From: David Collyer <dcollyer@giant.bnc.com.au>
Subject: Pricking Summary
Dear Friends,
The following are the responses from the Arachne Lace List to Michelle Tudor's question regarding methods of making prickings for Bobbin Lace.
Love
David Downunder
> G'day all
> > I was wondering what methods you use/advice you can
give me on how to
> make prickings accurately from a photocopied pricking? Specifically
I
> am getting ready a point ground handkerchief edging, and
am having
> trouble lining up the start with the finish accurately. I've
never had
> any formal teaching on how to do this and I really want to
get this one
> right. I'm sure there must be some simple <g> way of
getting it perfect
> (perhaps its just me being dumb) that just hasn't popped
into my head
> yet.
> > Also, once pricked, what is the easiest way of marking
the pricking card
> (gimp lines, tallies etc.) without "spots before your
eyes" and going
> around the wrong holes! I seem to always go "off"
and it gets very
> messy. I've got a Unipin 01 pen which is nice and fine and
doesn't
> bleed, but no matter how much I concentrate I always muck
it up.
> > Thanks in anticipation of your words of wisdom.......
> > Michelle, in Somerville, Victoria, Australia,
tudor.michelle.mk@bhp.com.au
-------------------------
From: Dan&Kate
Date: Friday, 25 April, 1997 1:19AM
Dear Michelle,
The problem with photocopy is that it distorts just a teensy bit in one direction, so that by the time you have 4 copies, you have 4 distortions.
When I need to make a full square of 4 corners, I lay them flat and snip apart the repeats. There is a bit of shifting required to make it perfectly square, so the lines of pinholes will not all be perfectly spaced.
Anyone who inspects the finished lace for pin spacing deserves to know, but no one ever does, and it usually does not show unless a lens is used to find it.
The other solution is to draw the whole thing on a single piece of graph paper...which is more pain to me than cut-and-paste. Why are you drawing on the pricking? The photocopy already has the markings, yes? Use the photocopy as the marked surface. Make any adjustments to the white copy that you wish and then copy the whole thing on dark turquoise paper for best contrast. I glue mine to wallpaper for stability with rubber cement. (not muscilage). It stays firm but not crunchy, and does not grab at the pins.
Kate Henry
Lowell, Indiana, USA
dan&kate@netnitco.net
-------------------------
From: Sally C. Barry
Subject: [lace] re: pricking methods
Date: Friday, 25 April, 1997 4:42AM
Making a photocopy of anything distorts it, as others have said. The amount of distortion can be different in the length from what it is in the width I think it can also vary in differing amounts on different parts of the page. A rule of thumb here is to make as few "levels" of copies as you can. By this I mean, don't make copies of copies of copies of copies ... since each succeeding level will be worse off than the last.
If you make markings by hand directly on the pricking card (as I do), you are probably very much in the minority. One trick for making the markings comes from one of Pamela Nottingham's books. She has you use "drawing pins" (in American, that's "thumb tacks") to attach the photocopy and card together. Then prick ONLY the holes next to the gimp lines. Now separate the two layers and draw in your gimp lines, guided by the few holes. Re-attach the two layers, which will be easy to do because of the holes from the drawing pins/thumb tacks, and prick the rest of the holes.
An alternative to the tacks would be to attach the photocopy by cellophane tape along one side. Lift up the "flap" to make the lines, then replace it to finish the holes.
The idea here is to somehow make sure that the two layers line up in exactly the same way as before, so that you don't introduce errors. I hope this helps.
Sally Barry Littleton, Massachusetts sally@platsol.com
-------------------------
From: Susie Johnson & Keith Hongisto
Subject: Re: [lace] pricking methods
Date: Friday, 25 April, 1997 6:27AM
Do you have Pam Nottingham's Technique of Bucks Point or her newly reprinted Technique of Bobbin Lace? There is a lot to be said in favor of preparing prickings the old way, the way you are doing it as opposed to simply slapping blue film over a photocopy. Proper pattern preparation is a lot of work but it makes the job of lacemaking so much easier. You always learn so much about your pattern before you even start if you do it the way you have been. Even in you do see spots before your eyes. I have some directions for preparing patterns from workshops that I have taken with Pam. If you send me your snail mail address, I will send them to you. Try drawing your gimp line with a very fine pencil before you do it in pen. A mechanical pencil with a 0.5mm lead works very nicely.
Keep up the good work.
Susie Johnson <finn@cobweb.net> in southwestern Pennsylvania, USA
-------------------------
From: Robin Panza
Subject: [lace] re: pricking around
Date: Friday, 25 April, 1997 6:25AM
The amount of distortion in photocopies is not huge. It's enough that the original might be off relative to the copies, but the result of using a copy would be pretty hard to tell from the result of using the original. Therefore, you could make two or more copies and save the original unpricked.
Then you either align and tape the copies to have one big pricking, or use the pieces of pricking like using logs to roll a massive stone. That is, use one piece (perhaps most of one side and around the corner), add the second piece in which the pattern picks up where piece #1 left off and goes around the second corner. By the time you are near the second corner, you should have all the pins out of the first piece and you can put it in place after piece #2 and continue. If the square is small and you are not off of piece #1 when you are approaching the end of piece #2, use an identical piece as #3, and so forth around the square.
This would work for rectangles, circles, and ovals, although you have to be careful to figure out how to divide up the pieces and be sure you are using the correct next piece.
The second way to deal with this is to stack your pricking card under the one copy of the pattern and simultaneously prick through the layers. Then you can reconstruct the entire square or use the pieces in sequence, just like above.
Hope this helps.
Robin P. panzar@clpgh.org
Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA
-------------------------
From: Robbin Evans
Subject: Re: [lace] pricking methods
Date: Friday, 25 April, 1997 5:24AM
Gabriele Dirks wrote:
> > >I was wondering what methods you use/advice
you can give me on how to
> >make prickings accurately from a photocopied pricking?
Specifically I
> >am getting ready a point ground handkerchief edging,
and am having
> >trouble lining up the start with the finish accurately.
> > Why would you want all four sides and corners on a pricking?
> I usually take just one side and two corners and set up when
I finished
> that. Once I have it complete, I pin down the beginning again
and join.
> Since especially Point ground are really elastic I always
get a nice fit.
This question is interesting, as it brings up a question I was going to ask myself. What do most people do when they are working on a handkerchief or other multi-edged pattern and only have a pricking for one wide plus the two corners? My wonderful secret pal has sent me a pricking that I definitely want to make at some point. It has one whole side, two corners, and a bit around each corner. If I am understanding Gabriele correctly, I think she would work on the pattern as is, and then after going around the second corner, unpin the work from the pricking, move the pricking so that it is setup for working the second side, repin around the corner as needed, and work down the second side, repeating as necessary. Is this the recommended method?
I know that copying will distort the pattern, so making 3 other sides by copies would not be recommended. I was contemplating the possibility of putting extra pricking card under the pricking, and thus having more than one pricking when I was done, and then being able to overlap them while working. Is this concept absurd? The pattern is similar to torchon and cluny patterns, and is done in linen thread, so I'm not going to have the elasticity that Gabriele finds with a point ground pattern.
Thanks for any advice that you all have to offer!
/Robbin
revans@vmark.com
-------------------------
From: Dietmar Krick
Subject: [lace] Prickings
Date: Friday, 25 April, 1997 3:01PM
it is very interesting to read all those various comments/ideas/suggestions about making a pattern. I just wonder about the size of your Pillow! Are you working on a squaremeter size one? First and most important: if you work a pattern based on a grid (no matter what kind of angel/proportions): *only* an accurate pattern makes a good piece of Lace, uneven one's are not worth considering to be worked. However, if you are tempted to work any uneven design (not *pattern* !) you *must* know about the technique of this kind of lace and correct the design, due to several reasons (moving the lace on the pillow; finishing up with crocheting/sewing; only even ground moves optically to the background). After the correcting is done, which means in most cases to cover the design with a complete new grid, you are going to make the pattern from this corrected design. Sometimes you will find in faster and easier to pull out a sheet of graphpaper and draw the dots in a entirely new order. All this does not apply to line-drawn patterns, but those may also need minor correction while worked.
Second: It is entirely sufficient to prick one corner and a length of the side, or if the lace is e.g. for a hanky, one side and two corners. Since you are supposed to *work in the middle of the (cookie)pillow*, why leave the best area of your pillow unused? How to handle a huge amount of bobbins if they are dropping over the edge and hang down, when they should lay on the pillow? I'm a Belgian trained Lacemaker and there you neverever work on the sides of a pillow only in the middle (not depending on the form and size of the pillow). This brings me back to point one. If the beginning and ending of the pricking does not match exact, you will have a problem. Moving the work in progress up is not as difficult as it sounds, it's basically a problem of practice and knowledge.
And to finish this up, if you are tempted to make a border it is always worth to make an old fashioned pricking on card. The finished result will tell, not depending on the size and technique of the Lace. And a card pricking will not wear out as fast as covered photocopies do. But for small Samples and try outs it is of course a good idea to do this the covered way.
Happy Lacemaking
Dietmar - Viernheim - Germany
-------------------------
From: Anita Awenat
Subject: [lace] Pricking methods
Date: Friday, 25 April, 1997 7:47PM
> What do most people do when they are working on a handkerchief
I use two layers of pricking card, with a sheet of waxed paper between them, then the paper pattern and finally another sheet of waxed paper (this saves messy beeswax-pot dipping). I then prick only one corner, with sufficient length of adjacent sides to be just more than a quarter of the whole pattern.
Next pin/thumbtack the two L-shaped segments in sequence with a small overlap (so the holes overlay in the right place) and cut a V-shape between two rows of holes with a craft knife so the pieces can be fitted together precisely. Repeat the same operation on the other end of the L-shapes. This works very well when working on a block pillow as you don't have lengths of card flapping at the side of the work.
To ensure your rows of ground holes are true, prick them against a straight edged ruler on the diagonal, with the footside pricked separately on the vertical.
As to drawing in the gimp and trail lines; pencil them in first and when they are correct, go over with the extra-fine permanent marker pen and then remove the pencil lines with a soft eraser.
I know it is a lot of work, but the 'tried and trusted' old-fashioned methods do let you make better lace.
Anita in Bromley
anita@awenat.demon.co.uk
-------------------------
From: JUDY SEXTON
Subject: [lace] Judy's Lace Tid-Bits - Prickings
Date: Saturday, 26 April, 1997 11:05AM
In answer to questions about making your own prickings, here are the notes I used recently to teach a Hints & Tips Workshop:
There are 4 ways to prepare a pricking:
1. Quick way - use one time. Matt film on photocopy, prick
as you go.
paper, mark where the pinholes are to be, draw in the weaving
lines,
then prick the pattern.
3. Copy a pricking from a book with transparent paper.
4. Photocopy the pricking from a book.
Cut a piece of cardstock slightly larger than the pattern to be pricked. Place the pattern on top of the cardstock, and place a piece of scotch tape along the right side. Use 4 pins to anchor the corners of the pricking to a piece of cork or Styrofoam. Use a needle smaller than the pins you will use to make the lace, stick this needle into a piece of cork or a pin vise, or a purchased pricker. Hold the pricker in a vertical position, and hold the picking board firmly to the table. Slanting the pricker or board will damage the original and produce an inaccurate and useless pricking. Prick through the dots and markings accurately. After pricking 6 -10 holes, push the needle into beeswax for easier movement. The needle in the pricker should always be slightly smaller than the pins you are using. Prick the motif, or design elements first, then the edges, and lastly any grounds, you will find that you do not miss pinholes as often. When you think you have pricked all markings, lift up the pricking, still leaving the tape attached. Check to see if all the pinholes are pricked, by holding the pricking up to the window, or to a light, then using a fine line pin, put in all the weaving lines, do not use a ball point pen, it will smear.. Remove from the pricking board when you are sure you have pricked all the pinholes, and transferred all markings.
You can also use this method to prick a pattern from another pricked pattern. Place the used pricking over the new one. Tape along the sewing edge. Then prick in the elements first, then carefully raise the first pricking up, (like a page in a book) mark in any lines, such as weaving lines and gimp lines. Replace the original pricking over the pattern, and prick in the edge pinholes, you can use a ruler to help make the footside pinholes even, then prick in the grounds. If you do not like using card stock, you can also use iron-on interfacing. The woven kind, not pellon. Be sure to iron it on before you prick the pattern.
The third method, making a copy with a copy machine, provides a fast and convenient way to make prickings. One word of caution, you want to make your copies from the original pricking, not one you have copied before on a copy machine. Each additional use of the machine, will distort the pattern slightly. So, if you are making a circle, you will eventually end up with a flattened oval.
Hope they help.
Judy Sexton
Indianapolis, IN, USA
lacemaker@msn.com
-------------------------
From: Jmglamb@aol.com
Subject: [lace] Re:no pricking needed
Date: Tuesday, 29 April, 1997 3:24AM
Howdy from Oregon. I'm enjoying listening in but since time only allows an occasional peek I seem to always be way behind. I must, however, add my two cents about prickings. My mother taught me a very unique way to start a new piece. And in spite of lace makers telling me that I can't do it this way I still have never changed. My mother learned to make lace twenty-five years ago in Philadelphia from Mary Hand. She taught my mother this method: You take you pattern (or copy) and you flip it over. Then with masking tape you cover the back of the pattern. First one way then the other. Three layers works really nicely. Then you just trim around the pattern and you are ready to begin making lace. The pricking is strong enough to not move the pins but easy enough to go through that as you set each pin the hole is formed.
NO PRICKING REQUIRED! If set up is your thing I suppose you like spending all that time drawing out a pattern and pricking it but as for me and my family we love to make lace! I'm looking forward to be ridiculed on this one.
Janet Jmglamb@aol.com
-------------------------
From: Robbin Evans
Subject: Re: [lace] Re:no pricking needed
Date: Tuesday, 29 April, 1997 4:45AM
Janet,
No ridicule from me, just a note to say that I think people should do what works for them. For me, I've decided that prepricking a pattern isn't wasting time before starting to make lace, but rather a time-saver in the long run. And I think that my own lace looks better, too. It really makes things easier for my Flanders -- with the number of threads and the closeness of the pin holes (especially when making a connection from a shape to the ground), I can't easily see the pinholes. I know I wouldn't get the pin in the right place, and I certainly couldn't see if it were even with the other side of the pricking. With the pattern pre-pricked, I don't have to worry. I know where the hole should be and the pin slides in; in my case I know it makes making the lace faster as I don't have to search for the pinholes. And considering the density of pins in Bucks, I think I'd have a tough time just pinning as I go with that lace, too.
My opinion is, do what works best for you.
/Robbin
revans@vmark.com
-------------------------
From: Susan Carter
Subject: [lace] distortion in photocopies (longish)
Date: Friday, 25 April, 1997 10:05AM
I just thought I'd jump in with a bit more about the copy distortion. I worked for Xerox at one time, repairing the *big* copiers so I'm familiar with the distortion problem.
The problem usually occurs in the optical system - platen glass not perfectly flat or not perfectly aligned with the mirrors, which can also have flaws, as can the lens. As a rule, you're more likely to find distortion in the average copier - the desk top unit is a more likely culprit than the big, important one in the print shop. There are grids that most technicians have with all sorts of sight and mind bending designs on them that are used to find and hopefully correct the distortion.
If you are using a big copy shop (like Kinko's or such) I suggest you seek out the most experienced, perfectionist in the shop and explain that your copies have to be perfect. If they cater to engineering firms or architects they might be persuaded to use one of those specialist machines as well.
If you're using a machine at work, get to know the tech!! Bring him/her cookies, be interested in the machine, offer to clean the glass and make sure it's got ink and help cut down on the service calls, assuming there's a service contract. If s/he gets paid per call, offer to mess it up regularly. In other words, buy the technician's devotion and who knows what your copier can be made to do - maybe even sit down and make lace with you!!!
Su, putting in a word for those wonderful folks with the toner
under their nails_
Williamsburg, Virginia, USA
sucarter@msn.com
-------------------------
From: Gabriele Dirks
Subject: Re: [lace] pricking methods
Date: Friday, 25 April, 1997 5:45AM
> If I am understanding Gabriele correctly, I think she would work on the pattern as is, and then after going around the second corner, unpin the work from the pricking, move the pricking so that it is setup for working the second side, repin around the corner as needed, and work down the second side, repeating as necessary. Is this the recommended method?
It works nicely and for lager pieces of work (some things just won't fit a pillow like large mats by Kortelathi) it's the only option. The only time I use whole patterns is with small items, irregular repeats and/or different corners.
>I was contemplating the possibility of putting extra pricking card under the pricking, and thus having more than one pricking when I was done, and then being able to overlap them while working. Is this concept absurd?
Sort of. You would get a distortion in the pattern from those "steps" in the overlap (unless you work on a flat polyurethane pillow with just a paper pricking). Much more than you would get in a careful fit of four copies. And if you have been given a copy: are you sure it's still straight?
>The pattern is similar to torchon and cluny patterns, and is done in linen thread, so I'm not going to have the elasticity that Gabriele finds with a point ground pattern.
Then again: As linen doesn't shrink once you take the pins out it is much easier to pin down again. With a good pattern both edges would be identical, so that wouldn't be a problem. If a pattern is rather coarse it would be relatively easy to join copies since with a distance of, say 4 millimetres between points you wouldn't notice half a millimetre as much as you would in a much finer pattern, so creating a "whole" pattern might be an option for you (Some people just hate setting up).
>I was wondering what methods you use/advice you can give
me on how to
>make prickings accurately from a photocopied pricking? Specifically
I
>am getting ready a point ground handkerchief edging, and am
having
>trouble lining up the start with the finish accurately.
Why would you want all four sides and corners on a pricking? I usually take just one side and two corners and set up when I finished that. Once I have it complete, I pin down the beginning again and join. Since especially Point ground are really elastic I always get a nice fit.
>Also, once pricked, what is the easiest way of marking
the pricking card
>gimp lines, tallies etc.) without "spots before your
eyes" and going
>around the wrong holes! I seem to always go "off"
and it gets very messy.
Actually, being the lazy type I paste a photocopy on thin cardboard (i.e the stuff that comes in panty hose) and cover the pricking with a matte tinted selfadhesive plastic foil, rub the surface with my block of beeswax and start pricking. No copying by hand, no messy smears of pen. :-) If I designed the pattern myself, usually I would enlarge a photocopy, draw in as necessary and than diminish it to proper size again. Unless it's weekend and I can't access a photocopying machine...
Gabriele
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