On Aug 31, 2008, at 11:42, Patty Dowden wrote:
I like Tamara's answer to the problem, in that she bought the whole color line of a thread, but I haven't done it yet.
Don't :) I used to do it because, designing my own patterns for publication, I wanted to make sure that I always had not just enough colours but *shades* of colours to mix and blend. But I found two things: 1) There are always certain colours/shades/mixes which I prefer (and so those threads get used up very fast, while the rest of the line moulders) 2) If I want to experiment with something else and let the line sit idle, even for a moment, the line suddenly becomes unavailable, which means my cake is dough again; I cannot publish a pattern for which nobody can get the thread. So, I'm left with a huge (and expensive) stash which is only of use for personal projects (and wven there not too much, being the colours that I'm less fond of). And, since I hardly ever have the time for personal projects, it's a waste of money.
These days, I still try to keep a lot of different threads on hand, but only in the colours/shades I know I'm most likely to use, and only after I've made sure that the supply is not likely to dry up on me (and my potential "customers").
I also would like to "second" (and third, and... ) everyone who recommended Brenda's book ("Threads for Lace"). It's a "must have" for a beginner and the best shortcut possible for everyone else. I have a copy (various editions) in almost every room of the house and use all of them constantly, often when just mulling over the next project (if I were to use x... how do I rescale the pricking?), before trying it out on the pillow.
And one last thing, about "mixing threads"... With the exception of "something else + metallic", the more lace I make, the less I like the idea of mixing. I'd rather use 2, 3, 4 (or more) strands of the same thread (fiber- and brand-wise) than go to an entirely different thread, which might be more suitable, thickness-wise. Even though winding several strands onto a single bobbn can be a pain in the neck, it pays off in the long run. When you have to fight fibers which are not compatible and which require different treatment (tension-wise), you waste more time (and create more frustration for yourself) than you do on -- properly -- winding several strands onto the same bobbin.
-- Tamara P Duvall http://t-n-lace.net/ Lexington, Virginia, USA (Formerly of Warsaw, Poland) - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
