I must have made about a hundred Honiton pillows since I started teaching Honiton Lace in 1981. It used to take me 3 evenings to cut up half a bale of Barley straw with a pair of scissors and many sore fingers until I manage to find a chaffer. I still have it now but haven't used it lately. With the chaffer it would only take 20 mins to chop up a bale. I would make 7 pillows at a time for my students and to sell at a lace day We just had to chose a day with no wind. A 13/14 inch pillow should weigh 3 lbs ( oops I'm talking old money ) LOL. about one and a half ks. When our famous marvelous lacemaker Pat Perryman heard I was making pillows she rang me to say they should weigh 3 lbs I crossed my fingers and said I was sure they were about 3lbs. I immediately went to weigh them and they were all just over 3 lbs. Phew
Cut out 2 14 inch circles and a 3 inch strip to go around the centre, of strong navy denim like material and sew together leaving a 6 inch gap. Stuff as much straw in the bag pushing it well down into the corners. Put it aside for a day or two, I used to put it in the airing cupboard to settle. Then take it out and although you think it is full, stuff in almost as much again. And I always used to put in a sprig of Lavender to make a nice aroma when the pins went in. An extra pair of hands are now useful to squash the gap edges together so that you can pin them ready to sew up with a strong thread. Then you use a mallet to flatten the top and bottom. I use to stand on them and step from side to side. I can't make them from scratch now with my achy hands but because I haven't yet found anyone who sells them, I buy them from charity shops or collect them from ex lacemakers , unstitch the gap and stuff more straw into the centre of the pillow. And I make a new cover as well. I'm still finding new lacemakers so on it goes. Such a lovely hobby, so therapeutic and brings fun and laughter at lace meetings and it chases loneliness away so good luck with your pillows and Happy Lacing Peggy - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]
