|
Last Modified:
02/03/01 11:42 AM
My
Bobbin Lace -
Well, I can tat fairly well - and I taught myself to do it, too! <grin!> So I thought... "Surely, if I can teach myself to tat, I can teach myself to do bobbin lace!" <roars of laughter here...>
But the amazing thing is... I really am teaching myself - with help from some of my Internet lacing buddies (hi, Maus! <wink!>) and a few good books. I asked lots of questions before buying my goodies: What kind of pillow is best? What bobbins should I start with? Which book is the best for beginners? What thread should I use? Can I use regular pins? How do I cover my pillow? How do I make the pricking? How do I read the pricking? What other tools do I need? Where do I start? HOW do I start??? Trust me - there were as many answers to my questions as there are types of bobbins and pillows.
Many suggested starting with a few inexpensive bobbins and an economical pillow in case I ended up not liking it. Actually, that was pretty good advice! But I knew I was going to like it, so I jumped right in, head first. I bought six dozen Danish bobbins from a bobbin maker in Denmark and a nice 17-1/2-inch straw cookie pillow from Van Sciver Bobbin Lace.
At first, I was frustrated and totally convinced I could not do this without a teacher. It seemed to really defeat me, but I kept plugging along, reading everything I could get my hands on. And it didn't take me long to realize that my history of back problems was not to be improved by leaning over a bobbin lace pillow. Dear hubby then built me a nice pillow stand, which fits comfortably over my easy chair. I was all set! I just had to figure out what to do!
Getting Started -
I've never been one to start at the very beginning and work my
way through, step by step. This means I never practiced any stitches
before starting. I just "picked one" near the beginning of my
book and made a pricking for it the best way I could. Then I pinned it to
my pillow and starting moving my bobbins around. ("Impatient" is
my middle name.) That was July 26, 2000.
So... My first project ended up being the "Poppies Bookmark Sampler", page 25 in The Bobbin Lace Manual, by Geraldine Stott. And boy, did it ever go SLOW! After perfecting the fine art of "unlacing" and "re-lacing", I think it was finally unpinned on August 17, 2000. But the most important lesson of all was one I learned in a big hurry:
Watch the lace - NOT the bobbins!
Projects -
Since I am just a raw beginner, I've only been able to complete a few basic pieces. These are quite an accomplishment for me, so I would be proud for you to look at my work and would welcome pointers and advice from more experienced lacers. I'm hoping to find time to finish a few more pieces before too much longer and I can't wait to start learning Bedfordshire lace!!
And yes, bobbin lacing just as addictive as tatting!!
 |
Copyright © 1996-2004 SkyeWeb Designs, LLC. All rights reserved. All photos contained herein are the intellectual property of Skye Weber. Please direct all comments to the website owner, . |