Dear Lacemakers, When I knew I wanted to learn to make lace, I began to put together sets of color-coordinated pillow, pin cushion, carrying tote bag, etc. for various types of laces. It is more fun to work on a surface that is a color you love. Sometimes, I added "pets" toward the back of the pillow that would catch the attention of children - a small Easter bunny, angel, that sort of thing. These were secured in place with corsage pins, as was a pin cushion.
It is quite easy to break threads - and bobbins - if you use too firm a material to hold threads/bobbins on a pillow while in transit. There needs to be a little flexibility. And there are many who do not do woodworking and do not care to start accumulating tools that will require storage from time to time. In the beginning, I bought hatpins, then stopped using them because very often the pins were large and chewed up the pillow top. Other pin systems were not very attractive, and took a long time to set up, as did the crocheted ladders. And spangles would move around to the top bar of those large knitting safety pins. -------------- Recipe to consider, but not for experienced lacemakers using many bobbins on large pillows! You may have supplies at home to substitute for the following: A. A small package of pearl-headed corsage pins from a craft shop. B. For a small pillow, one yard or so of a pretty *non-slippery* ribbon that coordinates well with your pillow color or theme. Flat gold braids will work, and are elegant. Or, substitute old heming tape or something like that. You'll need more ribbon or braid for a large pillow. See way below for how to determine length of ribbon to buy. --------------------------------- 1. Cut the ribbon/braid ends with pinking scissors or cut a V, so there is less chance of ravelling. 2. When you insert corsage pins throughout this process, slant each toward the center of the pillow (not straight down). Push them all the way in to pillow. 3. Think of the letter "Z". At Northwest of "Z", secure beginning end with a corsage pin, where threads coming off your lace meet pillow and need to be held in place. The long tail of ribbon should be pointing East. 4. Bring the ribbon tail across the pillow and over the threads (like top bar of a "Z") to Northeast, fold it at an angle to point down to the next part of a "Z" (Southwest) and secure with a corsage pin. 5. Ribbon should travel diagonally across your bobbins to lower left.bobbin. Decide where across the bobbins you want to secure them. It depends on the style of the bobbins. You should still have 1/2 of your ribbon length to finish. Pin. 6. Bring the ribbon across the bobbins (East) to make the bottom bar of the "Z". Fold so tail points Northwest and pin. 7. Bring ribbon back to beginning and secure. 8. If you want the bobbins and thread more secure, buy a longer ribbon/braid and fill in across the middle. This process takes very little time! Cover your pillow with a pillow cover, and pin that in place at four corners. When you are ready to make lace, remove corsage pins, which you can now use to keep bobbins organized (grouped) on your pillow. You only have one lightweight ribbon/braid to put away. If you like this system, I recommend you take a piece of ordinary string or an extra-long measuring tape and determine just how much ribbon/braid you need for your individual project, because bobbins and pillows vary greatly. Newbies: When you put your lace pillow in a tote bag, be careful not to pile instruction books, a lamp, magnifier, your purse, or other heavy items on top of the bobbins, even after they have been secured and a cover cloth has been pinned over all. Bobbins are fragile, and can easily break from this type of pressure. It is not fun to glue bobbins back together. Repaired bobbins are never as pretty as in original condition. Most of my tote bags are made of pre-quilted materials that you can buy in a fabric shop. If weather is bad, I put tote in a large plastic trash bag. If walk is long or difficult (as it is if you are going to demonstrate in costume with a long skirt), the folding two-wheeled carts that people in cities take to grocery stores are a wonderful way to get around with all lace supplies. Line with a large dark plastic trash bag with drawstring top, so nothing will fall out and everything is protected from weather, dust, puddles, pickpockets, etc. These carts normally have room for two large bags of groceries. Therefore, they have room for purse, a small folding stool, magnifier, spare trash bag, towel to wipe up water, etc. Your lace pillow should be last thing you put in, with nothing piled on top of it. Tie securely, and position the gathered top to face downward. In the other hand you can carry a small folding work table. These folding carts are engineered to navigate sidewalk curbs and stairs in cities, and I think are of real value to anyone who leaves home to make lace. Rehearse the packing ritual before a big or complicated lace event, checklist in hand. Hope something here is new to think about, and useful to implement, whether you are a city lacemaker or a country lacemaker. Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace and Embroidery Resource Center - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
