[lace] fan questions
I have been working on Louise Colgan's torchon fan from her book "Bobbin Lace Fans" and have come up with a couple of questions. I am using Egyptian Cotton 36/2 and it looks like it might end up looking a tiny bit skimpy in the cloth stitch trails. If I make it again using the same thread, I will probably add a pair or two in the trail. It is difficult to tell while all the pins are still in and it is only half-way finished, but in case it does look thin, I wondered if using an afficot might help. After reading the discussions about the afficot, it sounds as though it burnishes the fibers by mashing them down, causing them to flatten and mat together. I would think that would give a cloth stitch area a denser look. I would probably try it on a sample piece of cloth stitch first, but I was curious if anyone else had ever solved a similar problem using the burnishing technique. I have really appreciated all the videos and explanations of tallies, (and David, I got a kick out of your New England Patriots sweatshirt!) Now I wonder if someone could help me with a few hints on tensioning headside fans. I seem to have a problem getting a nice curve in the warp threads. If I pull too tightly the cloth stitch fans (or in this case hearts) have very straight warp threads which kind of ruins the curving outline of the headside. If I try to tension more gingerly, it tends to look bunched up and uneven and I get an overwhelming urge to yank the threads straight! I particularly noticed this problem when I was working with linen. I love the hand and crispness of linen, but it was very difficult for me to tension--I think from the slubbiness of it. The cotton slides into place with less effort, but I am still not satisfied with how the headside looks. Any ideas? My last question is about fan sticks. Where can I get them? I have only seen a few websites here in the U.S. that mention them and there seems to be no variety. Is there anyone who has information on where I may find a supplier with an assortment of stick sizes, styles, and materials? And for those of you who have made and mounted lace fans, what did you prefer-- a contrasting stick color and thread color, or matching the color of stick to thread as closely as possible. I know it really boils down to personal preference, but any guidelines or tips would be appreciated! TIA Elise in Maine, U.S.A. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
Re: [lace] hollow bobbins
The person who makes these bobbins is Richard Pikul who lives in Ontario. He designed them himself, with consultation from a relative in England who is a lacemaker. They were designed to be used instead of spangled bobbins, and the weight he puts inside the bobbin gives it a perfect balance. I have quite a few of them now, and really enjoy using them. Clay L.Snyder wrote: Hi Noelene; I have in my possession some bobbins that are weighted. Originally they would have been hollow. They do not have spangles, just a little wooden button on the end that would be holding the weight in. Mine are square. I got these at IOLI this summer from the Canadian Lacemaker Gazette. Their turner must have got the idea from somewhere. Bev Walker might know. I like my pair :-) Lauren Snyder - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] hollow bobbins
Hi Noelene; I have in my possession some bobbins that are weighted. Originally they would have been hollow. They do not have spangles, just a little wooden button on the end that would be holding the weight in. Mine are square. I got these at IOLI this summer from the Canadian Lacemaker Gazette. Their turner must have got the idea from somewhere. Bev Walker might know. I like my pair :-) Lauren Snyder - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
Re: [lace] Hollow Bobbins
I've never seen any like this either! But I wonder if perhaps the owner of the bobbins liked the sound made when they were used? They probably make quite a musical sound! Clay pene piip wrote: Hi Noelene, How very intriguing!! I don't think I've seen any bobbins like the ones you have. The only bobbins I've seen at the National Museum here in Tartu are long, thin & tapered at the end. Can you post a photo of at least a pair of them, so we can see what they look like? Thanks, Pene in Tartu, Estonia, where the sun is shining today, but the leaves are changing & dropping all ready. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
Re: [lace] roller pillow plans
Hi Dona - When I (or I should say, my DH) built my first roller pillow, we used Pamela Nottingham's description of constructing a French roller pillow as our guide, but scaled it up to make a larger pillow, very similar to the size of Toustou's large roller pillow. The way we secured the roller was by using a wedge which was pressed into place on one side of the roller, between the wooded edge of the roller and the side of the roller box. It doesn't take a lot of pressure to put it in place, and it holds very well. An advantage to this is that it's easy to take out when you want to shift the roller a bit, or take it out of the pillow altogether. Your DH could also get creative and do some chip-carving on it to make it really attractive!! The book, "Kloppel/Kissen/Stander" (now out of print) has lots of pictures of lovely old pillows from European countries. There are numerous ways that rollers are held in place illustrated in this book. One which I find particularly elegant is a Danish pillow which has a notched section on one end and is held in place by a bit of wood which is secured to the back of the pillow. The wood is just flexible enough to bend outward enough to release the roller when you want it to turn. I will send you a picture of this in a separate email! Clay Dona B. wrote: Good evening. The list has been very quiet the last few days so after a conversation with my husband this evening discussing roller pillows, I thought I'd ask the list for input. I have a roller pillow that I made 11 years or so ago using Doris Southard's pattern. It's been a nice pillow to work on but I've figured out a few things I'd like to change. One being I'd prefer a cut out in the back of the pillow for the roller to sit in as opposed to the box it sits in now. The second, I'd like a different way to secure the roller. I have a hole cut out in the back of the wooden box to place a long hat pin through and into the roller but it is covered by the padding. Not always easy to find if the pin gets taken completely out. I've at times resorted to using a length of braid that I pin to the pillow and then to the roller. I'm looking at a more permanent way to secure the roller similar to that used on a weaving loom with a cogged wheel but can't figure what or where I'd place something to hold each notch. Are there any good plans for making such a roller pillow? I've not found any in my searches on Google. Or are there some good photos of a roller pillow with such a feature? I've found photos of Simon Toustou's lovely pillows but can't tell if one of the ends of the roller is notched or not. I have a husband who enjoys and is good at woodworking who currently has space with a workshop set up and the time to play. It's a win-win situation if he's gets to play with his wood and tools and I get a new pillow. :-) Dona Bushong in Groton, CT where it's turned quite cool tonight. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
Re: [lace] Hollow Bobbins
Hi Noelene, How very intriguing!! I don't think I've seen any bobbins like the ones you have. The only bobbins I've seen at the National Museum here in Tartu are long, thin & tapered at the end. Can you post a photo of at least a pair of them, so we can see what they look like? Thanks, Pene in Tartu, Estonia, where the sun is shining today, but the leaves are changing & dropping all ready. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] Geometrical Bucks Point
Dear Arachnids My book 'All about making - Geometrical Bucks Point Lace' has nearly sold out and I am making arrangements to reprint. My computer was not saving properly just before the original print, thus the many typos that slipped through. Aurelia is very generously proof reading for me and correcting my many commas and hyphens. Please will you let me know if you have spotted any other problems, the more I can correct the better. Due to a miscalculation I restricted the original Index when in reality I had two more pages that I could have used. Please will you let me know of any more entries that you would like to see listed and I will add them. There will be no changes to the general page layout and I will send the updated index to everyone who contributes. Looking forward to your replies. Alex - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
