Bobbin lace is a completely new world, with it's own language and techniques. This kind of lace is mainly what the Lace Guild focuses on, and I shall have to find someone nearby who can teach me some of the finer points. At the moment I am able to follow a very simple pattern and that is the extent of my expertise. Bobbin lace takes a long time to do and is not the sort of thing that can easily be transported, but the results are splendid.

On these pages I will put up some pictures of the laces that I create as well as some links to sites that specialize in laces. There's a whole new set of friends waiting out there. Please be patient....since photography is definitely NOT one of my talents, I shall have to ask my sister, Jill, to work her magic with the lens.

I have found a wonderful site where there are all sorts of lace makers and people listed who are involved in the many lace styles. The big thing was finding a teacher right here where I live. Given that there are so few lace teachers, I consider this the greatest luck.

I have gone for my very first lace class and Josie Hancock, my teacher, is a lovely person. I discovered that I really knew nothing about the art of bobbin lace (as I thought) but, now that I have done the homework required and exchanged the plastic spangles on my bobbins for the proper glass ones, as well as investing in a folder to keep the lessons neat and referrable, I feel more confident that I can do this thing.

I thought the spangles were for decoration and perhaps to keep the bobbins from twisting on the pillow, but, find out that they are one of the main methods of weighting the threads to keep the tension correct. I understand that a lot of lace makers do not enjoy spangling their bobbins, but luckily, I find choosing the beads and arranging them in pleasing patterns and colors interesting. I have used many from some necklaces that my late mother-in-law,Sally, left me. Since the glass beads in the necklaces were too large for me to wear comfortably, I am thrilled that they are perfect for the spangles, and I have another connection to a very wonderful lady who has passed on.

I am looking forward to having some picturs of the things that I do and when that happens I shall feel able to join my site to the "Lace Makers" index and put up their logo.

I thought, originally, to have the pictures of my practice pieces on this same page, but have decided that it may be better to be able to view them on their own pages. Please click HERE to go to the page that will show the first lesson. The top strip is done with a half stitch and the colors travel from side to side in a chevron pattern. When I did the bottom strip in whole stitch, the colors stayed in straight lines down the length of the piece.

Some of the interesting things I have learned in just two lessons are that I must learn to be patient and wait until the lessons are over before I try to use the very fine lacer's thread. I have to admit that I am a little timid of it yet, so I can go on with the 30 weight that I am using for a bit . I did buy a spool at the last lesson, so that I will be prepared when my teacher, Josie,says I am ready to use it.

The sound of the glass beads clicking together as I work is very pleasant. Sometimes they give a tiny squeek that sounds just like the goldfinches outside the window at the feeder. They also feel nice to the touch and when the sun comes in and hits them they sparkle like jewels. Soooooo much nicer than the plastic ones I used as spangles before I understood the necessity of glass.

The next thing I have discovered , is that the use of whole stitch or half stitch gives a totally different pattern to the practice piece even though the same pricking is used, and the colors were hung in the same sequence. That prompted me to do some extra practice pieces with different colors on different pins just to see what patterns would develop......some really nice things happened. Josie suggested that it would be a good idea to have a binder that I could use to keep the lessons in as well as the practice pieces so I could refer back to them and I did that. It will be interesting to see the improvements as I get better and to this end I have not "unlaced" the mistakes, but rather, did one more piece to be sure that I could do it properly and show that I did recognize the mistake.

Please click HERE to go back to the same page for the second lesson. The stitch explanations will be under the pictures instead of on this page.

Before the next class, I must repair my pillow and roller, which was not made correctly in the beginning, since I had no idea what it was really supposed to look like. I have also decided on my first project. When my young cousin was visiting from Australia, we made two dream catcher wheels, one we finished and the other I am to send to her. Instead of the weaving a web in the center of the second, I would like to make a piece of lace with her initial in the middle. Hopefully, one of the lessons will be on how to do a pricking from scratch. It will be an excellent way to put together the things I am learning.

T he third lesson dealt with basically a very simple cloth stitch that uses whole stitch. This lesson would have been fairly easy except for the inclusion of a roughly shaped heart that was reversed in the next section. It took me several tries before I could do the whole strip with any kind of confidence at all, but that was a good way to learn how to read the pricking. Some parts of the heart shape had to be completed before others and I couldn't just go along with the ground as I had done on other practice strips without having to do a bit of the heart as well. I finally did work out the pattern and in the final piece I used all white thread just to be sure that I wasn't relying on the colors too much. The whole thing certainly keeps me thinking and being aware of how the pattern fits together and planning ahead. It's a bit like a chess game.

One other thing I discovered with this lesson, is that the height of the table makes a lot of difference to the strain on my shoulders. The dining table is too high and my lap is too low. A TV table brings the pillow and roller to just the right height, so that I am not having to crane my neck to see the work, and am not having to reach up, but can keep my body more level. A small piece of non-skid matting beneath the pillow keeps it stable on the stand. This can be bought cheaply in hardware stores and cut to fit the bottom of the pillow or roller assembly.

Please click HERE again for the lessons page, and scroll down to Lesson Three.

Lesson Four was all about spiders and I found this lesson particularly interesting. Spiders are not difficult, but it is important to keep the web part as flat and neat as possible and to make sure the legs of the web have the same number of twists.

I couldn't wait to try out the proper lacing thread after all, and those who know me will understand that I was unusually patient to wait until lesson four. I used an Egyptian cotton 100/2 and found it not as difficult as I thought it would be. When I took the practice strip off the pins, it went into a roll and I think I should probably have twisted the edges once more to strengthen them. I'm not sure about this though. It may just be because the thing is in a strip.

Please click HERE for the lessons page, where I have the pictures for this lesson and the next two.

I've finsihed lesson five and this brings me half way through the ten basic lessons. I have discovered a typo in the intructions for this lesson and will ask Josie at the next lesson about it. Perhaps she has always automatically adjusted her work to compensate for the ommission in the intructions.

I have done a few small practice strips using the proper lacing thread and find that the patterns do not show up a nicely as they do with the light crochet cotton. I wonder if the prickings for the practice strips are farther apart than they would be for a proper piece of lace. The very fine thread was a little intimidating at first, but I quickly got used to it. The finished piece is quite flimsy, as lace generally is,and I realize the value of using a gimp thread. It is a big difference from the feel of things that I am used to doing with crochet or tatting. I know Josie has a small book that has patterns for doll's clothing in it and think that perhaps that would be a good place to start. I still want the first piece to be for the dream catcher for my little cousin though.

Please click HERE for the lessons page, where I have the pictures for this lesson.

I'm almost finished the basic lessons. Just three mmore to go. The one on Scandinavian Holes was interesting and the next on Gimps was even more so. I can see all kinds of things to do now that I know how Gimps work. I must make some more bobbins though, as I found that the pattern that I wanted to try for the gimp lesson needed more than I had. It's interesting to see how intricate I can get with only one gimp bobbin, and I think that this is the skill I shall use the most often for effect. I think that my first projects will be quite small......inserts for broaches and small hanging ornaments, perhaps, rather than a large doily. For that I shall need a round pillow and must get my Hubby involved with that part.

The next lessons deal with Tallies, Leaves and Picots. I am looking forward to seeing how they go.

Please click HERE for the pictures for lessons six and seven.

Well !!! Tallies are a treat !!! It has taken four practice strips to get the hang of them, but I did it at last. Josie tells me that since my first tallies were very good leaves, (which is the next lesson), she thinks I can go on and do that one on my own. That only leaves one more and I can get on with some real lace things. My sister,Jill, was here for a visit and took some pictures of the practice strips and has developed them to a disc for me, so I can at least put in some little thumbprint pics to keep a record here of my progress. One more entry on this page for the last lesson and then on to some new pages for the real efforts.

The last lesson done. That one was about picots and plaits or braids. I found it probably the most challenging of them all and finally by the end of the third practice strip was able to make a reasonably good picot. I had no problem with the ones facing up and to the right, but couldn't get the hang of the ones facing left or to the bottom until the very end. Finally did it though and will do another strip just to make sure I have it. I've thoroughly enjoyed the lessons and am glad I found this new craft.

I made a 16" biscuit pillow and am ready to try my first pillow project. I find myself a little intimidated by it all, but know that if I just start I'll be fine. I am lucky enough to have as fine teacher as Josie and can call upon her whenever I get stuck. It will be interesting to try the pillow and be able to turn the work as I go along.

Josie has a book of lovely lace patterns that I can use on my porcelain doll clothing. It will be good to be able to use the lace I make instead of just packing it away somewhere. I've also sent for a book on making my own undergarments and I expect I can use the lace there as well.

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