Pins have been around for a very long time but they have never been a cheap
item to purchase.
A phrase that you may have come across is 'pin money' used these days to
describe a job that pays badly but in the Regency / Victorian period 'pin
money' was what was often left to someone to buy househ
Hi Robin
Thank you Robin, most interesting, the lacemaker is obviously enjoying
herself. It mentions cactus spines but does not show them. However, I think
the cactus spines could work as they are long and fine, but would they be
dangerous to use? It would be better if someone has actually tr
Last week I saw a small bolster pillow from Brazil with strong thorns
used as pins. I was in a workshop in Italy and one of the
participants brought this little gem in to show us. Nobody in the
class could identify the thorns. They were about 4 cm long, strong,
smooth and very pointy, making them
Hello Lacemakers,
If anyone will heading to New Mexico over the next week,
consider attending the Albuquerque Fiber Arts Fiesta (May 26, 27, 28). Our
lace exhibit will feature juried and judged lace, demos, and a selection of
vintage and antique pieces owned by our members. The Lacemaker of Ohi
The Brazilians do use thorns from a tree to use as pins. They are very sturdy
and quite effective. After a while, the blunt end tends to get a little mushy
and looks a little like a fuzzy top. Some use bobbins that have had a nut
stuck onto the end of a thin stick. I've tried to use this type o
Wow. So they're making modern commercial quality lace using cactus thorns.
That takes skill! But, come to think of it, when you use pins to make lace,
you don't hold something together, you more or less put the pins on boards
and wind your thread around it. So you could definitely do this wi
In fact, I have often wondered if it wasn't some kind of technical or
commercial development regarding pins that was responsible for the switch to
point ground laces from those with Flemish or plaited grounds. Point ground
laces take less time to make. If you have more pins than time, why not
Dear Arachnids
Thank you for all the replies. I think we have had plenty of evidence that
thorns have been used as subsitutes for pins and we have had some interesting
comments about pins in general.
I find these discussions are always enlightening. Long may Aachne last.
Happy lacemaking
Alex
