. Drill a small hole through the other end of the sticks-- the open end. Slide a group of bobbins inside the two sticks and put a large pin through the end holes to secure the bunch to the pillow. Another wooden holder: In northern Europe, a holder is made from a stick about 5mm thick, 18mm wide and 18cm long. A 7mm wide slot was cut out of the center of the flat side of the stick, to about an inch from the other end. This make a very long, skinny "U" shaped stick -- sort of like a long tweezer. The outer edges of the cut ends were trimmed on a slant to make it easier to slide under the bobbins. A pinhole is drilled through the cut ends, sideways. This holder is intended for bobbins with a narrow shaft and a bulb at the end. Platform holder: My friend wanted wider holders than tongue depressers. She found some sections of flat plastic picket fence about 4 x 5 inches in a craft store, intended for doll houses or some such thing. The horizontal supports stuck out enough to put two elastic bands from end to end. The small square bobbins she uses lay neatly on the fence sections, fastened top and bottom with the bands. They could be moved without wiggling. To get more of them, she got sheets of very thin board (intended for doll house construction), cut it into pieces about 4 x 5 inches, drilled holes in one end for two sets of elastic cord, and put notches on the other end for the cord loops. Cloth holder: Use a work cloth to lay over the bobbins, or fold over the edges of the cloth on the pillow. Pin all sides and in between some of the bobbins. This works for small quantities of bobbins. Stacks of bobbins in holders can be held down with a braid or ribbon criss-crossing the pile and pinned securely on each side. The bigger the stack, the more braid used. A work cloth can be put over the pile before using the ribbon if desired. Once the bobbins are securely fastened down to the pillow, it should be possible to turn the pillow upsidedown without anything moving. At this point, you can put the pillow in any kind of bag for transport safely. Suggestion -- cover the pins and lace with a cloth so the pins cannot snag on the bag and pull out. Just pin the cloth on four corners to hold it in place. Carry Cloth: An easy short-transport carrier is a 45" square of fabric. Put your pillow (pattern, tools) in the middle of the square. Tie opposite corners. Pick up by the knots and go. This is a horizontal carry method but does need a hand to carry it. Bags: As mentioned by someone else, I prefer a vertical bag with a large handle so I can put it over my arm and still have a hand free to open doors or carry something else. A large totebag with adequate handles will suffice. Special zipped bags can be made or bought, but a simple totebag works well. If the weather is really nasty, slip your pillow in a plastic trash bag before putting it in the totebag. The new XL size ziplock bags work very well. Even the plastic/nylon wreath bags discussed previously will protectg a pillow. Of course, you can make special bags to fit a pillow. They can be made of waterproof fabric, or have a plastic inner lining, for weather protection. You can even put two handles on it -- one long one for the shoulder, and a short one for the hand/arm. In short -- fasten down the bobbins so they can't move, and cover the whole thing with whatever works. You'll be able to get through any type of weather or mishap. Put your books, lunch, camera, and accessory stuff in a totebag. Check with your teacher to find out if it's really the shopping bag that's the problem, or how the pillow was bundled before putting it in the bag. It would be interesting to know what kind of bag she recommends. Do whatever works for you, and have fun. Alice in Oregon - weather mild, dry and foggy. --- Sue Duckles <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: .. how would you transport a lace > pillow from class, etc... I've heard of the bags > and thought about > making one, but what position is the pillow carried > in - tilted, horizontal or vertical!! > > Also, how can you make the 'wooden' bobbin holders, > rather than using stitch holders.... > > I've started going to class now - I have to carry > pillow & > accompanying bits, graph pad, pen, pencil, coins, > rubber (eraser), > pricking card etc... and my teacher tells me off > for carrying my pillow in a shopping bag!!! - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
