I have seen thread anchors which are a flat piece of wood with pinholes drilled on each end.  We made some for a conference once. They were about 1/2" wide and 3" inches long. We did put a small handle on each to hold while pinning, but it isn't really needed.Â
I use a tongue depressor stick which is laid across the threads in front of the bobbins, and pinned with four pins (two on each side, slanted inwards to hold the stick tightly to the pillow). Anything flat and sturdy could work, as long as you can anchor it to the pillow. Even a multi-folded piece of paper would work, with several pins holding it steady. Wrapping the threads around a pin just next to the head of the bobbins does work. If there's a problem keeping the threads straight, use a separate pin for each thread. Wrap it once or twice and pin at the head, and it should not move while working the first half of the threads. When you switch sides to start the second half, anchor the first side threads like you did before. This will help keep everything in place until the project is well started. Alice in Oregon - 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/
