Hi
I'm Alex Stillwell. I have just joined Aracne and
was surprised and flattered to see that my
dictionary is being quoted. I am currently
transferring the dictionary onto my computer so that
I can produce it myself. I think it very unlikely
it will sell a 1000 copies and that is what I
I have had so many replies. Thank you. The spread sheet sound good but too
complicated for me. I am reluctant to put it on CD. We all know people who
have copied whole books. That takes time and effort, copying a CD takes
seconds. Please come forward with suggestions for me to track down, I may
A big THANK YOU to all Arachnids who have given me such a welcome and
encouraged me to continue revising my dictionary. C is now finished and I am
starting on D. I will be in touch.
Alex
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Although not about magnifiers, I am short sighted
and do my close work without glasses. In UK we
cannot buy 'upper' half-glasses 'off the peg', I
could only have them made to measure - much too
expensive. Eventually I persuaed my optician to cut
a pair of rimless off across the bifocal line.
this helps.
Alex Stillwell
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of the hand on
the pillow when taking up the slack also helps as it is much easier to control
small movements with the fingers than with the whole arm.
Hope you find a method that helps
Alex Stillwell
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along these
lines. Good luck to all who are designing their own.
Alex Stillwell
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Re: machine or hand-sew
Traditionally lace should be hand sewn to fabric but I would rather see a
piece well mounted using machine sewing than one spoilt by being badly mounted
by hand.
Alex Stillwell
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While I am all for using any technique that will produce the finish you are
looking for - a word of caution when colouring threads. How long do you wish
the item to last? If it is short term, a few years, then go ahead with the
pens. However, if you wish it to be an heirloom the chemicals in the
Having seen similar situations where lace has been identified and dated by
experts, and then found them to be totally inaccurate, I now consider the
names to be generic and describe the type of lace as determined by the
techniques used to make it. However this is also a problem as we do not have
After many years of battling with the problem of threads shredding and
experimenting with all the suggested solutiotions I have found the biggest
culprit is the cover cloth and the friction between the threads causing the
threads to fray as threads slide across the edge of the cover cloth as you
Dear Aurelia
Your book has completed stage 1 of its journey, I saw Anne yesterday, one of
my lacemaker friends, and gave her your book. She will pass it to her
daughter, Pamela, who works for an airline and she will post it when she
crosses the pond next. I may, or may not, hear anythingmore
Sorry you got my letter to Aurelia, your addresses are next to each other and
I hit the wrong button.
Apologies
Alex
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the
ones you prefer. Alex Stillwell, It's a hot summer morning in Sussex
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Dear Lacemakers
My friend Jean Eke and I are working on a website that
should soon be ready for viewing. We shall each have a
page about our lace an there will be a pattern page that
will change periodically. My lace page will start with the
saga of my 'Greek Gods!!'. I am hoping to begin
Dear Arachnids
My friend Jean has produced a web site for both of us at
http://web.mac.com/jeanmaryeke. There is something about us, Lindfield
Lacemakers and Designers and a free pattern that will be changed periodically.
Jean has only had her computer, her first, for 2 months and I think she
Dear Arachnids
Thank you to all who replied regarding owners of the lace I wanted to trace. I
followed up all the leads but unfortunately with no results. However, the
lace was made a long time ago and the makers now deceased so, although I would
have liked to ask permission, it is legal for me
Dear Arachnids
The straight laces are generally made 'right side' uppermost. When you look
sideways at the top of a newly made piece just after it has come off the
pillow you will see a lot of ripples and raised points, such as spider
centres, that add texture. Turn it over and look at the
Dear Arachnids
At one of my evening classes I taught one of my students to make a plait,
later on in the session she was having difficulties with making them even so I
said Let me show you only to find I had the same problem, then I realised
she had not spangled her new Midlands bobbins. When
Dear Arachnids
Another thought about bobbins. I taught a Valenciennes workshop. One lady
was an experienced lace teacher maker and one lady had only been making lace
for 6 months. Both regularly used Midlands bobbins but for the workshop the
teacher used Rosaline bobbin (the smaller, lighter
Dear Arachnids
I have made Bucks Point with 2/180s Honiton thread and a single strand of
stranded embroidery thread for the gimp. For this I used my smallest Midlands
bobbins with small spangles and had no broken threads. Breakages occur when
threads are pulled up or snagged, not by bobbins that
While I am not interested in reading all the entries there are always some
people who will like the ones I do not like. It is very easy to scroll
through, be selective and delete what we do not like. Please let us keep the
variety so that we can all enjoy in our own ways.
Alex
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Dear Arachnids
Does anyone have any information about the poem 'The Wedding Handkerchief' in
Fiona Birchalls book 'Laces for a Lady'? or her e-mail or address? Also any
information about the rhyme that starts 'I'm just a little hankey as square as
square can be ...' ? I am writing about floral
Dear Arachnids
Looking forward to seeing your three overlapping rings Jane. I am currently
struggling with a piece of floral Bucks for my next book. It has nook pins
everywhere and is proving a beast to get the pins in the exact positions so
that someone with limited floral Bucks experience can
I have found that my tablecloth made in 50 Bockens linen feels beautifully
soft since it was washed, however the threads now look thicker. It mat be wise
to make a sample and wash it before committing yourself to a large item.
Alex
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Dear Arachnids
ISBN Numbers are allocatedby a strict set of internationally accepted rules,
and when a publisher is used the publisher buys the ISBN. This number is be
used for the edition it has been purchased for and any identical reprints by
that publisher. If the book is revised or the
Dear Arachnids
While researching over 300 pieces of Bucks point for my book I found there
were more techniques and variations on techniques used in the East Midlands
than is generally realised. Just to take the footside - I found any number
from one to four twists on the pairs at the footside. I
To Karen
A skean dhu is the dagger worn down Scot's knee length sock.
Best wishes from
Alex, Sussex GB
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Dear Arachnids
While we are on the subject of lost lace my piece 'Ye Greek Gods!' that went
missing in the late 1990s has never been recovered. You can see it on my
friend's website www.jeanmaryeke.com . At the time I was so angry that I
actually made another, all 1200 hours of it. The two can be
Dear Arachnids
The problem of threads that unwind and eventually part company is a common
one. Before you do anything else have you checked the strength of the thread
by taking an end in each hand and pulling until it breaks? Try it for other
threads and compare. If the thread is weak there is
As Janice says, the Bucks Point workers in the past did not always try to keep
the workers at right angles to the footside, particularly in the floral
designs. I have a piece of the well known 'tulip' design in which the workers
for the long petals run down the length of the petal. Just to try it
To any lacemakers who feel nervous when others criticise their lace. I am not
adamant that lace techniques are set in stone and, as I recently mentioned, if
it looks good and stands up to use as intended it is a good piece of work. If
you adapt a technique (or inadvertently do so) and someone says
Dear Susan
I consider helping each other is a main part of the Arachne scene. I also
learnt from books. Back in the 1960s lacemaking was a dead dodo in the UK and
there were only 7 books to learn from, and they were not very helpful. How I
wish Arachne had been around then; it took me 3 weeks to
Hi Lesely
Welcome to our group. Happy Lacing
Alex
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Dear Lesley
Your mistake in using a wrong stitch or wrong ground is a very common one.
There are some traditional indicators used to help with this problem, or you
can devise your own. I had problems making sure which was which in a circular
design in a recent book of mine. I wasted two pieces
Dear Arachnids
Cutwork, Reticella or punto in aria
I have always understood that
1) if the basis of the work is threads from a woven fabric, no matter how few,
it is cutwork.
2) If the basis of the work is plaits used to make a square or rectangular
grid over which the stitches are laid it is
Dear Arachnids
I always enjoy the variety of answers to questions that are posted. Currently
I am writing a book on floral Bucks, still some years from completion and I
already have plans a chapter featuring the the wedding/christening bonnet
theme (I have a different poem) and the recent
Dear Arachnids
Many thanks to all who took the time and trouble to send me suggestions for
using a narrow edging. The church doll has taken my fancy for this particular
chapter and my ideas are running and other ideas are being ear-marked for
other chapters. I have a photo of the Church doll but
Dear Arachnids
I always try to remember to include instructions on how to wash lace when
teaching someone their first edging. Some years after starting this one of my
students, by then she was teaching herself, admitted to putting her first
hankey in the washing machine. As it was the first and
Dear Arachnids
I would like to thank everyone who has offered me help and support; they have
solved my writer's block? (that's not right - I had lace designer's block).
One suggestiong for the doll's clothers was the Doll Pattern site but
unfortunately I cannot open the files. My computer says I
Dear David
I am very curious as to why working Miss Channer's mat in black with half
stitch for the 'clothwork' areas should be called 'going Chantilly'. Surely
you are just making Bucks Point using black thread. Bucks Point was frequrntly
made using black thread and then the 'clothwprk' areas
Sorry David but pairs but can be carried along gimps in Bucks too, and it can
also
have very large holes. The number of twists is also very variable, in fact
the only difference I see between antique Chantilly and antique black Bucks
is the picot edge. The picots for Chantilly are made by twisting
Dear Wendy
The method you suggest should work OK. Traditionally Honiton fillings were
pricked 'by eye'. Don't be 'too accurate' close to the edge of the clothwork
surround; it is permissable, even preferable to adjust these pinholes to
reduce large holes appearing.
Best wishes
Alex
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Dear Beth
I thoroughly agree with you. Anyone learning lace must be taught how to start
and finish, they are essential parts of the process of making lace. I usually
get my students to think about starting and what to look for when they
approach a new piece, and make sure they are well aware that
Sorry, I should have addressed my answer to Carol, but you are probably both
enjoying it.
Alex
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Continuing from starting and finishing
As far as I am concerned we all make lace for the love of it. I consider a
piece of lace to be good if it looks good and is made so that it is suitable
for its purpose. If carefully done the odd fudge/wangle will not show - so why
worry. This is why I love
Dear Arachnids
At a Honiton workshop I attended I was working on a particular technique and
asked my tutor Lauretta Clark if the section was OK (fully knowing that it
could have been better). She said 'Can you live with it?'. Of course I remade
that section. Now I've let the cat out of the bag
I like to hear of students who have had a good experience with teachers. I
started teaching lace in the early 1970s, I knew little and had to work had to
keep ahead of my students. Being a teacher by profession I started by
arranging patterns, I did not have many - they were like gold dust then -
Cathy and Ruth have added more of my own thoughts. Surely for a teacher to
have a student surpass her must be the highest accolade, and the greatest
statement of her ability to teach.
Alex
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Dear Arachnids
I have also been learning and teaching for over 30 years and there is still so
much for me to learn. I do not know all the answers, but I have pleanty of
books and am prepared to be given homework. Like Jacquie I encourage students
to have one pillow with a large easy piece to make
Dear Arachnids
I have also heard of teachers who show a technique quickly and say they cannot
do it slowly. We learn lacemaking with the left side of the brain that works
with speech and this transfers to the right side that does not. (Try
explaining how to ride a bike so that the person learning
Dear Arachnids
My answer to students who look at my lace and say they cannot do as well it
'When you have been making lace as long as I have, you will. I agree with
Cathy Barley about designing. My first attempt was at a 2-day course on
Macrame (before it became popular). At the end of the first
Yes Sheila. Copying is a good way of getting started with designing. Start by
copying a pattern, then draft a pattern from lace or a photograph, then try
altering an existing pattern. It's a good progression and you can learn a lot
from looking at how the different components of a pttern work
Dear Arachnids
I was once given a lot of bobbins that would have been very cheap when
purchased but were very grimy and rough. As they were not valuable I smoothed
them with some very fine, 00 or 000 flour paper (a very fine form of sand
paper) smoothing them with the grain where possible, and
Dear Arachnids
During the many years I have been making lace I have met many lacemakers with
physical problems including one of the thalidamide victims, and she overcame
her difficulties with great dermination. She used large Continental style
bobbins and glassheaded pins, the latter she would
Dear Arachnids
I have only been a member fo about a year, after Jane Partridge pestered me -
thank you Jane. I am still enjoying it, please do not change
Alex
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I've been busy and just looked at one from a lacemaker who says she has to
tension by eye. This is the best way, I always tell my new students to tension
by eye rather than feel. The threads should not be made tight, they must not
be loose and baggy. By firming up with a steady tension until the
Dear Maureen
Welcome. It's about time you joined us. I would make one of my usual comments
- but perhaps not.
Best wishes, Alex
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Dear Arachnids
If you use any thread other than the usual natural fibres check if it will
stretch. If it does your tension when making lace will cause the threads to
stretch and they will shrink when the pins are removed. I tried a polyester
thread once and it was obvious that my tension varied;
Dear Arachnids
If you are having problems with hitches popping off when using springy thread
there are bobbins with hooks at the top specially produced for metalillic
thread or you can use the very very small elastic hair bands on the bobbins.
Happy lacemaking
Alex
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Just a word of warning Summer? My friend Joan Tyler, a miidwife, always said
lacemaking is a disease. You catch it from someone and there is no cure, you
have it for the rest of your life. You sound like you have the ingredients for
a much enjoyment. Welcome to our group.
Alex
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Dear Sue
I usually recommend the length of the thread from lace to bobbin should be
about the length of the bobbin. However, I have found I modify this according
to the type of pillow I am using, some feel more comfortable with a slightly
shorter thread, other with it longer. Having them too
Dear Arachnids
I also heard that one uses 4-6 strands for gimp, used 4 strands of silk for
the gimp when I made the Willow Pattern in Bucks Point, you can see it on page
131 Creative Bobbin Design in Lace by Ann Collier. Try workig a couple of
samples and see what you prefer.
Alex
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To
A word of warning. I have no problem with the idea of using glue, however we
usually wish for our lace to last for as long as the threads will last, i.e.
several hundred years. Some of the glues currently on the market will
discolour within 3 years, and worse, will actually destroy the fibres and
Dear Arachnids
What's an empty pillow? I have had up to 8 pillows with something on each and
one piece took 8 years to finish. I started making Honiton (from books before
Elsie's first book - not easy) and was careful to remove the piece from the
back of the pillow when I went to my first
Dear Arachnids
Thank you for your replies, they make me chuckle as much as my comments have
made you. I always like to have at least one large easy piece that I can mke
while I am 'watching' TV in the evenings and another piece to challenge me
when I am in 'in the mood'. I also seem to accumulate
Dear Arachnids
I have been given some prickings to act as caretaker for while the owner moves
to a smaller house and until she makes up her mind what to do with them and I
have been given permission to use them. There are some tightly rolled
parchments and I wonder if anyone could give me some
Dear Arachnids
Thank you for your answers about unrolling prickings. I am assured that damp
will not have a detrimental effect on parchment and I have been reminded that
saddle soap and neatsfoot oil are good for leather. I shall be trying a
combination, dampness to allow the parchment to unroll
Welcome Norma. For anyone relatively new to lacemaking this is an ideal place
for getting help. I expect we shall hear from you soon.
Alex
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Hello Janet, welcome to Arachne and enjoy the all we have to offer.
Alex
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Dear Arachnids
I agree that lace was made to be cut into suitable lengths and used and I
always advise that when it starts to wear that is time to preserve it so that
future generations can enjoy and learn from it. Museums that get so precious
about their lace that you cannot have sufficient
Dear Arachnids
Thank you for all your replies. Does anyone know anything about the Veho
VFS-004 5MP slide scanner? Is it any good?
Alex
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Thank you Tess. The big problems lacemakers have are often the related to the
technique of making them rather than the proces itself. This one proves my
point. If anyone has a particular problem try thinking of different ways of
making it and asking ofhers how they do it, you may find an answer.
Dear Arachnids
My book 'All about making - Geometrical Bucks Point Lace' has nearly sold out
and I am making arrangements to reprint. My computer was not saving properly
just before the original print, thus the many typos that slipped through.
Aurelia is very generously proof reading for me and
Dear Elizabeth
Do you have my book on Tenerife lace, if not is it available to download from
the free library site of Arizona University. I hope your blog proves popular,
we need more lacemakers interested to keep the skills going.
Best wishes
Alex
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Dear Arachnids
A big 'Thank you' to all who took the time to reply to me directly or via this
Chat Room and all the helpful advice that came with them. So many of you
recommended Canoscan 4200f that I decided to get one. I found one for £20 on
ebay and I now have it all present and correct and I
Dear Sue
I think the buttons you are referring to were used on overalls and other
protective work clothes. They were secured by a type of mini hair grip and
could be removed for laundering so that the garment could be pressed by a
press rather than ironing, then the buttons could be replaced. I
Dear Arachnids
You have already had the reply that 'setting in' is the process of starting to
make a new piece of lace. I believe it can also be referred to as 'setting up'
but that term can also mean the process of moving the lace up the pillow to a
new position by bundling the bobbins in a
Dear Arachnids
My book 'The Technique of Teneriffe Lace' is available as a free download from
the Arizonal University web site. I always take a time finding it. Please will
you explain how to access it Tess. There are also many other out of print lace
books, some on Teneriffe, 'Proctor Teneriffe
Dear Arachnids
I still have copyright for all my books. As far as I am concerned I have given
the Arizonal University the right to publish it free on their site and I do
not think Google can do anything about it because it is still within
copyright. Could the University can take out copyright for
Dear Arachnids
Keep me posted about the jabots and don't forget photos. I would love one of
them all being worn.
Alex
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Dear Arachnids
Thank you for all the kind words about my Geometrical Bucks book. LacySusan
stocks them but perhaps it is not listed because the price changes as the
pound/dollar rate changes. Contact her and ask for details.
Happy lacemaking
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Dear Arachnids
I now have my scanner but I am having problems using it. Is anyone willing to
help me please?
Alex
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Dear Arachnids
My thanks to all who offered me help, I am now scanning and will be able to
carry on researching Floral bucks.
Happy lacemaking
Alex
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Dear Arachnids
I am now scanning and saving my slides and my thanks to all who have hepled
me. However, I have another problem. One of the original replies advised me
how to enhance the slides so I purchased Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 so that
I could bring up the midtones (useful advice, thank
Dear Arachnids
I have had Ulrike's 'Schmetterlinge' for many years and it is so good to have
a translation. My thanks go to Ulrike for giving her permission, to Sally for
translating and Jeri for making it available to us.
Alex
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Dear Arachnids
Please do not ban mathematical connections with lace. The very construction of
many of the straight (continuous) laces is mathematical and many lacemakers
including the best ones are mathematicians, computer programmers, architects
and those with medical training, my training was
Dear Arachnids
I can beat that one. I had one piece on the pillow for seven years. It is a 2½
in. wide Floral Bucks edging around a fabric centre and the whole measures 21
in across. Then I mounted it with a ½ in hemstitched hem. (I must admit to
writing my dictionary in the middle.) Needless to
Dear Arachnids
You are right Jacquie, I have plans for dressing a doll and using her dress
and collection of underwear to show some of the designs. One of my friends
allerted me to a collection of dolls in a local charity shop and I found the
prettiest doll I have ever seen. She is 17 ins tall
Beth Marshall wrote:
Hope you all had a good Christmas.
Did Santa bring you all some nice lace-y presents?
I'm really pleased with my lace present haul this year - I received la
Dentelle de Bayeux a l'ecole
de Rose Durand from my DH, and spent my MIL's Christmas cheque on Alex
Stilwell's All
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 2010 13:26:23 +1100
From: Elizabeth Ligeti lizl...@bigpond.com
Subject: [lace] Happy New Year
Happy New Year to everyone.
I have just returned from holiday, and got back onto Arachne. I have missed
you all, and hope you are all well and safe.
I made a quarter of the Bucks pt.
Hi Sue
Delighted you are enjoying my pattern but sorry you do not like this thread.
Of course you may change your thread to any you like but a thicker thread may
not work up as it should. About the trouble you are having with your threads.
Do you cut off 4 inches from the bobbin thread (NOT the
Hi Sue
Certainly a lot of advice. However, another thought. When you tension do you
increase the tension gradually to the required strength or, and I have seen it
a lot in Sussex, do you tension and then give an extra tug? A sharp tug will
break a thread much more easily than increasing tension
Hi Arachnids
In Bucks Point Lace the ground is tensioned by the weight of the bobbins and
the movement of the bobbins from side to side as you work, so keep a wide
space in which to work. I However theclothwork and footside need to be firmed
up, and I think that it was one of these that was
Hi Arachnids
I usually make three point ground stitches before setting the pins, any more
and I find the tension required makes the holes too angular. It's all a
question of how we individually handle threads and the effect we are working
towards.
Happy lacemaking
alex
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Actually... I think it's a chemical used to dye the thread. I've had
'dentical-same problem with the same colour/shade in two other lines
- -- one other cotton and one linen.
I am sure the 'dye' is the culprit. I was given a set of white tea towels with
coloured stripes, two of each colour.
Hi Arachnids
Another culprit affecting the thickness and strength of threads is the bleach
used to whiten thread. I believe thread is bleached after spinning. When
140/2 linen was available one year (it can only be produced when the crop is
of the highest quality, not every year) I found the
Date: Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:23:35 +0100
From: Francis Busschaert francis.busscha...@telenet.be
Subject: [lace] Breaking threads
i have been following this BREAKING thread also
Hi Francis
Thanks you for your explanation regarding the winding and S and Z. I have
always thought it played an
Hi Jane
Re: Alex, in your theory of it being the cover cloth at fault, do your
threads break evenly across the pillow or some more than others? Also,
I have not personally had problems with threads breaking for more years than I
will admit to, but I have helped students with this problem. When I
Hi Susan
Can you detail the actual cause determined, ie, tension, friction, etc., from
the cover cloth?
Sometimes the cause for threads to become weakened and shred is the cover
cloth. When we work our bobbins they are constantly being moved from side to
side across the pillow and, depending how
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