Bibilla Knotted Lace Flowers by Elena Dickson Sally Milner Publishing, Australia 2013, Paper cover,152 pages ISBN 978-186351-450-7 This is the most recent of three books by Elena Dickson. She has been teaching this type of lace since 1985, and sharing her knowledge of what she calls Mediterranean knotted laces with us in book form for over 20 years. In using this name/description, she has avoided the sticky problems of claims this type of lace originated in various competing nations - each of which gave it a different name. What we do know is it originated long before lace techniques were recorded in detailed written form. The book was published in 2013, but U.S. book delivery was delayed. My copy arrived 4 days ago. It is important to note that Elena Dickson is on the faculty of the OIDFA Adelaide Congress in July 2014. If you are hoping to be in her class, it would be a good idea to acquire this book. Price is reasonable. After years of in-depth study, Elena has adapted this knotted lace technique to make flowers grown in Australia. On the cover is a beautiful picture of Clematis flowers. She promises that once you have mastered the stitches, you will never look at a flower in nature without thinking 'I can make that!' As with any needle-made lace, maintaining focus and even tension are paramount. Some books of instruction yield crafty looking flowers. What makes Elena's flowers look so crisp and delicate may be the threads used. She explains why she prefers the 5 lace threads listed (some of which she dyes to get desired colors). They are in two weights, meaning you can switch to very fine, if smaller flowers are desired. In each weight, there is one silk thread brand recommended along with cottons. Choices! The book would have been enhanced by a set of instructions of tested methods for dyeing threads. For shaping the flowers and leaves, Elena uses very fine gauge colored beading wires. There are 15 entries in the Bibliography; an indication of increased interest in recent years. You will recognize names of a couple of long-time members of Arachne in the Acknowledgments. It is a pleasure to recommend this book. Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace and Embroidery Resource Center
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