In message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Nancy Nicholson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes > although I have been >learning for almost a year have just made a couple of Brenda's bookmarks >(rainy bank holiday). These are the first 'finished articles' I have been >able to do.
If you have only just got to the year stage, then you are probably coming to the stage where it all suddenly "clicks" into place and you start to find the steep early learning curve levels off a bit - it does happen, sooner or later, only a very few manage to get to that stage in a couple of months, some take around a year or so and for others it takes longer. Then instead of the lace stressing you out, you start to make lace to relax and shut everything else out. What I've done with some of my little bits of lace (odd samples, a bit that never got past the second pattern repeat because the thread kept breaking...) is to use them to decorate a peg doll's dress - the broken thread bit (for all it annoyed me) had ribbon threaded through the footside and is now her apron! The problem with starting with edging samples is that unless you have a particular end product in mind, and know how much you need to make (which can be a few yards, even), you rarely end up with a finished item. The tendency then is to have lots of short lengths in a folder, and they rarely see the light of day. So, take photographs (especially if you have a digital camera) or photocopies of the lace to put in the folder, then you can examine the photos and make notes for improvement alongside. Then gather the lace into rosettes, which can be used on cards or in coasters (looks attractive and hides the mistakes), or even on hair slides (see Christine Springett's "Lace for Children of All Ages") or brooch mounts; sew two strips to fancy ribbon and use as a bookmark; you only need about six inches sewn to a bit of material to make a "modesty panel" worn inside a V-neck dress or top (looks as if you've got a lace edged vest underneath, but is actually only wide enough to do the job - you can use hooks & eyes or press studs to keep it in place in use) or if you've done a corner, stitched to fabric it can be used as a mock hankie in a blouse pocket (for a dressy look). One of my beginners made a length of edging in the colours of one of her dresses, and used the modesty panel idea - it has earned her many compliments. I'm sure the others have got more ideas for using short pieces of lace and will chip in with them, but don't think you have to confine bits to a folder just because they haven't got the start and finish of a bookmark - ends can be hidden in fabric or made a feature of, and even a small lace sample can become a finished item in its own right. As to the original question (which I think might have been Wendy's?), I have both roller and block pillows (and lots of cookies!) - the travel roller pillow I bought from the ?Finnish couple at OIDFA Nottingham (I was on The Lace Guild's stand for the weekend, they were next to us) is one of my favourites - and has coped with two and a half yards of lace on a static pricking (the roller is made from something like carpet underlay) with no problems - that pillow has a ratchet to keep the roller in place; much easier to deal with than my other (full size) roller pillow which needs ribbons and hardly gets used. The block is useful if you want to have more than one thing on the go, just switch blocks! Currently the blocks on the pillow are being used for one of the strips of Bucks I designed during Mom's last night, when I sat with her at the hospital, eleven months ago (I needed something to help stay awake, and all I had with me was the contents of my handbag... pencil and notepad came in very useful!). Those strips, when finished, will be stitched onto a cushion. The spare blocks have got some floral Bucks on (no, Alex, I haven't managed to get any further yet!). If you can afford it, buy both, or a combination, if only one, then go for the block, and buy several spare blocks - both full and half size. -- Jane Partridge - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
