[lace] Beeswax?

2010-04-08 Thread Lisa Morey

Hello List Friends,

I just saw a beeswax holder and needlecase auction on Ebay. I'm not  
familiar with the use of Beeswax in bobbin lace. Can someone  
enlighten me?


Lisa

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Re: [lace] Beeswax?

2010-04-08 Thread Clay Blackwell
Beeswax was (is) traditionally used as a lubricant on the pricker to 
keep the needle used for pricking from getting stuck in the pricking 
card.  With the increased use of the blue film over the pricking card, 
and also a tendency among lacemakers  to allow the sandwich of a 
pricking copy plus a card-stock under it with blue film over it to 
suffice for the pricking card, the need for beeswax has been reduced.


Hope this helps...

Clay



On 4/8/2010 7:23 PM, Lisa Morey wrote:

Hello List Friends,

I just saw a beeswax holder and needlecase auction on Ebay. I'm not 
familiar with the use of Beeswax in bobbin lace. Can someone enlighten 
me?


Lisa

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Re: [lace] beeswax

2007-05-13 Thread Joy Beeson

On 5/11/07 7:53 AM, Jenny De Angelis wrote:


You can also use bees wax when embroidering, run the
thread over the bees wax and it keeps all the little
fluffy hairs of the thread smoothed down and helps to
strengthen the thread while sewing.


I sometimes wax thread when sewing seams or hemming,
particularly when I'm using thread not intended for
sewing.  I often, for example, use ravelings from the
fabric for stitches that must continue to match after
the garment has been washed.

When embroidering, I use wax only to stiffen and
sharpen the end of the thread when it refuses to go
into the needle.  Waxing the thread changes its
character, and then it washes out, which would make
embroidery with waxed threads a bit less predictable
than I like.

--
Joy Beeson
http://joybeeson.home.comcast.net/
http://roughsewing.home.comcast.net/
http://n3f.home.comcast.net/ -- Writers' Exchange
http://www.timeswrsw.com/craig/cam/ (local weather)
west of Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S.A.
where strawberries are in bloom.

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[lace] beeswax etc.

2007-05-11 Thread Agnes Boddington

Robin in California wrote:
I know the purpose of this thread was more or less about uses for 
beeswax, but I wanted to point out that some people put a piece of wax 
paper (common in the US, anyway, for wrapping sandwiches, etc., to keep 
them fresh) between the pattern and the pricking card.  Then every 
pinhole lightly waxes the needle as it goes through.  No need to stop 
and stab a beeswax lump.


Robin, is this Cut-Rite wax paper you are talking about? I still have 4 brand 
new roles, and a partly used one. I used to buy this when I lived in 
California, and then my American friend here would get me the odd roll from an 
Air Force base shop. I use it sparingly, and never thought of using it the way 
you describe, but will put some with my lace things now!

Agnes Boddington - finally rainy in Elloughton, East Yorkshire, UK and will get 
my bedding plants in today.

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Re: [lace] beeswax etc.

2007-05-11 Thread Edith Holmes
Instead of the laborious process of putting the lace pricker in to the pot 
of beeswax, if you rub the paper pattern (which is on top of the parchment) 
with beeswax before pricking, it does an equally good job for far less work, 
so more energy for lacemaking!


Edith
North Nottinghamshire 


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[lace] beeswax

2007-05-11 Thread Jenny De Angelis
There was a farmers' market at work today, and one of the traders was 
selling honey and other bee products. I saw a block of beeswax that seemed 
quite inexpensive (GBP 1.25 for a block about 1cm x 2cm x 8cm ish!)


I know that beeswax has something to do with cleaning pins, so I bought 
some. But can anyone tell me how I should use it, and how it doesn't spoil 
the lace!

Viv


Viv, I use my block of beeswas when I am pricking patterns.  Now and then I 
prod the pricking needle into the wax and it makes the needle pierce the 
pricking card more easily.  You can also use bees wax when embroidering, run 
the thread over the bees wax and it keeps all the little fluffy hairs of 
the thread smoothed down and helps to strengthen the thread while sewing.  I 
would not use it for lace threads in this way.


To clean pins the best thing is Pumice Powder.  If you can get a little bit 
of fleece, enough to fill a small pin cushion,  and put a teaspoonful or so 
of  the pumice powder into the centre of  that and enfold it with the 
fleece, you make a pin cushion which you can use now and then, and only now 
and then, to sharpen and clean your lace pins.  If you were to use the pin 
cushion all the time you will wear the pins down as each time they go in and 
out of the pumice pin cushion a little bit of the metal is rubbed away.  You 
used to be able to buy pumice powder form Tim Parker in the UK, but not sure 
if he still sells it in little bags of so many grammes.
Tim's website including his catalogue is at 
http://www.cyberlink.co.uk/timparker/


Regards
Jenny DeAngelis.
Spain.

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Re: [lace] beeswax

2007-05-11 Thread Malvary J Cole

Jenny De Angelis wrote To clean pins the best thing is Pumice Powder.

A quick word of caution - some of the lace pins now being sold by some of 
the suppliers, are  quote from one supplier's website : 'These lacemaking 
pins are nickel plated steel which is stainless.  Under no circumstances 
should these be used with an emery powder pincusion.


Malvary in Ottawa (the Nation's Capital), Canada 


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Re: [lace] beeswax

2007-05-11 Thread RicTorr8
In a message dated 5/10/2007 8:30:42 P.M. Mountain Daylight Time,  
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:

to which  I will add the honey people at the farm market told me that beeswax
is  supposed to be superlative for preparing a baking sheet for cookie dough!
I  haven't tried that though. They had huge cake-size (as in birthday  cake)
slabs of beeswax for sale. The scent was heavenly, but at that size  too much
and too costly for using for little dibs for  lacemaking.





I remember buying big blocks of beeswax from a little farm that kept bees  
for about 5$ each, maybe fifteen years ago. Now that place is gone. Not only  
that, but the bees too, apparently, around the world, are disappearing, so  the 
price of beeswax is likely to skyrocket (though that's only peripheral to  the 
real problem, whatever is causing the decline)... See, e.g., 
_http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/gate/archive/2007/05/09/notes050907.
DTLnl=fix_ 
(http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/gate/archive/2007/05/09/notes050907.DTLnl=fix)
 
 
Well, I digress, but before I go back to minding my own beeswax, I'll  just 
say it's probably best to buy your beeswax now! Someday it will  probably be 
worth its weight in gold! 
 
 
Ricki in Utah (the Beehive State)



** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

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[lace] beeswax

2007-05-10 Thread viv . lace
Dear Friends
There was a farmers' market at work today, and one of the traders was selling 
honey and other bee products. I saw a block of beeswax that seemed quite 
inexpensive (GBP 1.25 for a block about 1cm x 2cm x 8cm ish!)

I know that beeswax has something to do with cleaning pins, so I bought some. 
But can anyone tell me how I should use it, and how it doesn't spoil the lace!
Thanks
Viv
in worcestershire UK

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Re: [lace] beeswax

2007-05-10 Thread Barb ETx
Well, as the widow of a beekeeperaltho' beeswax is great for rubbing
on threads to strengthen them for buttons and beading...it was DH's advice
that,on lace thread,the wax would become a dirt catcher. That is the only way
it would hurt the threads.
Sometimes   I have put pins and needles into wax to  make them work more
smoothly.great for sticky wooden drawer slides, too.
Hope this helps, and this is only MHO!
Smiles,
BarbE
Texas USA



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  From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
  To: lace@arachne.com ; lace@arachne.com
  Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2007 11:15 AM
  Subject: [lace] beeswax


  Dear Friends
  There was a farmers' market at work today, and one of the traders was
selling honey and other bee products. I saw a block of beeswax that seemed
quite inexpensive (GBP 1.25 for a block about 1cm x 2cm x 8cm ish!)

  I know that beeswax has something to do with cleaning pins, so I bought
some. But can anyone tell me how I should use it, and how it doesn't spoil the
lace!
  Thanks
  Viv
  in worcestershire UK

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  --
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Re: [lace] beeswax

2007-05-10 Thread Malvary J Cole
Beeswax is great if you pre-do your pricking - stick your pricker into the 
beeswax and then prick 3 or 4 holes, and repeat.  You will find it is much 
easier to do the pricking.


If you don't pre-do your pricking, you might want to consider taking the 
additional step as it makes your lacemaking go easier saving wear and tear 
on your finger and it also means that you can clean up any irregularities in 
your pricking without the lace on the pillow cluttering up your field of 
view.  (I know before you all squeek - there are some laces when it is 
better to prick as you go!!)


Malvary in Ottawa, Canada 


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Re: [lace] beeswax

2007-05-10 Thread bevw
Hi Viv and everyone

I have tried the pricking method mentioned by Malvary and it is good, and
what Barb says here


Sometimes   I have put pins and needles into wax to  make them work more
 smoothly.great for sticky wooden drawer slides, too.


to which I will add the honey people at the farm market told me that beeswax
is supposed to be superlative for preparing a baking sheet for cookie dough!
I haven't tried that though. They had huge cake-size (as in birthday cake)
slabs of beeswax for sale. The scent was heavenly, but at that size too much
and too costly for using for little dibs for lacemaking.

I still have some beeswax for lace, a wee amount given as a favour at a lace
event. Someone had used plastic bottle tops for the containers, poured
melted beeswax into them, wrapped pretty cord around the outsides, and a
loop to pin it to ... the pricking surface I presume. I didn't use a pillow
for preparing a pricking; I kept a piece of styrofoam and pinned the beeswax
thingie to that. Now with the sort of laces I do, many my own designs, I
don't bother with pricking holes ahead of time, but the beeswax bit is fun
to find in the jumble of lace tools.

-- 
Bev in Sooke BC (on beautiful Vancouver Island, west coast of Canada)

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Re: [lace] beeswax

2007-05-10 Thread robinlace
From: Malvary J Cole [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 Beeswax is great if you pre-do your pricking - stick your pricker 
into the 
 beeswax and then prick 3 or 4 holes, and repeat.  You will find it is 
much 
 easier to do the pricking.

I know the purpose of this thread was more or less about uses for 
beeswax, but I wanted to point out that some people put a piece of wax 
paper (common in the US, anyway, for wrapping sandwiches, etc., to keep 
them fresh) between the pattern and the pricking card.  Then every 
pinhole lightly waxes the needle as it goes through.  No need to stop 
and stab a beeswax lump.

Robin P.
Los Angeles, California, USA
(formerly  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

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Spin direction - was [lace] beeswax, grain etc.

2005-08-13 Thread Brenda Paternoster

On 13 Aug 2005, at 03:45, susan wrote:



i also read some where ramie has to be done this way, or maybe it was 
linen.  it has to be spun in z twists.  maybe it is the s twist, 
i'm not sure, but it can only be spun in that direction, and of course 
plied in the same direction as well.



Linen is nearly always Z-spun and S-plied.

I have a potocopied page from about 20 years ago when I was doing the 
City  Guilds Lacemaking exam.  It's an excerpt from Basic Habits of 
Textile Fibers by Louisa Bellinger, then Curator-Analyst at teh 
Textile Museum Washington DC, c1960


When linen fibers have been wet they rotate as they dry, in the 
direction of the center part of the letter S  ---  As we wash linens 
today, how many of us realize that if the yarns are S-spun, they will 
tighten as they dry; but if they are Z-spun they will unwind?  A linen 
sample, no matter how tight it is stretched to begin with, will loosen 
in a damp climate, if it is Z-spun.


From this, and my own observations of umpteen commercial linen threads 
I'd suggest that it's the direction of the plying that's more 
significant than the initial spin (which will be in the opposite 
direction).  It's the ply direction that I quote in my book.


Bellinger goes on to say:

Cotton yarns from Asia and India, where the spinning of cotton began, 
are Z-spun - the opposite direction from Egyptian linen spinning.  We 
suppose the original users of cotton watched its habits and used it 
accordingly.  In our experience we have found that Z-spun cottons 
tighten with washing, and S-spun cottons tend to pull apart if not 
handled very gently.


My observations are that anything designed for use on a sewing machine 
will be Z-plied, presumably to suit the way that the mechanism works, 
but maybe the early designers of sewing machines knew that Z-plied 
cotton thread is stronger than S-plied and designed their machines to 
suit.


On the other hand, most cotton hand-embroidery threads, and cotton 
threads intended for lacemaking are S-plied.  Does that go back to when 
machine spun cottons were first available and the 
embroiderers/lacemakers who were used to S-plied linen threads wanted 
their new cotton threads to be spun in the same direction?


Brenda
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.uk/

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[lace] beeswax, grain etc.

2005-08-12 Thread Bev Walker
Hi everyone
Have just read through a backlog of many lace-digests...
a few remarks:
Waxing linen is done to reduce friction on the thread, to keep it strong
when having to repeatedly pushing a length through something like fabric
or paper (as in buttonholing, making sails, bookbinding).

If you are spinning flax to use for bobbin lace, take care when spinning
to produce a strand with integrity. Instead of beeswax, use the linen
self-sizing. It is a goo made from water and flax seed, allowed to stand
until a gel forms - wet the fingers then draw the flax fibres to impart
strength to the strand. Linen is already a stiff, un-elastic thread.
Applying beeswax is unnecessary although it could produce an interesting
very stiff effect, if that's what pleases the lacemaker.

In a few weeks I'm giving a talk on handspinning for lace - definitely the
focus will be on fibre alignment, for the handspinners. As others have
pointed out, linen has a definite lengthwise beginning/end. Wool, also -
wool fibres have tiny scales that face upward, which, if the desired
result it a fine, smooth yarn from fleece, have to be facing the same
direction when spun (= worsted-type yarn). If not, the result is fuzzier,
called woollen yarn. Cotton fibres are very short - cotton is spun finely,
and tightly, to give the best results.

To my knowledge the cotton fibres are too short to be carefully aligned
during spinning, so there wouldn't necessarily be 'grain' to cotton
thread - a nap, maybe from the machine-spinning process.

Certainly when plied, whether you look at the strand one way or another,
the ply direction is the same. I can't see that it would make any
difference coming off the spool, unless it is due to nap. But - those
who work with the threads will know best, from experience. I have never
noticed with cotton.

With linen being so definite in its cell alignment, is this why the
continental laces are often started from bundles of single threads? cut
ends always at the same 'end' coming from the spool, or hank?

-- 
bye for now
Bev in Sooke, BC (on Vancouver Island, west coast of Canada)
Cdn. floral bobbins
www.woodhavenbobbins.com

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[lace] Beeswax colour and acidity

2005-08-02 Thread Laceandbits
I confess there isn't any lace content in this at all, except it may help 
clarify the discussion that has been ongoing on the Lace board.

The different colours of beeswax are dependant on how long it's been in the 
hive.  The freshly built comb and the cappings (the wax the bees use to seal 
the chambers,) are very nearly white.  The longer it stays in the hive the 
darker it gets as it crystallises and gets discoloured by day-to-day bee living 
and 
with propolis, the dark amber coloured 'stuff' that bees use to seal up gaps 
in the high.  If the wax is whitened again by industrial processes it is being 
bleached.  

The wooden frames in the hive have a thin, man-made foundation of golden wax 
fitted into them, with the hexagon shapes lightly embossed.  The bees then 
build their comb onto both sides of this, with fresh, nearly white wax.  The 
queen is kept in one storey of the hive and the honey is stored by the bees 
away 
from the brood, so you can take frames from the other storeys and scrape off 
the caps and spin the honey out.  As the wax building is labour intensive, you 
then replace the empty frames ready for the bees to refill, so they can 
concentrate on collecting nectar for honey and pollen to feed the brood.  It 
would 
not be sense to remove that wax unless you were getting a very good price for 
it, as the bees can refill it several times over two or three years.

The 'wild' comb I am referring to is when on the odd occasion a swarm of bees 
take over an empty hive (attracted by the honey/propolis smells in the wood). 
 If this hive isn't full of frames, or if some of those frames have damaged 
foundation in them, the bees revert to nature and fill the spaces with wild 
comb which is a back-to-back cells on an oval or vaguely circular chunk of comb 
which hangs down from the top board of the hive or in gaps in the frames.  When 
the beekeeper realises there are bees in the hive, these stray bits of comb 
are removed and replaced by 'proper' frames.

If you want genuine, natural 'pale as it comes' beeswax you probably need to 
buy direct from a bee keeper who will take the trouble to separate their 
cappings and any bits of 'wild' comb from the bulk of the 2 or 3 year old wax 
from 
damaged or due-to-be- replaced frames.  If you ask for some, it is perfectly 
possible that they can put some through their steamer/separator for you.  
However, mostly they don't bother because the golden colour of beeswax is what 
most 
people expect.

Acid is only actively acid in water, so in wax it won't be active if that 
makes sense.  The acidity in wax is low anyway.  Therefore it seems 
unscientifically possible to conjecture that waxed thread has more protection 
from the 
acidity in the atmosphere than unwaxed.

Jacquie in England

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Re: [lace] Beeswax colour and acidity

2005-08-02 Thread RicTorr8
In a message dated 8/2/2005 4:17:47 AM Mountain Daylight Time, 
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
The different colours of beeswax are dependant on how long it's been in the 
hive.  The freshly built comb and the cappings (the wax the bees use to seal 
the chambers,) are very nearly white.  The longer it stays in the hive the 
darker it gets as it crystallises and gets discoloured by day-to-day bee 
living and 
with propolis, the dark amber coloured 'stuff' that bees use to seal up gaps 
in the high.  If the wax is whitened again by industrial processes it is 
being 
bleached. . . . . 
Thank you, Jacquie -- very enlightening! I don't know if the artists 
beeswax sold here is bleached, or just lacks the propolis, but it is much more 
expensive than the raw wax I used to get from a beekeeper here. I suppose the 
resiny chemicals in propolis could account for the softer, more malleable 
properties of the yellow beeswaxIt's good to learn about this, since I know 
beeswax 
has been used for a long time to strengthen threads. I haven't heard of any 
long-term disintegration problems it might cause (yet), but I'm certainly no 
expert on the subject. At any rate, I'll spring for the more expensive white 
beeswax for my sewing on light threads, assuming that it's not bleached (which, 
if it were, I would suppose could leach disintegrating chemicals into the 
threads over time, knowing how harsh bleach is)

Very interesting to learn all of this, and many thanks again! I'm glad to 
find out about this.

Ricki
Utah USA

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Re: [lace] beeswax

2005-08-01 Thread RicTorr8
In a message dated 7/28/2005 6:17:35 PM Mountain Daylight Time, 
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:

 One thing I haven't seen raised in this thread - I seem to recall that 
 beeswax is acidic. I don't know how acidic, and I don't know if or how 
 beeswax would affect linen thread over time, but it is something to 
 think about.
 
 If somebody has a piece that was made, say, at least 5-10 years ago, 
 that had beeswax on it, it would be interesting to hear from them as to 
 the current condition of the piece. I am always very reluctant to put 
 *anything* onto my linen threads, since the very first linen doily I 
 made turned deep amber brown on the parts where I reinforced my knots 
 with fabric glue.


Maybe none of my beeswax (sorry - couldn't resist!), but could acidity or 
the other characteristics affecting the suitability of beeswax over the 
long-term possibly have to do with whether (or how) it is processed or not? 
I've got 
some raw beeswax, that is yellow and has a distinct aroma (nice! - and 
cheap!), and processed beeswax that is white and odorless. It also seems to be 
harder, and maybe it would be more resistant to collecting dust. (I wouldn't 
use 
raw beeswax on white or light fibers, needless to say, but it's certainly 
useful for sewing on buttons, and certain other utilitarian tasks.)

Ricki
Utah (yup, the beehive state) USA

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Re: [lace] beeswax

2005-08-01 Thread susan
the reason why i was interested in using wax on the thread is because i
am going to spin it myself. i thought it would hold its twist better.
it is going to be wet spun and i will let it dry completely before i
untwist it from the spindle, but i want to make sure it will not
untwist and break.  there is also parafin wax, but i have no idea if
that could be used in its place.  parafin does not have the same
chemical make up of beeswax and may not work at all.  i don't think it
yellows though.  all wax probably can be used in any project, so i
guess it wouldn't matter.  

--- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 In a message dated 7/28/2005 6:17:35 PM Mountain Daylight Time, 
 [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
 
  One thing I haven't seen raised in this thread - I seem to recall
 that 
  beeswax is acidic. I don't know how acidic, and I don't know if or
 how 
  beeswax would affect linen thread over time, but it is something to
 
  think about.
  
  If somebody has a piece that was made, say, at least 5-10 years
 ago, 
  that had beeswax on it, it would be interesting to hear from them
 as to 
  the current condition of the piece. I am always very reluctant to
 put 
  *anything* onto my linen threads, since the very first linen doily
 I 
  made turned deep amber brown on the parts where I reinforced my
 knots 
  with fabric glue.
 
 
 Maybe none of my beeswax (sorry - couldn't resist!), but could
 acidity or 
 the other characteristics affecting the suitability of beeswax over
 the 
 long-term possibly have to do with whether (or how) it is processed
 or not? I've got 
 some raw beeswax, that is yellow and has a distinct aroma (nice! -
 and 
 cheap!), and processed beeswax that is white and odorless. It also
 seems to be 
 harder, and maybe it would be more resistant to collecting dust. (I
 wouldn't use 
 raw beeswax on white or light fibers, needless to say, but it's
 certainly 
 useful for sewing on buttons, and certain other utilitarian tasks.)
 
 Ricki
 Utah (yup, the beehive state) USA
 
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from susan in tennessee,u.s.a.




Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page 
http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs 
 

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RE: [lace] beeswax

2005-08-01 Thread C. Johnson
hmmm,   Beeswax.
I use beeswax to rub over my pricking to prepare it for the job, so the
needle slides in and out better.
I never thought about the content.  A candle would be better I guess?

May the sun shine brightly on your projects today!
Susie Johnson
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Morris, IL USA
http://home.comcast.net/~cjohnson0969/home.html




-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Monday, August 01, 2005 1:51 PM
To: lace@arachne.com
Subject: Re: [lace] beeswax


In a message dated 7/28/2005 6:17:35 PM Mountain Daylight Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:

 One thing I haven't seen raised in this thread - I seem to recall that
 beeswax is acidic. I don't know how acidic, and I don't know if or how
 beeswax would affect linen thread over time, but it is something to
 think about.

 If somebody has a piece that was made, say, at least 5-10 years ago,
 that had beeswax on it, it would be interesting to hear from them as to
 the current condition of the piece. I am always very reluctant to put
 *anything* onto my linen threads, since the very first linen doily I
 made turned deep amber brown on the parts where I reinforced my knots
 with fabric glue.


Maybe none of my beeswax (sorry - couldn't resist!), but could acidity or
the other characteristics affecting the suitability of beeswax over the
long-term possibly have to do with whether (or how) it is processed or not?
I've got
some raw beeswax, that is yellow and has a distinct aroma (nice! - and
cheap!), and processed beeswax that is white and odorless. It also seems to
be
harder, and maybe it would be more resistant to collecting dust. (I wouldn't
use
raw beeswax on white or light fibers, needless to say, but it's certainly
useful for sewing on buttons, and certain other utilitarian tasks.)

Ricki
Utah (yup, the beehive state) USA

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