RE: [!! SPAM] [lace] Pillow help needed
Ruth - can you tell me where you bought the ethafoam from and if they sell overseas by mail order. I have been unsuccessfully trying to purchase ethafoam in Malta but few, if any, know about it yet and it doesn't seem to get here, other than in computer packaging...and those bits are too small to use to make a pillow. Yes, this is one problem we have on such a small island some things take far longer to be introduced here. Karen in Malta -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Ruth Rocker Sent: Saturday, April 19, 2008 4:03 AM To: 'arachne' Subject: [!! SPAM] [lace] Pillow help needed Hello, all I don't usually post anything as I'm such a beginner I have little to contribute. But I do need your expertise now. I recently purchased a set of ethafoam blocks to make a block pillow. They came to me naked :D and I need to know the best way to cover them for use. Any assistance this community can provide will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Feel free to email me off the list if this would be considered off topic. Ruth R. in Ohio [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [lace] Pillow help needed - block pillow
I wouldn't choose a 'pretty' fabric as it will be distracting when working, you want a plain woven cotton, preferably navy, dark green or any other dark colour which is restful to your eyes. Black is not usually the best option. It should be cotton and not synthetic as synthetics tend to blunt your pins, and knit fabrics are more likely to snag if there is any roughness on a pin. Brenda On 19 Apr 2008, at 04:21, Ruth Rocker wrote: Thanks, Alice. I thought this would be about what I would need to do. Building the container is no problem once I get the blocks covered. My DH is a whiz in his wood shop and will build whatever I specify :D (yes, I'm lucky). I have an extensive fabric stash as I'm also a quilter, so finding lightweight, pretty fabric won't be a problem, either. I guess I lucked out, huh? LOL Ruth R. in Ohio [EMAIL PROTECTED] -Original Message- From: Alice Howell [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, April 18, 2008 11:11 PM To: Ruth Rocker; 'arachne' Subject: Re: [lace] Pillow help needed - block pillow --- Ruth Rocker [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello, all I recently purchased a set of ethafoam blocks to make a block pillow. They came to me naked :D and I need to know the best way to cover them for use. Hi Ruth. You have two projects -- cover them and have a container to put them in. The ethafoam can be a bit rough on the fingers, so we pad the top and bottom with a square of felt or tightly woven wool. Then wrap a piece of strong, thin fabric around the block. Have the seam on one narrow side so top and bottom are smooth. I specify a thin fabric (as opposed to velvet or other thicker fabrics) because you want the blocks to fit very snuggly together without gaps. A thick fabric could leave a space without foam and create a problem later when working a pricking. You may still have to put a pin or two at an angle if it hits directly on a space between blocks, but it's not a big problem. Choose a fabric in a color that you like to look at. It should be comfortable for your eyes. Usually a plain or slightly moddled colored pattern works better than a print or plaid. A little color/shade variation is pleasant to the eyes but it should not have distinct shapes. Most people use a solid color. You have the choice of sewing or pinning the fabric on each block. Sewing is neater, pinning is faster. I must admit to the fast way...pinning. Use small short pins. On a 5 block, I put 5-6 along the 'seam' when the end fabric meets the beginning. Then I fold down the narrow ends on eacg side and put one pin on each side of fabric to hold it tight and square to the block. A third pin is needed where the 'seam' folds over so it won't slip. Pin only into the sides of the blocks. When the long edges are folded down, the ends are neatly mitered. Tuck under the the edge of the top fold, and put several pins down the edge of the fold. To hold the mitered angles tight, I add a pin to each angled fold, right in the middle next to the fold. There shouldn't be any fold of fabric flopping around. It's all snuggly fastened down. I have several pillows put together just with pins. They seem to wear just as well as the sewn blocks. The other part of the picture is a container for the blocks. They need to fit very tightly in the container. You don't want any air between the blocks. You can build a container out of wood or cardboard. My friend used a cardboard box. If you have 5 blocks, the container will be 15 inches inside. One way is to cut two corner pieces from a large box -- 15 on a side and square bottom 15x15. Insert on corner piece into the other and you have a sturdy box. Fasten the cut corners together temporarily and test by putting the blocks in it. Are they snug? They should be very tight. If not, trim off a bit from the cut edges of each box bottom and test again. When you have the correct size, tape the corners. and the bottom edge where a cut side shows. Cut down the sides of the box to less than the depth of your blocks. The entire box can be covered with colored duct tape or fabric. I also suggest putting a one inch hole in the middle of the bottom to give a finger hole for pushing up on the center block when you need to move it. A suggestion for later... consider getting a spare block. In a pinch (or at a conference when you want to take two classes or start another pattern), you can bundle your bobbins and lift out the block with your pricking. Insert the spare block and you are ready for another class or pattern. (A story, for fun: My friend was going to a conference and was to take three classes. She borrowed my block pillow with two extra blocks, and started all three of her projects but only had to pack one pillow. Now that she has three projects started on my pillow, I don't know when I'll get it back again. G She's on the Arachne list also, so she knows just whom I'm referring to. No rush...I don't need the pillow yet.)
RE: [lace] Pillow help needed - block pillow
Dear Ruth (and the rest of the list!), I think it's interesting to hear that you're a quilter. I am also a quilter, and tend to have seasons where I spend more time quilting than lacemaking, and visa versa. Over the years, I've been struck by the fact that nearly all of the lacemakers I know have been very involved with needlearts for years. I have also done a lot of embroidery, smocking, and needlepoint. For a number of years, I was also very involved with miniatures (1 scale), and did some fine-scale needlework there. The first time I met Tamara Duvall, (about two months after I started making lace) I was delighted to learn that she had also done miniature work BL (Before Lace). Now, all of these years later, I know to expect that someone new to lace is bringing her own creative past with her! Other ways that my lacemaking friends express their creativity are in weaving, spinning, knitting, crochet and tatting, heirloom sewing (which leads them to want to create their own laces...) I'll be curious to hear what others do in addition to their lacemaking! Clay -- Clay Blackwell Lynchburg, VA USA -- Original message -- From: Ruth Rocker [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks, Alice. I thought this would be about what I would need to do. Building the container is no problem once I get the blocks covered. My DH is a whiz in his wood shop and will build whatever I specify :D (yes, I'm lucky). I have an extensive fabric stash as I'm also a quilter, so finding lightweight, pretty fabric won't be a problem, either. I guess I lucked out, huh? Ruth R. in Ohio [EMAIL PROTECTED] -Original Message- From: Alice Howell [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, April 18, 2008 11:11 PM To: Ruth Rocker; 'arachne' Subject: Re: [lace] Pillow help needed - block pillow --- Ruth Rocker wrote: Hello, all I recently purchased a set of ethafoam blocks to make a block pillow. They came to me naked :D and I need to know the best way to cover them for use. Hi Ruth. You have two projects -- cover them and have a container to put them in. The ethafoam can be a bit rough on the fingers, so we pad the top and bottom with a square of felt or tightly woven wool. Then wrap a piece of strong, thin fabric around the block. Have the seam on one narrow side so top and bottom are smooth. I specify a thin fabric (as opposed to velvet or other thicker fabrics) because you want the blocks to fit very snuggly together without gaps. A thick fabric could leave a space without foam and create a problem later when working a pricking. You may still have to put a pin or two at an angle if it hits directly on a space between blocks, but it's not a big problem. Choose a fabric in a color that you like to look at. It should be comfortable for your eyes. Usually a plain or slightly moddled colored pattern works better than a print or plaid. A little color/shade variation is pleasant to the eyes but it should not have distinct shapes. Most people use a solid color. You have the choice of sewing or pinning the fabric on each block. Sewing is neater, pinning is faster. I must admit to the fast way...pinning. Use small short pins. On a 5 block, I put 5-6 along the 'seam' when the end fabric meets the beginning. Then I fold down the narrow ends on eacg side and put one pin on each side of fabric to hold it tight and square to the block. A third pin is needed where the 'seam' folds over so it won't slip. Pin only into the sides of the blocks. When the long edges are folded down, the ends are neatly mitered. Tuck under the the edge of the top fold, and put several pins down the edge of the fold. To hold the mitered angles tight, I add a pin to each angled fold, right in the middle next to the fold. There shouldn't be any fold of fabric flopping around. It's all snuggly fastened down. I have several pillows put together just with pins. They seem to wear just as well as the sewn blocks. The other part of the picture is a container for the blocks. They need to fit very tightly in the container. You don't want any air between the blocks. You can build a container out of wood or cardboard. My friend used a cardboard box. If you have 5 blocks, the container will be 15 inches inside. One way is to cut two corner pieces from a large box -- 15 on a side and square bottom 15x15. Insert on corner piece into the other and you have a sturdy box. Fasten the cut corners together temporarily and test by putting the blocks in it. Are they snug? They should be very tight. If not, trim off a bit from the cut edges of each box bottom and test again. When you have the correct size, tape the corners. and the bottom edge where a cut side shows. Cut down the sides of the box to less than the depth of your blocks. The entire box can be covered
[lace] To Karen in Malta
My email directly to you bounced. Please contact me about a source of ethafoam blocks. Alice in Oregon - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[lace] what did you do before bobbin lace
Clay wrote: I'll be curious to hear what others do in addition to their lacemaking! I had a considerable stash of weaving and spinning supplies before bobbin lace engulfed my time. I still do a bit of both, couldn't part with all the spinning wheels, so kept one (of 6) and one loom (of 6), one large box of weaving yarns (of X number...my what a lot of space left for bobbin lace stuff!), and exotic fibre to spin on a rainy day. I did keep the drop spindles which don't take up much space. However, as soothing as handspinning can be, it doesn't have the puzzle-solving appeal of making lace. And weaving was just too hard on my shoulders. I have made handspun just for lace, but the commercial threads do a much better job LOL and I'd rather knit with my handspun. So my secondary past-time is knitting. While I appreciate embroidery and other stitchery, needlework isn't for me to do, unless I'm attaching lace to a piece of fabric with a simple running stitch (for some reason I like doing that). And I'm curious to know if many others are allergic to needle and thread, like myself :S -- Bev (near Sooke, BC on beautiful Vancouver Island, west coast of Canada) - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [!! SPAM] [lace] Pillow help needed - and ethafoam
Hello Karen and eveyone Ethafoam is a closed-cell foam used by 'industry' such as for flotation, or insulation, and sometimes as packing - if there is a plastics fabricator where you are, they should know about it and probably have some (I notice at the one in my area, they just call this stuff 'Dow' - ethafoam itself is a Dow chemical product). Perhaps at a building supply place there is something else like it that you could use. You only want an endcut, they might sell cheaply. If your computer packing is really ethafoam, and not styrofoam, all you need is a 5 x 5 piece for each block. It doesn't even have to be deep; the block can be built of a layer of styrofoam packing, and a layer of ethafoam on top. Styrofoam is made of compressed beads of plastic that eventually crumble if pinned into repeatedly. The closed-cell foams 'heal' when a pin is pushed in and taken out. I suppose eventually it will break down, too, from long use. In that case I would just replace the particular block. SMP lace in the UK sell block pillows and extra blocks. For info, the website is www.smplace.co.uk Hope this helps. On Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 3:11 AM, Karen [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Ruth - can you tell me where you bought the ethafoam from and if they sell overseas by mail order. I have been unsuccessfully trying to purchase ethafoam in Malta but few, if any, know about it yet and it doesn't seem to -- Bev (near Sooke, BC on beautiful Vancouver Island, west coast of Canada) - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[lace] silk thread - Malta
What is the source of the silk thread used for Maltese lace? That wonderful luminous cream silk ... and has anyone tried to repair a piece of Maltese lace? Lucie DuFresne Ottawa Canada - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[lace] Re: what did you do before bobbin lace
Part of my love of lacemaking is that it is a form of weaving that can be done in a small appartment. I still have some small looms, including a folding one patented in Scarborough, Ontario Canada in the 1920's. That one is too odd and wonderful to part with. Its also my first ... I've knitted and crocheted (we have more than enough afghans) but beadwork and costume making were my passions during my dance career (another life, long long ago). Turning a piece of heavy canvas into a sparkling beaded brocade for stage is really wonderful and satisfying. But it is also expensive, time consuming, and no longer a reasonable source of income. I still bead, but it too is difficult to do with 4 young cats in the house... later when they are older and, I hope, blase ... Sewing, especially hand sewing historical costumes, is what I am now doing the most. And the lace I am now making is for those costumes: New France (17thc) and ByTown Days (1850-1870). The historical research is as much fun as the constuction. I'm fascinated by embroidery but don't seem to ever do any. I just look and the pretty pictures and dream. When I was 16, I had this fantasy of owning one of the small abandoned railway stations in the Ottawa Valley and converting it into my weaver's studio with living loft. That too was a long time ago, but I still dream about it. Lucie DuFresne Ottawa, Canada - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [lace] silk thread - Malta
In a message dated 4/19/2008 3:40:23 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: What is the source of the silk thread used for Maltese lace? That wonderful luminous cream silk ... and has anyone tried to repair a piece of Maltese lace? --- May I join Lucie in asking for this thread information for repairing Maltese lace? With two of us asking, perhaps any replies will be to the list and others will find it to be information they need, as well. If not, well print and put in a book you have about Maltese lace. The day will come when you will be glad to have the information. There are lurkers on [EMAIL PROTECTED] (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) who know a lot. Please share, to make the list of more value to all. Jeri Ames Lace and Embroidery Resource Center **Need a new ride? Check out the largest site for U.S. used car listings at AOL Autos. (http://autos.aol.com/used?NCID=aolcmp0030002851) - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [lace] Pillow help needed - block pillow
On Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 12:42:54PM +, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Over the years, I've been struck by the fact that nearly all of the lacemakers I know have been very involved with needlearts for years. I have also done a lot of embroidery, smocking, and needlepoint. For a number of years, I was also very involved with miniatures (1 scale), and did some fine-scale needlework there. I'll be curious to hear what others do in addition to their lacemaking! Before I met bobbin lace, I was very into Irish Crochet, using the two Dover republications of the Priscilla books about it that were available at the time (early 90's, I think). Prior to that, it was tatting - that was when I was in high school! Amanda near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [lace] what did you do before bobbin lace
Hi Bev et al, It is hard to remember what happened before BL ... But - I used to do fine embroidery, Hardanger and blackwork, as well as crochet and tatting, but although I still take embroidery or crochet on shorter holidays, as they are a lot more portable, I still take lace pillow(s) on the long summer holidays.If friends and relations have babies, I also crochet pram sets, cot sets, and matinee jackets. I don't knit, as it doesn't seem to grow quickly enough (this from one who loves Bucks point!) but crochet grows amazingly quickly, so I still find that really enjoyable. But the bobbin lace is now my first love - it seems easy to become a fully-paid-up, addicted lacemaker, and long may it continue. Carol - in Suffolk UK - Original Message - From: bevw [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Lace@arachne.com lace@arachne.com Sent: Saturday, April 19, 2008 7:55 PM Subject: [lace] what did you do before bobbin lace Clay wrote: I'll be curious to hear what others do in addition to their lacemaking! - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: [lace] Pillow help needed - block pillow
Dear Clay, and all-- I might be sent out of Arachne altogether for owning up to this, but what I did before I became a lacemaker was -- nothing to do with textiles. I was a practicing psychologist and psychoanalyst, and in my spare time which I had very little of, I was a writer (numberless short stories, and a novel [publ by Wm. Morrow, reprinted in England bu H. Hamilton, and into paperback by Avon]. I did, though, sometimes make my own clothes. What I really did a lot of was: hanker. I dreamed of some day learning how to make lace. I had tried, at about age ten or twelve, to follow the description in the Children's Encyclopedia, in which they described how lace was made: threads wound around a design outlined by pins. Of course that didn't work! When I came to live in Baltimore (age 50) I made friends with a famous weaver (Sylvia Pocock, now long gone) who confessed that she too had been wanting for years to make lace. We looked and inquired and left no stone unturned, and lo! we came upon an ancient lady, Elizabeth Kackenmeister (also a famous weaver) who knew how to make lace, and gave us one lesson a month when she came into this area for meetings of the organization Twenty Weavers. Ah, but once into it! I wrote to Doreen Wright; went to England to get lessons from her (the experience of a lifetime quite apart from the lacemaking!); got sent to Pam Nottingham, who taught me Bucks and changed my life; found Elsie Luxton and Cynthia Voysey... and all of that brought me into my real world, which is where I am now and have been since this story began. It may be of interest to know that my son, a practicing cardiologist, ambled by my pillow one day; picked up a handful of bobbins as he passed by; borrowed a copy of Stott's lacemaking for beginners; and lo! again. A very presentable bookmark appeared. Fun! Aurelia Catonsville, Maryland I'll be curious to hear what others do in addition to their lacemaking! Clay -- Clay Blackwell Lynchburg, VA USA - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: [lace] what did you do before bobbin lace
For years I was a tatter with shuttle, thread and hook. I made quite lovely pieces All copied from a book. But then one day I came across A bobbin lacy braid. I tried the skill and caught the bug And was thrilled with what I made. So now I practice both the crafts, And each one has its place. The bobbin lace on pillow large Sits in my special place Where I can sit and lace away In quiet and solitude And concentrate on what I do All in a peaceful mood. But tatting's always with me I'd never venture out Without my bag of tatting Of that I have no doubt. It's there whenever waiting Would mean some time to spare. It's there to pick up any time And add to lace that's there. And yet from both these types of lace The end result's the same - Some piece of work so beautiful No matter what the name. -- Written a couple of years ago now, but it explains what I did BL Noelene in Cooma [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: [lace] what did you do before bobbin lace
Clay wrote: I'll be curious to hear what others do in addition to their lacemaking! Did more quilting and embroidery. Still do both. Guess the only thing I dropped was crocheting lace. Still have the wide edging for a table cloth only half finished. Beth McCasland in the suburbs of New Orleans, Louisiana where it's a beautiful sunny spring da - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: [lace] what did you do before bobbin lace
What did I do before bobbin lacemaking - a lot more housework, the dust only gets to a certain height or so I have been told. Sue M Harvey Norfolk UK - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: [lace] silk thread - Malta
Well...first things first. The 'silk thread' we use for Maltese lace is not silk at all nowadays. It is a twisted syntethic fibre probably rayon because the cones we purchase it on don't give any information. In the past, lace was made with silk thread and I wouldn't know the source. Actually it would probably be interesting to find out. I don't have much pure silk in my stash and the little I have all came from overseas, either by mail order or when I came across it on my holidays abroad. This morning I received some YLI silk 100 from The Silk Route which I will be using to make a miniature bedspread for a friend. Thanks for the information on ethafoam. The thing is that purchasing from the USA turns out to be very expensive for me because of postage costs. Someone else sent a UK source that I can look into. If I don't manage, then I will order from the USA and have it posted to my in-laws in Tennessee, which should cost considerably less, and they will bring it down to me when they next visit. Karen in Malta -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, April 19, 2008 10:26 PM To: lace@arachne.com; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [lace] silk thread - Malta In a message dated 4/19/2008 3:40:23 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: What is the source of the silk thread used for Maltese lace? That wonderful luminous cream silk ... and has anyone tried to repair a piece of Maltese lace? --- May I join Lucie in asking for this thread information for repairing Maltese lace? With two of us asking, perhaps any replies will be to the list and others will find it to be information they need, as well. If not, well print and put in a book you have about Maltese lace. The day will come when you will be glad to have the information. There are lurkers on [EMAIL PROTECTED] (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) who know a lot. Please share, to make the list of more value to all. Jeri Ames Lace and Embroidery Resource Center **Need a new ride? Check out the largest site for U.S. used car listings at AOL Autos. (http://autos.aol.com/used?NCID=aolcmp0030002851) - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: [lace] silk thread - Malta
Sorry...I missed the repair Maltese lace bit! I have in hand an 80 (or thereabouts) year old silk centrepiece which I have tried to fix. To do the bit I did I bought some YLI twisted silk and used that because it was the closest match. (This centrepiece was a present to my maternal grandmother, who died young so I never knew her, on her engagement to my grandfather). Before doing any more to it I would like to seek a more professional opinion, especially as it also needs cleaning. I do know whom I can ask, but will have to wait until I meet her again. Karen -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, April 19, 2008 10:26 PM To: lace@arachne.com; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [lace] silk thread - Malta In a message dated 4/19/2008 3:40:23 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: What is the source of the silk thread used for Maltese lace? That wonderful luminous cream silk ... and has anyone tried to repair a piece of Maltese lace? --- May I join Lucie in asking for this thread information for repairing Maltese lace? With two of us asking, perhaps any replies will be to the list and others will find it to be information they need, as well. If not, well print and put in a book you have about Maltese lace. The day will come when you will be glad to have the information. There are lurkers on [EMAIL PROTECTED] (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) who know a lot. Please share, to make the list of more value to all. Jeri Ames Lace and Embroidery Resource Center **Need a new ride? Check out the largest site for U.S. used car listings at AOL Autos. (http://autos.aol.com/used?NCID=aolcmp0030002851) - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[lace] Le Pompe 1559
I was just about to put some books on ebay including Le Pompe 1559 when I noticed another offer of the same title they were asking a starting bid of £49.99 the reason stated was it was 1983 first edition with ISBN 0 903585 16 2 - mine is identical but I was always under the impression that the last number (i.e. 2) meant the edition, so can anyone tell me if I am correct in my assumption that someone is on the make? or have I got a book more valuable than I thought. Sue M Harvey Norfolk UK - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [lace] Le Pompe 1559
Hi Sue No, the last digit is the 'check digit'. All explained at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/pda/A398982 I have the same edition of the book and I would say that £49.99 is a rather inflated price for a 25 year old paperback! Brenda On 16 Apr 2008, at 10:15, Sue wrote: I was just about to put some books on ebay including Le Pompe 1559 when I noticed another offer of the same title they were asking a starting bid of £49.99 the reason stated was it was 1983 first edition with ISBN 0 903585 16 2 - mine is identical but I was always under the impression that the last number (i.e. 2) meant the edition, so can anyone tell me if I am correct in my assumption that someone is on the make? or have I got a book more valuable than I thought. Sue M Harvey Norfolk UK - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Brenda in Allhallows, Kent http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.uk/index.html - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[lace] Replica Christening Gown
Hi, I just noticed the following while scanning an article about the Queen's grandson being christened. James wore a replica of the satin and lace royal christening gown, which was made in 1841 and had been used for every royal christening until this one. The new robe was commissioned by the Queen to preserve the original. Does anyone know if the replica has machine or handmade lace on it? Any details? Thanks in advance, Helen (in sunny-for-a-few-minutes-but-chilly Vancouver, BC on the west coast of mainland Canada). - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: [lace] Pillow help needed - block pillow
Ruth wrote: Thanks, Alice. I thought this would be about what I would need to do. Building the container is no problem once I get the blocks covered. My DH is a whiz in his wood shop and will build whatever I specify :D (yes, I'm lucky). Depending on whether you want to tote this pillow around to guild meetings or demonstrating, you might want to consider a light weight base for your blocks. Wood bases can make the thing very heavy. When I made my 24 inch square block pillow I used 1/4 inch foam core board from the craft shop for the base. I glued my outer side blocks, which were two long pieces of builders foam, onto the foam core after they were covered, leaving enough room for the ethafoam blocks down the center. I glued and nailed some thin wood trim around the edges, covering the foam core and the bottom of the outer blocks. This made a ridged edge at the top and bottom of the pillow which holds the center blocks and stops them moving. Using builders foam for the outer blocks allowed me to make more blocks for the center so I could have more projects on the go at one time. When I got my one and only pillow from Snowgoose, I used the cardboard box the pillow came in for the base, cutting it to shape. I covered the bottom with suede fabric before I glued the pillow to the cardboard, then put some colorful trim around the edge to tart it up. Nice and light to carry. Janice Janice Blair Crystal Lake, 50 miles northwest of Chicago, Illinois, USA www.jblace.com http://www.lacemakersofillinois.org/ www.landoflincolnlacemakers.com Check for class spaces, many are full. - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [lace] Pillow help needed - block pillow
Yes, wood can be heavy. But you can find lightweight wood. I have two block pillows. One is 3 x 3 blocks. My DH and I made the base for it from half-inch plywood and the base trim that goes around a room (what is that called, wainscotting? baseboard trim?). The wood trim is rather pretty, but yes the thing is REALLY heavy; I'm going to make a better, lighter base for it eventually. Block pillow #2 is 8-sided; comprised of 5 squares and 4 triangles. I love it - the corners don't gouge me when I'm turning the pillow. The base is quarter-inch plywood with cedar lathe for the sides. It is really sturdy, very light especially for its size, and holds the blocks snugly. I can carry it on its side (i.e. vertically) and the blocks don't fall out. A tip for the DIY pillow maker, make the base after you have made the pillow blocks for a better fit. On Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 4:03 PM, Janice Blair [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Wood bases can make the thing very heavy. -- Bev (near Sooke, BC on beautiful Vancouver Island, west coast of Canada) - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: [lace] Pillow help needed - block pillow
Well, Miss Aurelia, you may not have lifted a hand to textiles before BL, but you have certainly made up for lost time!! Your fans (featured on covers of IOLI!!) are stunning, and it is clear to me that you are not only a competent lacemaker, you're also a gifted artist!! Clay -- Clay Blackwell Lynchburg, VA USA -- Original message -- From: Aurelia Loveman [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dear Clay, and all-- I might be sent out of Arachne altogether for owning up to this, but what I did before I became a lacemaker was -- nothing to do with textiles. I was a practicing psychologist and psychoanalyst, and in my spare time which I had very little of, I was a writer (numberless short stories, and a novel [publ by Wm. Morrow, reprinted in England bu H. Hamilton, and into paperback by Avon]. I did, though, sometimes make my own clothes. What I really did a lot of was: hanker. I dreamed of some day learning how to make lace. I had tried, at about age ten or twelve, to follow the description in the Children's Encyclopedia, in which they described how lace was made: threads wound around a design outlined by pins. Of course that didn't work! When I came to live in Baltimore (age 50) I made friends with a famous weaver (Sylvia Pocock, now long gone) who confessed that she too had been wanting for years to make lace. We looked and inquired and left no stone unturned, and lo! we came upon an ancient lady, Elizabeth Kackenmeister (also a famous weaver) who knew how to make lace, and gave us one lesson a month when she came into this area for meetings of the organization Twenty Weavers. Ah, but once into it! I wrote to Doreen Wright; went to England to get lessons from her (the experience of a lifetime quite apart from the lacemaking!); got sent to Pam Nottingham, who taught me Bucks and changed my life; found Elsie Luxton and Cynthia Voysey... and all of that brought me into my real world, which is where I am now and have been since this story began. It may be of interest to know that my son, a practicing cardiologist, ambled by my pillow one day; picked up a handful of bobbins as he passed by; borrowed a copy of Stott's lacemaking for beginners; and lo! again. A very presentable bookmark appeared. Fun! Aurelia Catonsville, Maryland I'll be curious to hear what others do in addition to their lacemaking! Clay -- Clay Blackwell Lynchburg, VA USA - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [lace] silk thread - Malta
I don't claim any expertise in Maltese lace, or silk threads either. But recently, I used Au Ver a Soie to make a small piece, and it was delightful to work with. My hunch is that this silk is not glossy enough for Maltese. The weight of the thread is probably right, and the color is the wonderful natural (unprocessed) silk color. So, for anyone knowledgeable about the silk once used for Maltese, could you please tell us how Au Ver a Soie measures up for this? Thanks! Clay -- Clay Blackwell Lynchburg, VA USA -- Original message -- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] What is the source of the silk thread used for Maltese lace? That wonderful luminous cream silk ... and has anyone tried to repair a piece of Maltese lace? Lucie DuFresne Ottawa Canada - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [lace] silk thread - Malta
I do not know where the thread came from for the Maltese lace... but mulling it over - I have a piece of Beds Maltese, and a silk machine-lace tablecloth from England, maybe from the 1920's - the handmade lace is of much finer thread, but both are shiny, slippery, and that particular 'custard' colour. Perhaps the silk for both came from the same source. Silk thread was produced in England, could have come from France (similar to Aur Ver a Soie?)? - or the Orient? Apart from that, another resource to mend the Maltese lace would be a same-vintage silk textile that could be unravelled of a length of the thread. On Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 4:41 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I don't claim any expertise in Maltese lace, or silk threads either. But recently, I used Au Ver a Soie to make a small piece, and it was delightful to work with. My hunch is that this silk is not glossy enough for Maltese. The weight of the thread is probably right, and the color is the wonderful natural (unprocessed) silk color. So, for anyone knowledgeable about the silk once used for Maltese, could you please tell us how Au Ver a Soie measures up for this? -- Bev (near Sooke, BC on beautiful Vancouver Island, west coast of Canada) - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: [!! SPAM] [lace] Pillow help needed
Ruth - can you tell me where you bought the ethafoam from and if they sell overseas by mail order. I have been unsuccessfully trying to purchase ethafoam in Malta but few, if any, know about it yet and it doesn't seem to There's a mail-order lace supplier in the US called Snowgoose. They have a website, but I don't know the URL--I'm sure you can google it. They sell the Everything Pillow, which is a kit. It comes with an Ethafoam circle (the outer rim nicely rounded) with a rectangle cut out of the center, cardboard to glue to the bottom of the circle, foam-core pieces to line the center hole (so it's very smooth), and Ethafoam blocks--I think it's 3 squares plus 4 narrow rectangles, and a cylinder. The hole in the center takes two squares, or one square and two rectangles, or 4 rectangles, or the cylinder plus whichever square/rectangle combination will fill the hole. The cylinder makes it useable as a roller pillow and the squares/rectangles for a block pillow. You have to cover it yourself, and glue the foamcore and cardboard in place, but it's really cheap by US pillow standards--around USD-30 (may have gone up since I got mine). I'm very happy with mine, and I know a lot of othe r happy customers, too. I covered my blocks by a combination of methods. I wrapped the fabric around and sewed the long part shut. I put that seam at a corner/edge, not in the middle of any face of the block. Then I folded the flaps on the ends and pinned those. I glued the fabric around the outside of the cylinder, but used ribbon and pins around the base (over the fabric) and around the box. Robin P. Los Angeles, California, USA - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[lace] Easy Lace and vista
Hello everyone The recent postings about Lace 2000 and vista, prompted me to check out the Easy Lace site vs. vista, which I now have (vista, that is). I am a staunch supporter of the E-L program, no connections, just a satisfied customer etc. etc., and yes from the home page there is some useful information. Then, I saw under new software, a demo version for Easy Knit - so will be playing with that to decide if it is a worthwhile investment. At this time it doesn't seem to be set up for coded instructions as for lace knitting, more for sweaters and intarsia-type pictures. -- Bev (where winter/spring is here, near Sooke, BC on beautiful Vancouver Island, west coast of Canada) - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [lace] Re: what did you do before bobbin lace
Having always (and still) been a stringaholic, I have and still do: needle lace, tatting, crochet, macrame, embroidery and anything else that comes along. I am seriously considering needle lace in wire. I think it would work. Tatting does! I recall my older brother at about age 8, tying some toothpicks together with sewing thread and then proceeding to weave a very respectable simple piece of fabric. My mother gave me a scrap of machine lace that I worried over for a long time, trying to figure out HOW they got the threads to move that way. So, 1 - I noticed that it wasn't just over, under, over, under; 2 - I knew that over, under, over, under was plain cloth and never would have produced this wonder in my hand. Eventually, I acquired the DMC Encyclopedia of Needlework and actually learned how to make bobbin lace from it. (That must be worth a prize in itself!) This being in my macrame phase, and lacking any proper lacemaking tools, I butterflied my threads (silver cord), and used my T-pins and produced ribbons for wrapping Christmas presents. Before Straw Into Gold closed (wonderful thread place in Berkeley, CA), my husband and I wandered through it for most of an afternoon. He couldn't understand why I didn't want a spinning wheel and a loom (always the techie and fascinated by machinery!). My answer was Life is too short!. Patty - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [lace] Replica Christening Gown
There is a photo of the tot in his gown, and with his mum and dad here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7354474.stm The lace - hard to tell what it is :( and in a older article about his big sis' christening, this mention: For the occasion, Louise wore the 163 year old honiton lace and white satin christening gown which was made for Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, Victoria, and is traditionally worn by all members of the royal family. So, if a replica, there could be handmade lace on it, but it would be new handmade lace, I would think. Perhaps a query directed to the Honiton Museum in Devon? On Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 4:02 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: James wore a replica of the satin and lace royal christening gown, which was made in 1841 and had been used for every royal christening until this one. The new robe was commissioned by the Queen to preserve the original. Does anyone know if the replica has machine or handmade lace on it? Any details? -- Bev (near Sooke, BC on beautiful Vancouver Island, west coast of Canada) - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[lace] Re: silk thread - Malta
On Apr 19, 2008, at 15:39, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: What is the source of the silk thread used for Maltese lace? That wonderful luminous cream silk ... No clue about the silk used for Maltese lace, except the fact that the more modern Maltese uses synthetic thread, probably rayon (which can be quite lustrous), as Karen from Malta has said. But. I'd like to share my latest discovery... Part of the fun -- and frustration -- of deciphering the dinosaur laces (ie the earliest ones) is trying to find a thread which is just so to do it with. We know -- from Frieda Sorber's little article (White threads to the past) in Nina Andries' book Onder de loep -- that the linen used in those early laces was not plied or twisted; they used a single ply, which compressed easily in heavily-tensioned plaits, but relaxed and filled the spaces in the cloth-stitched areas. Such dream tread is no longer available to us, at least in the finer grades (I'm told that single-ply weaving linen works well, but it's not very fine). That's one of the reasons why modern reproductions never look quite right. So. For the past couple of months, I've been working on *coloured* early laces. That is, laces which use both metal (or, in my case, metallic) and multi-coloured silk threads. Finding the right silk thread -- one which matched my preferred metallic (Moravia 40/2) in thickness as well as in other characteristics -- posed a problem, until I remembered the Cluny class I took at the IOLI Convention in Montreal. There, we used Au Ver a Soie Soie Ovale to make the petals (leaf tallies) with; its shine contrasted beautifully with the matte of the soie d'Alger we used for stems. I thought I'd give that thread a try in a different -- older -- environment. Soie Ovale is a single ply, very shiny, thread, meant for embroidery. It's composed of what seems like hundreds of spiderweb-thin, barely visible, individual threads -- pretty much like a thread unwound directly from a cocoon, which will also split into many components, once the sericin is removed (it is, also, as difficult to handle; it snags on every skin imperfection you didn't even know you had g). There are many -- though not nearly as many as in Soie d'Alger -- colours available. And it works! Beautifully :) It tends to twist on itself, compacting, when you plait with it. But it untwists/relaxes (some; not as much as I'd like) for the cloth stitched areas. Although I've never seen the piece I'm reproducing now (from Le Pompe, book I) made up, it looks, in spirit, very much like the coloured laces of the period that I *have* seen (in photos or in real life), so I'll be using it again. Possibly, even for all-white laces :) If your Maltese is made with about the same size thread, Soie Ovale might be something to consider for repair work. Their white is optic and unsuitable but creme might do and brut ought to be perfect. -- Tamara P Duvallhttp://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]
[lace] Re: Le Pompe 1559
On Apr 16, 2008, at 5:15, Sue (Harvey) wrote: I was just about to put some books on ebay including Le Pompe 1559 when I noticed another offer of the same title they were asking a starting bid of £49.99 the reason stated was it was 1983 first edition with ISBN 0 903585 16 2 - mine is identical but I was always under the impression that the last number (i.e. 2) meant the edition, so can anyone tell me if I am correct in my assumption that someone is on the make? or have I got a book more valuable than I thought. Ruth Bean -- the publisher of the book -- is (or used to be) on this list and will correct me if I'm wrong, but it has always been my understanding that there had ever been only one edition (and a single imprint) of this one. My copy has the same date and ISBN as yours and cost U$ 19.95+ shipping, 18yrs ago. Which already included the vendor's shipping and profit, since I bought it in US. By today's exchange rates, $19.95 translates to £9.99... How are the mighty fallen! g. -- Tamara P Duvallhttp://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]
Fw: Re: [lace] Le Pompe 1559
-- Forwarded Message -- Sue, Library geek to the rescue! Or at least with a little help. I looked the edition up on the U.S. Library of Congress' website and here's the relevant page: http://catalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v3=1ti=1,1SEQ=20080419234515S earch%5FArg=0903585162Search%5FCode=STNOCNT=25PID=12136SID=1 I hope that helps you out. Robin _ Smart Vacation. Stay Longer, Pay Less! Click Here. _ Click here to save money at the pump with a new gasoline card! http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2121/fc/Ioyw6i3mIJIfeVYAIfd4VEPv4vYva5cfW LJo9lTfMMUfMpo7TAleQJ/ - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[lace] Before BL
On Apr 19, 2008, at 8:42, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: The first time I met Tamara Duvall, (about two months after I started making lace) I was delighted to learn that she had also done miniature work BL (Before Lace). Actually... I had gone through a lot of textile-related handcrafts - in normal size and scale -- before I met Clay; teaching English as a foreign language -- the job I was trained to do -- was not an option in our little town :) I used to make all of my own clothes as well as most of my son's and some of my stepdaughter's and husband's. *That* was probably genetic inheritance from my maternal side; my Mother's father was a tailor by profession and she had been apprenticed to a dressmaker as a child, before ending up in a textile factory as a teenager. But I also knitted (learnt from my Mother), crocheted (learnt at a party, where everyone -- but my hostess and I -- was playing bridge), had a brief love affair with needlepoint and counted cross-stitch, had stab at embroidery (and was really bad at it), at quilting and at rug-knotting (various methods). By the time Clay and I met, I didn't even mention all of those other dead-end roads I had taken in distant past :) I had scaled down the lot -- to 1:12 (miniature) size, because I was bored. And I dropped even that, when I discovered BOBBIN LACE (oooh!)... I'll be curious to hear what others do in addition to their lacemaking! How y'all find the time *to* do anything else is beyond me; somehow, there never seems to be enough time to do everything I want to do, even when I concentrate on just this one little corner of the Textile Kingdom... Of course, I suppose I could stop reading the newspapers and my lefty blogs and make time that way, but since I have an obsessive personality anyway, focusing on just one thing (lace) might not be very healthy for me :) -- Tamara P Duvallhttp://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]
