In message <[email protected]>, Susan Reishus
<[email protected]> writes
Sorry, as I never saw your query, Sue. I was pondering the thought on my own
and had not been partaking of much on the list. I suppose the beginnings of
these repeated topics often began at the onset of the list itself.
I don't remember a discussion of architect's linen replacement (thought there
may have been) as I take breaks over the years. If so, then I
completely missed
comments on Canaletto, and don't think it is in the archives.
Having been on the list since a few months after it began, I don't think
needlelace queries have come up all that often (tatting even less,
though I believe a lot of tatters split off and formed their own group
ten or so years ago) whereas discussion on prickings - especially the
question of whether or not to pre-prick a pattern, has come up from time
to time. Sue asked the question regarding architect's linen (which has
become more difficult to obtain over the last ten years) only a couple
of days ago, so you possibly only blinked to miss it, Susan!
I certainly had never heard of Canaletto before you mentioned it in your
post this week, so doubt very much if it has been mentioned on the list
before (though I may be wrong).
I still have a small amount of linen, but frequently use a dark green
matt sticky backed plastic for needlelace as the threads show up well
against it. Whatever you use, it needs to be easily pierced by a needle
for couching, but then resist the needle point when working the
needlelace stitches. Interestingly, with other needle type laces, I
believe that a century or so ago a sheet of brown paper (similar to that
we use for parcels which is smooth and shiny one side but can be quite
rough on the other) was used for the Battenburg/Branscombe/Princess type
tape laces, and we were taught Carrickmacross using butter paper, which
again has a smooth surface. In this case, Sheila Regan taught us to make
the stitches using the blunt (eye) end of the needle rather than the
point, to avoid puncturing the paper.
For prickings, I prefer to use glazed manilla pricking card - and to
pre-prick the pattern. Once or twice with a "one off" sample I have used
just the paper pattern, but wasn't really happy with this. For Honiton,
the card needs to have more substance, and is slightly thicker - in
order to withstand the attentions of the needlepin during sewings! Some
old prickings I have, dating back to 1911, are in really thick cardstock
- I remember one friend I showed them to saying that he thought it would
have taken a small hand drill to make the holes! Certainly most of our
modern prickers wouldn't have gone through it! When I first started
making lace, I had an idea to use the outer covers of old exercise
books, which appeared to be of similar card but coloured - I was warned
off this by an experienced lacemaker as it might have been possible that
the dyes used in the card were not waterproof, and thus could stain the
lace if they got damp. Also, the card being of a coarser fibre, it was
possible that fibres disturbed by the pins could end up woven into the
lace. I now just use card and a waterproof pen for the pattern markings
- much cheaper than having to buy the film to cover the pattern as well,
saves getting adhesive on the pins and the patterns survive constant use
on a block pillow just as well!
--
Jane Partridge
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