When I first learned to make lace at Kempston School's evening classes,
near Bedford, UK We had to first trace the pricking from the original,
then prick through onto brown pricking card, mark in the relevant lines
with pencil(which could be rubbed out in case of a mistake) and then go
over it with ink and rub out the pencil lines.
I also still have my piece of heelball for taking a rubbing of a
pricking too.
When I first started to teach in the early 1990's, I taught the same
method, until I realised the benefit of the photocopy machine. Blue
contact was cheap then so we used it to cover the white photocopy but
still used pricking card underneath.
Now I still recommend using glazed pricking card for a pattern that is
going to be used more than once, otherwise I have learned to print onto
regular coloured project card and only use clear contact if the lace is
going to be starched. I still preprick a pattern to save on eye strain
trying to get pins in accurately and to prevent backache trying to see
where the pin-holes are.
When in Malta I learned to use the blue contact with the pricking
sandwiched between the blue front and the backing paper. No cardboard
needed. Mind you the Maltese pillows are so hard that I never want to
use one again.
I still cannot bear to see lace being made on a single sheet of
photocopy paper.
--
Janis Savage t/a The Lace Place
www.thelaceplace.co.za
-
To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line:
unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to
[email protected]. Photo site:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
