Re: [lace] Re: Architect's Linen Comparables
What I have done a few times is to machine stitch around the lines of the needlelace pattern without any thread in the machine. Granted sometimes it is more difficult to find the same hole coming back up but that is just as much a problem without the machine punched holes anyway. Eve Poole, Dorset, UK On 09/01/2011 17:50, Jane Partridge wrote: I never pre-prick for needlelace, as the chances of coming back up through three layers of calico into the same hole in the pattern without taking an age to do are very slim. You would need quite a large hole pricked to ensure the calico doesn't close up on you between pricking and couching, even without the possible movement of the fabric layers. (Calico in the UK is, I believe, called muslin in the US - our muslin is a much finer, coarser woven cloth). - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com
Re: [lace] Re: Architect's Linen Comparables
I'm a bobbin lacer and I always pre-prick my pricking. I am just finishing up the project I have where I used manila folders covered with clear sticky backed plastic. The nicest part about pre-pricking, aside from accuracy is sometimes I can feel the hole before I can see it. There are three problems I have found with sticky backed plastic. First is the adhesive appears to collect on the pins. Second, when placing a pin, the pin will catch on the plastic and feel like a hole when there isn't one. Third, with sewings both my eye-out and my crochet hooks have ended up between the film and the manila card. I was able to print on the card and covered it with a transparent rectangle in my choice of color so I did not need colored plastic. I do have to agree with a teacher who lead a workshop last November here in Austin. If you start by printing on a piece of paper and tape it to the card stock to prick it. Afterwards you remove the paper and mark the patterns in indelible ink, I use a dip-pen. When you finish marking up your pricking, you know your pricking. I have recently order pricking card from a favored vendor in Ithaca, New York. It is very thick. I cannot wait to try it. Before getting the pricking card I found some thick card at an art supply here in Austin. In working with it is started to delaminate on one corner, but I have the pricking done and it is a one time project (I think). I did see a note somewhere on prick material where there was a warning about splitting, which I assume is similar to the layer coming apart like mine did. Just my feeling, and I still feel I am very much a beginner, after two and a half years. I am interested in others experience and feelings on this matter. TTFN Pat T. -Original Message- From: Jane Partridge Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2011 11:50 AM To: Susan Reishus Cc: lace@arachne.com Subject: [lace] Re: Architect's Linen Comparables In message <801520.9637...@web34404.mail.mud.yahoo.com>, Susan Reishus writes With a little research, I see successful attempts to make or replace architect's linen has been accomplished using Weldbond glue/adhesive in a 50:50 ratio (Weldbond to water) on brown wrapping/packaging paper (or heavier), or could be to linen, itself. I think most people I know have moved on to using coloured, matt where possible, sticky backed plastic which is easily obtainable as book covering film. I also discovered a source of clear matt adhesive plastic in the decorating department of our local Co-op Department Store - amongst the plastics used for covering windows and shelves. This worked out quite a bit cheaper per metre than the coloured variety available from lace suppliers and stationers. My question regarding your suggestion would be why buy brown paper and the Weldbond (even if we can get it here!) and spend time diluting, pasting the paper and waiting for it to dry when the adhesive plastic films work as well and are bought ready-to-use? Query: Needlelacers, do you tend to pre-prick before sewing down your couching or outlines, or just work with your needle? I think it is easier on the hands, and helps with the execution/placement to pre-prick at times. Bobbin lacers, do some of you pre-prick also (aside from the lace styles that are almost exclusively done that way). I only pre-prick for bobbin lace, and always do so (have once tried without, and decided I prefer to have the holes ready for the pins to find - which can be easier on the eyes!). I never pre-prick for needlelace, as the chances of coming back up through three layers of calico into the same hole in the pattern without taking an age to do are very slim. You would need quite a large hole pricked to ensure the calico doesn't close up on you between pricking and couching, even without the possible movement of the fabric layers. (Calico in the UK is, I believe, called muslin in the US - our muslin is a much finer, coarser woven cloth). -- Jane Partridge - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com
Re: [lace] Re: Architect's Linen Comparables
I think that the lines between needle and bobbin lace are blurred again. Bobbin lace - Plastic over photocopy of pricking, with extra paper layers or card behind unless the pillow is very firm. A bobbin lace pricking, whatever form it takes, will be rigid as it is on a pillow. Its job is to allow accurate placement of the pins, and to help support the pins to keep that accurate placement. Needlelace - Plastic over photocopy sewn onto a pad of several layers of fabric (old sheet, calico (UK) or muslin (US)). Its job is to support the outline of the design, be flexible enough to hold in the hand or curve on a bolster type pillow, and at times fold almost in half to allow the placement of difficult stitches, while at the same time being firm enough to not allow the tension of the stitches to pull it out of shape So althought the starting point is the same plastic over photocopy, the end use is very different. With bobbin lace it was often used just to give a contrast colour behind the (traditionally) white thread, now it seems sometimes to be considered nearly essential. However, as the lace just sits on top of the rigid pricking, so long as you can see what you are doing you don't *need* the plastic and I very rarely use it - only if I am going to stiffen the lace on the pillow. For my prick-as-I-go Milanese I photocopy onto coloured light-weight art card, for my other pre-pricked laces I photocopy straight onto the thinnest real pricking card - I have already drawn it all in on my design draft and don't see the need to do it again! For needlace the important thing is to have a surface which is going to make a barrier between the lace/needle and the paper whereupon sits the design - without the plastic (or architects linen) the paper would soon crumple and tear, and the fibres would work their way up into the lace. The contrast colour is also helpful! Many years ago now one of my students started several pieces of work at home which were in the form of white thread, white photocopy and we added the blue sticky plastic retrospectively in class. One week she arrived with a big smile on her face as she'd remembered the plastic *before* she started the lace, and yes, you've guessed it, she was now working with blue thread. Calico in the UK is a beigey/off white cotton fabric, available in different weights, with lots of dressing in it as you buy it. Once it is washed it makes a good base for needlelace, but before it is a bit stiff. The small cottage print type fabric, assuming you mean the weight that would commonly be used for patchwork and quilting is just called 'cotton fabric' (except in some patchwork fabric shops who are gradually being influenced by the US patchwork books and magazines and are beginning to call it calico!), or if it's plain colour, possibly cotton lawn. Muslin in the UK is a now loosely woven fabric, and not always very even, which is why Jane said course as in the sense 'not top quality', made of a fine thread, which is why she said fine. I think historically it would have been much better quality as it is the sort of fabric the Regency dresses were made from. I can see your confusion as she used two words basically meaning the opposite. Hope this helps. Jacquie in Lincolnshire - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com
Re: [lace] Re: Architect's Linen Comparables
As Pat will soon find out, the nicest pricking to work on is one done on card, and then inked in. Without the plastic layer, you can feel where the holes are. With the plastic layer the holes close back up so it is hard to feel them and then hard to push the pin through. Make sure you use a needle in the pricker that is the same size or slightly smaller than the pins you are to use. Use either waxed paper between the photocopy and the card, or just rub over the back of the pricking with wax of some sort; I use beeswax as DH is a beekeeper so there's always some around, but a candle works just as well. The old way was to dip the pricker into a wax block ever few holes; a gunky waxy lump soon forms against the bottom of the needle. It was a light bulb moment when someone showed me how to rub the wax onto the paper to save all that extra work. But with the thick card it will be hard work pricking without any wax to lubricate it. The very heaviest card is only 'needed' for lace like Honiton or Duchesse where you are going to do a lot of needlepin sewings - so you don't end up scratching a hole right through as you try to achieve them - but it can of course be used for any lace. But you don't need to reverse technology as far as a dip pen, unless you are very comfortable using one. Lots of the fine fibre tip (0.1) pens are waterproof and indelible, and for drawing curves for spiders legs (my preferred method to straight lines radiating from the centre hole) or to be able to do the trails as a fluent continuous zigzag they are much easier to use. Jacquie in Lincolnshire - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com
Re: [lace] Re: Architect's Linen Comparables
I'm talking here from a needle lace perspective, not considering bobbin lace at all. From what you have just written, I think the fact that you don't feel people are addressing your question may be because you are assuming architects' linen to be like a high quality paper. What I was sold as architects' linen (for needle lace purposes) feels almost like plastic. It feels more than just starch in it. The linen in it is almost invisible. You can draw on the matte side, and then work on the shinier side. Neither side is sticky. So working on sticky-backed plastic would not be all that different, apart from possibly feeling sticky when couching down the outline threads. I hope this helps to clear up that issue. As to muslin, in England muslin is very different from the plain white / cream cotton fabric which is described in the United States as muslin. The two countries use the same name for entirely different fabrics. Muslin in England is more like cheese-cloth. It is loosely woven and coarse fabric. You can more or less see-through it as it is so loosely woven. This may have been what Jane meant by finer. Sue - Original Message - From: "Susan Reishus" To: "post to Arachne" Sent: Monday, January 10, 2011 9:32 AM Subject: [lace] Re: Architect's Linen Comparables My interest, is working upon a traditional and richer medium, such as architect's linen or it's comparables. To me, plastic isn't friendly, though can serve it's purpose. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com
Re: [lace] Re: Architect's Linen Comparables
Years ago when I started working in a drawing office one of the things we had to do was as follows; we were given a hanky sized square of architects linen and we had to wash off the coating to create our own cleaning cloth for cleaning our ink pens with. It's a very slimy job. As soon as the linen hits the water the 'dressing goes very slimy' and takes quite a bit of rubbing and scrubbing to get that coating off the linen. Once the dressing is washed off however you have an incredibly fine piece of linen left behind. Unfortunately I am unable to help with what the starchy dressing is made of I'm afraid. I'd be interested to know. Off to google it now. Claire Kent, UK. Was lovely and sunny this morning. Normal service has been resumed now sadly. Claire Allen www.bonitocrafts.co.uk Crafty stuff I want to show off. On 10 Jan 2011, at 15:47, Sue Babbs wrote: > I'm talking here from a needle lace perspective, not considering bobbin lace > at all. From what you have just written, I think the fact that you don't feel > people are addressing your question may be because you are assuming > architects' linen to be like a high quality paper. > > What I was sold as architects' linen (for needle lace purposes) feels almost > like plastic. It feels more than just starch in it. The linen in it is almost > invisible. You can draw on the matte side, and then work on the shinier side. > Neither side is sticky. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com
RE: [lace] Re: Architect's Linen Comparables
Ping!! Jacqui, that just put on my light bulb too, how come I have never thought of waxing the card instead of the pricker?And they say that you can't teach an old dog new tricks!! Sue M Harvey Norfolk UK - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com
