thanks to Laura Rose, who has been encouraging me to pursue bobbin lace. Thank you Laura!
If you haven't visited Laura's site, you should! She has a very special piece of Beds lace the size of a CD... it's awesome!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Feeling special...
thanks to Laura Rose, who has been encouraging me to pursue bobbin lace. Thank you Laura!
If you haven't visited Laura's site, you should! She has a very special piece of Beds lace the size of a CD... it's awesome!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Bobbin lace on my own
Today after school, I put a fabric cover on my bobbin lace pillow and practiced the first lesson in my book Bobbin Lace by Gilian Dye & Adrienne Thunder. I learned how to wind bobbins and work a plait. It went fairly quickly and for a first time effort, I was pleased with how my plait turned out. I'm sure I'll look at this picture in a few months and wonder how I could ever have been pleased with this effort, but for now I'm happy. I really don't like the pillow, though. I have a feeling I might have to buy a decent one soon! Any suggestions from experienced lace makers are welcome!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
More tatting with Myra...
I couldn't help myself! Myra's patterns are like popcorn... I just can't stop! This is No. 2 Another "Hanky Edge" Snowflake from Tatting by Myra Piper. Can you tell what thread this is? Yup... Lizbeth Spring Green!
I took my Lacis bobbin lace kit out today and put all the pins in my little hedgehog pin cushion that I bought at the Lafayette Lacers Lace Days two years ago... I knew I'd find the perfect use for it! I read through the instruction sheet, but didn't get any further than reading. I have to choose fabric to cover the board, and I have too much fabric to choose from! I also spent time going through my new book, Bobbin Lace by Gilian Dye and Adrienne Thunder. It's a very inspirational book!
I almost forgot! This makes #17 for the 25 Motif Challenge!
Tatting with Myra Piper
I really wanted to justify my lace day purchases, so I set to work with my new book Tatting by Myra Piper. This is the first design in the book, described by Myra as "...my first tatted snowflake pattern, a revised edging which I made for handkerchiefs." This was a fun one to tat in Lizbeth Raspberry Pink Lt. #623. There are 47 designs in this book, and I think I might have to tat every single one... if they're all as easy to understand!
If you've been thinking of trying Lizbeth thread, I highly recommend it. The colors are gorgeous, and it's very smooth.
This is #16 for the 25 Motif Challenge.
I guess I got carried away...
but I sure had fun! Here's a picture of my new purchases from the Lafayette Lacers Lace Day...
I really am going to try bobbin lace on my own, so I needed a little inspiration... a book that I've been reading about for a few weeks, plus one on making bobbin lace fans! I had to have the fan book... I bought the fan sticks in birdseye maple! I also had to have some beautiful bobbins. There's nothing more inspirational than beautiful tools!
You'd think I didn't have any thread at home... wrong! I just couldn't resist buying more Lizbeth... the 15 colors I had just weren't enough! It doesn't hurt to have a little extra Olympus, Majestic, or Presencia lying around the house either! I was thrilled to find some Oliver Twist. I've been reading about it on other people's blogs, and it is beautiful thread!
I believe I already have the Romanian Point Lace book, but this one is a different edition than the one I have. Besides, I'm not real sure where my copy is hiding! The tatting book is one I'd been thinking of buying, and when I found out it was out of print... sold!
Did I really need any more shuttles? No! But, I always like to have some Sew-Mates and Clovers on hand. You never know when an opportunity might arise for teaching tatting to a newbie!
I have a good excuse for playing today... it's snowing! I'll be sure to post pictures of what I make with my new treasures!
I really am going to try bobbin lace on my own, so I needed a little inspiration... a book that I've been reading about for a few weeks, plus one on making bobbin lace fans! I had to have the fan book... I bought the fan sticks in birdseye maple! I also had to have some beautiful bobbins. There's nothing more inspirational than beautiful tools!
You'd think I didn't have any thread at home... wrong! I just couldn't resist buying more Lizbeth... the 15 colors I had just weren't enough! It doesn't hurt to have a little extra Olympus, Majestic, or Presencia lying around the house either! I was thrilled to find some Oliver Twist. I've been reading about it on other people's blogs, and it is beautiful thread!
I believe I already have the Romanian Point Lace book, but this one is a different edition than the one I have. Besides, I'm not real sure where my copy is hiding! The tatting book is one I'd been thinking of buying, and when I found out it was out of print... sold!
Did I really need any more shuttles? No! But, I always like to have some Sew-Mates and Clovers on hand. You never know when an opportunity might arise for teaching tatting to a newbie!
I have a good excuse for playing today... it's snowing! I'll be sure to post pictures of what I make with my new treasures!
Too much fun!
Yesterday, my sister-in-law and I drove down for the Lafayette Lacers Lace Day... what fun! We arrived around 10:45 and chatted with vendors and other shoppers for almost two hours before taking a lunch break. Karen is looking for a hobby for when she retires, and came along to learn. She and I were fascinated by all the beautiful books, materials, and tools available. Of course I made sure I purchased something from each vendor!
After lunch, we participated in a beginning bobbin lace class. I've been wanting to learn for years, and this was the perfect opportunity! Karen decided bobbin lace isn't for her. She said her brain just doesn't work that way. I understand. Karen designs beautiful garden beds, and I admire her gardening skills, but I steer clear of any of that kind of designing! I think I have a deep-seated fear that my hands will get too dirty for doing needlework! ; )
I loved the bobbin lace class! I didn't have time to finish my project, but I now understand the process. I'm very much a visual learner, and while I love reading books, many times techniques make no sense to me until I see them. Now I feel confident enough to open up that beginning bobbin lace kit that I bought from Lacis years ago!
A big bonus for me was that I got to see The Tatting Goddess and The Battatter again! I met them both at the lace days two years ago, and they both have such lovely, welcoming smiles that I felt that I was a member of Lafayette Lacers for a day! I can hardly wait for the next lace days!
I'll add pics of my purchases later in the day when I have some light. Sorry, no pics of the Lace Days. I took my camera with me, and never thought to take it out of my purse!
After lunch, we participated in a beginning bobbin lace class. I've been wanting to learn for years, and this was the perfect opportunity! Karen decided bobbin lace isn't for her. She said her brain just doesn't work that way. I understand. Karen designs beautiful garden beds, and I admire her gardening skills, but I steer clear of any of that kind of designing! I think I have a deep-seated fear that my hands will get too dirty for doing needlework! ; )
I loved the bobbin lace class! I didn't have time to finish my project, but I now understand the process. I'm very much a visual learner, and while I love reading books, many times techniques make no sense to me until I see them. Now I feel confident enough to open up that beginning bobbin lace kit that I bought from Lacis years ago!
A big bonus for me was that I got to see The Tatting Goddess and The Battatter again! I met them both at the lace days two years ago, and they both have such lovely, welcoming smiles that I felt that I was a member of Lafayette Lacers for a day! I can hardly wait for the next lace days!
I'll add pics of my purchases later in the day when I have some light. Sorry, no pics of the Lace Days. I took my camera with me, and never thought to take it out of my purse!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Just because it's simple, doesn't mean it's easy...
at least not for me!
One of my goals has been to try patterns from each of my tatting books... not an easy goal! I have way too many books, not that I'm complaining! Plus, I tend to go in streaks as to what I like... remember all those Spinning Wheels?
One of the books I love is The Tatted Artistry of Teiko Fujito. I am impressed by the delicate designs, and I wrongfully assumed that I would be able to tat something easily! The book starts out with some beautiful one-shuttle patterns. I tried the first one and just couldn't get the picot length correct. I'll have to save that pattern for another day when all the pistons in my brain are firing correctly!
This little coaster is the second design in the book, and boy howdy! Did I ever have trouble with this one! First, some rings closed smoothly and caused me no problems. Others seemed to bunch up as I tried to close them. I soon realized that I was holding the rings differently when they closed smoothly.
Second, I thought that this would be a great way for me to see the difference between the front and the back of a ring. I was right! However, as I carelessly worked through the motifs, I discovered that I attached the third one the wrong way! Luckily, I was able to use that one as the center motif and call it a design element! ; )
My third problem was that somehow my rings just didn't seem to be the same size, even though the stitch count was always correct. I can only assume that sometimes my tatting was tighter than others.
You'd think I'd be done complaining, but I'm not! When I got to the last ring, I had a terrible time trying to figure out how to join to the first motif. The end result... a twisted join. Oh, well! I like it anyway, and if I don't have my glasses on, I can't see the stuff that would bother me upon close inspection!
Specs: Lizbeth Spring Green, size 20 (see what I mean about streaks?), finished size 4", amount of thread... 2 filled Chris Hinton shuttles (how's that for an accurate thread measurement?)
I think I'll rest my brain now and work on an Iris Niebach doily!
One of my goals has been to try patterns from each of my tatting books... not an easy goal! I have way too many books, not that I'm complaining! Plus, I tend to go in streaks as to what I like... remember all those Spinning Wheels?
One of the books I love is The Tatted Artistry of Teiko Fujito. I am impressed by the delicate designs, and I wrongfully assumed that I would be able to tat something easily! The book starts out with some beautiful one-shuttle patterns. I tried the first one and just couldn't get the picot length correct. I'll have to save that pattern for another day when all the pistons in my brain are firing correctly!
This little coaster is the second design in the book, and boy howdy! Did I ever have trouble with this one! First, some rings closed smoothly and caused me no problems. Others seemed to bunch up as I tried to close them. I soon realized that I was holding the rings differently when they closed smoothly.
Second, I thought that this would be a great way for me to see the difference between the front and the back of a ring. I was right! However, as I carelessly worked through the motifs, I discovered that I attached the third one the wrong way! Luckily, I was able to use that one as the center motif and call it a design element! ; )
My third problem was that somehow my rings just didn't seem to be the same size, even though the stitch count was always correct. I can only assume that sometimes my tatting was tighter than others.
You'd think I'd be done complaining, but I'm not! When I got to the last ring, I had a terrible time trying to figure out how to join to the first motif. The end result... a twisted join. Oh, well! I like it anyway, and if I don't have my glasses on, I can't see the stuff that would bother me upon close inspection!
Specs: Lizbeth Spring Green, size 20 (see what I mean about streaks?), finished size 4", amount of thread... 2 filled Chris Hinton shuttles (how's that for an accurate thread measurement?)
I think I'll rest my brain now and work on an Iris Niebach doily!
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