Agnes said I'll leave it on the pillow for a couple of days for the threads 'to set'."
When I taught in Spain last year and suggested (mimed, more accurately) the idea of waiting before the pins come out, there were blank faces all round. With help from the interpreter, we agreed that my mime had been accurate and they had understood what I was miming, just couldn't believe it. They had never heard of the idea and thought it hilarious. I have to state up front that I never leave my pins in overnight; when I have finished, I take the pins out. I want to see what I have made. Yes, the lace does shrink when the pins come out, but it shrinks just the same when it's been left to 'set'. If you tension well then the thread will return to its natural length when you remove the pins, in the same way as an elastic band will. What I don't do is take some out and leave others in while I am still working. If you take out some (alternate is the usual, and it is often suggested that you take out these pins when they have only been in place for an hour or less), then a lot of the shrinkage happens while the lace is still on the pillow, and you have a permanently scalloped edge. Look at the photos in Elsie Luxton or Pat Perryman's Honiton books if you don't believe me. If you are working on a block or (especially) a roller pillow, the pins often aren't in for long, and I think it was probably because early on I used a roller pillow a lot that I queried why that was OK but for some reason on a flat pillow the pins needed to be in overnight. After some experimenting I decided that it is a modern urban legend. Jacquie in Linconshire - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]
