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| The first thing that most people do when making lace is to prick the design out on card. Tiny holes are made to indicate where the pins will be placed and it is a good idea to put some design marks on the pricking to make sense of an apparently random set of holes. On a larger scale pricking it is possible to mark the way that the thread will travel from one pin to another; with a smaller gauge it may only be possible to outline the main design elements. | |||
| The pricking is pinned to a lace pillow and the lower part of it is covered with a cloth to prevent the thread catching. The first pins are placed in the appropriate holes and pairs of bobbins, wound with thread, are hung on them. The way in which these threads are crossed (left bobbin over the one to its right) and twisted (right bobbin over the one to its left) determine the stitch that will be produced. After a stitch with whatever variation of crosses and twists has been completed a pin is 'put up' and usually, though not always, there will be a further stitch to enclose the pin. The pins in the centre of the design can be removed as each section is completed though the ones on the edges (the headside and footside) are left in as long as convenient in order to keep the shape of the lace. | |||
| Bobbins are essential to this type of lace. They supply just enough tension to the thread so that the lace can be worked evenly. Because they are so beautiful they have several pages for themselves to show my bobbin collection. | |||
| You can also see a close-up of the picture at the top of this page. |
