On Feb 24, 2010, at 23:57, Vicki Bradford wrote:
I was also in the Cluny de Brioude class in Montreal. Our class materials instructed us to bring a leather piece to work on.
Actually, we were told to bring fake leather ("skin", I think it was called), which is what I did bring for myself and a couple of other people. Can't remember what it's called here, but it's sold as car-seat cover fabric; slick on the right side and bonded knit on the wrong side. Similar to, but thicker than, "plastic" tablecloth material.
I now use a piece of real leather, fairly thick and with a deeper cut in it -- more of a U than a kidney -- to frame my work. My bobbins are neither true Continentals (bulb at the bottom), nor Midlands (which I can no longer pick up with any comfort); they're tapered squares, made for me by Neil Keats, in Australia. His heads (double, to accomodate the hitch, also double) are perfectly balanced and almost never loose a hitch, even with silk or metallic threads. I have no problems with shredding thread. But then I had no problems with shredding thread even when I used faux suede workcloths, either straight and folded or with a working hole in the middle. The only thing I avoid in a workcloth is pattern; I find it distracting and prefer solid colours. Covercloth (the piece I throw over the pilow when I leave it), on the othe other hand, I do like to be pretty and have several of those, some very bright and fancy.
I wonder what experience others have had using the plastic green 'horseshoe' intended to raise threads a bit to avoid catching on exposed pins? I confess I own one but have never used it.
I tried mine for a while -- I'm a sucker for gadgets and can't resist buying them. And, once I bought them, I want to at least give them a chance of proving their worth -- and it annoyed me. It kept getting in the way, I had problems with the bobbins escaping its confines, I had problems with moving it in concert with, or independent of, the workcloth. It wasn't worth the frustration and I don't even know now where it is. Not somewhere I can easiy find it, that's for sure :)
Over time, everyone develops her/his own preferences as to the tools used and "tricks" to go with those tools. What works, perfectly, for one person may not work at all for someone else. But we don't know what works and what doesn't until we try. And Arachne is the best place I know of to find out what others think is "perfect". Some of those suggestions I have adopted, wholesale. Some, I have adapted to suit me better. Some, I have discarded after trying out. There are no "one size fits all" answers to *any* problem :)
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