Per request from an active member of this list, here is my two cents. Yes! I agree completely with Alice. I will remind that you must be sure the backing fabric is color fast - that the dye will not run, if damp. We are back to remembering the effects of environmental humidity on textiles. Whatever lace you've made, whenever you can, avoid starch. Starches often oxidize (meaning that they turn your laces ecru or brownish over time). If you make starch at home from a food product, starch may attract critters. All manufactured starches are not from the same formula. New threads usually have some sizing in them, and it is enough to reactivate that sizing, as Alice says, for a lace that will be permanently framed. Adding more starch, with a different formulation, may cause problems years from now. Best to wait until a lace item has been washed a few times, and there is no alternative. Remember that I wrote not terribly long ago that fad-influenced manufacturers do not tell you when they change the formulas of their cleaning products. Same is true of starch. When wetting your lace, use **distilled or deionized water**, for the same reasons I've given with washing instructions for many years. You can pour water on, as Alice suggests, or you can use a well-washed/rinsed cotton cloth as a sponge. Real sponges and artificial sponges often have substances trapped in them that might transfer to wet lace. Lace should be completely and evenly saturated.with water and left to dry. You can do this on a very clean formica (or similar non-porous) counter or sheet of glass that has had a final wiping down with white vinegar to remove any cleaning chemicals from surface. Shape lace with your clean fingers, and leave it to dry. **If you have animals or other humans in the house, take proper precautions.** As with all conservation messages, please print this and keep in your "Lace Care" notebook. Jeri Ames Lace and Embroidery Resource Center --------------------------------------------------------- In a message dated 4/5/2009 8:06:27 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [email protected] writes:
Personal opinion ... You don't need to do anything special since you are framing it. I would let the last bit set in the pins over night (recent discussion suggests even that is not necessary). Stiffening is used only when you really need the lace to be stiff -- 3-D flower, Christmas ornament, etc.-- or if the lace turns out to be more floppy than you wanted (thin thread). Most lace is used however it comes off the pillow. To frame it, you will need to mount it on a backing fabric. I would use the same thread and tack it to the backing, all around the item. Tacking means using a needle and thread, come up from the back under a thread on the item, loop over the thread and return to the back either in the same needle hole or just next to the original needle hole. This tacking or sewing will hold the item securely in place without stiffening. The spacing of the tacking will depend on the firmness or openness of the item. I start with about one inch spacing but that is adjustable as needed... especially along the upper edge of the item where the stitching will support the weight of the lace. If you need to freshen and smooth a piece of lace, you can lay it out on a flat waterproof surface, pour water on it until it's standing on the lace surface, smooth with fingers into shape, and let air dry. It might take a couple days but it makes the lace flat and fairly crisp without applying heat (iron) to it. When framed, the lace should not touch the glass (if you have glass in the frame). Use a spacer that is thicker than your lace so you have air inside. Do not seal the back so air can circulate. If you frame it without glass, then there's no problem. Enjoy your lace. Alice in Oregon ----------------------- ----- Original Message ----From: Jensen Marilyn <[email protected]> I am finishing a small oval of Hungarian lace (from Louise Colgans class)and before removing the pins, what should I do? I plan to frame it. Marilyn Jensen - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected] **************Feeling the pinch at the grocery store? Make dinner for $10 or less. (http://food.aol.com/frugal-feasts?ncid=emlcntusfood00000001) - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]
