another lace challenge :-)

Hi, a couple of weeks ago at Stitched Up ,Margaret handed me a plastic file and said I think you may be interested in this as its old and has lace in it. the papers turned out to be an extract from The "Needlecraft Journals" Published by the Manchester School of Embroidery around 1906. They are described as a descriptive and illustrative journal for the teaching the practical working of Pillow Laces.
Apparently to start lace I require 50 to 60 pairs of bobbins retailing at 8d per dozen which translates to around £0.03 in today's money (sterling) and to obtain a pattern to work from, I need to place the lace I wish to copy on Daylight Printing Out Paper, under glass, expose to the sun , then tone and fix as an ordinary print. According to the instructions, this is the way the Italian peasants take all their patterns, pricking the lace holes through the photos onto parchment. I had always imagined that patterns would be passed down and I find the thought of the countryside strewn with bits of lace attached to photo paper rather amusing.



The written instructions are a little confusing due to different lace terms being used, there are photos of lace and working diagrams but no actual patterns/prickings.



This piece is described as Torchon where I would possibly describe it as Bedfordshire. Maybe someone could help me here? anyway I have worked a sample and later today I hope to buy some coloured thread to try another sample. I have changed one or two elements to fit in with my vision of what it will look like in black/silver maybe? I quite like the large, open scale of this piece (width just over an inch)

Here are two of my lace making companions, they are divider pins, used to keep sets of bobbins separate on the pillow, aren't they cute?




More progress from the beginner lace making classes are here along with piccies of crochet, embroidery and knitting from the talented Wednesday ladies.

On a separate subject, the take a stitch Tuesday revisited group are starting again next week, more details here and I hope to join in again and play catch up. I and also hoping to visit one of my friend who has top whorl drop spindles so I can have a play :-)