#learning lace

One year ago today I made my first piece of lace! I had started seeing videos of lacemaking on tiktok and was amazed because I had never seen it before, and didn't understand how it worked. I decided to just watch one video so I could understand what was happening. But after watching the video, it just clicked in my head and I was like I could do that. I went to a thrift shop and bought a box of pins and a huge spool of mystery thread (i think it is a cotton or linen something, still haven't been able to identify it for sure), and got to work.

My first attempt at a setup was using a foam yoga mat as a bolster pillow

but that did not work for me 😂 I couldn't control the bobbins and it was just too big to be manageable. so instead i switched to the laptop case and thus my first two pieces of lace were made

I then started making my way through the beginner torchon patterns from Jo Edkin's Online Lace School.

In November, I moved from Switzerland where I had been attending grad school back home to the US and updated my lace pillow from a laptop case to a folded piece of felt and got my hands on a few different lace books (the three my library had lol) to start trying out some new things (1, 2,3)

For Christmas, I received a lace pillow and some bobbins and was surprised at how much I improved just with the right equipment

In April I did a bunch of research and got to work making myself a Honiton lace pillow. I loved the process of making it and definitely want to make more in the future.

I joined my local lace group and have attended some events and gotten to meet a lot of great people already and hope that I can start attending more events soon! I'm also hoping to maybe start demonstrating at events later this year and share my love for lace with more people.

What a difference a year makes

I'm so so so happy with how it came out!!! Please admire closely that left leaf and pretend the right one isn't there. The filling isn't super pretty but a vast improvement to the leadworks I've done so far. Some of the ones toward the right side are even sort of held their shape and are almost even! It took me a while to figure out how to end them so that they stayed square and didn't distort going into the next stitches.

There was lots to learn doing this pattern again. One, it was the first project on my new pillow so had to get used to the new shape and stuff. I also got some Honiton bobbins now which I did end up really liking!! And of course, the new thread. At first it was a huge pain, I kept breaking the runners off and wanted to cry, but once I got used to how much tension to use ( basically none. since the pillow is so round and domed, the way the bobbins hang off the edge really provides all the tension needed) I really got going! The coarse thread is also now a better size compared to the main thread and I can see how it is adding better stability to the piece (and looks nicer, especially for the petals)! For size comparison, here it is next to the other sunflower I did:

It's doneeeee! Overall very happy with how this turned out! This is my biggest piece so far by dimensions and number of bobbins and time to complete. For sure some problem spots but I love it! Happy with my decision to to the half stitch rose ground and spiders, I think they look good together! And even more improvements on the sewings!

Newest finished piece!! Pretty happy with this! The leaves look a bit funky, I think I'm still using too much tension and maybe not enough bobbins for them. Super happy with the stems and the petals! And hey look! My square lead works are becoming more square! The new technique learned in this one was crossing over a braid. So for example the two bottom leaves use the same bobbins and are not sewn on separately.

Lots of mistakes, especially on the head, but it's my biggest tatted piece so far!! Was very fun to make

Madame Goubaud's Pillow Lace Patterns, and Instructions in Honiton Lace Making, 1871

Some other bits I liked: