Lesley's Lace

Adventurous Kitty

Gift pattern of my tiny Adventurous Kitty. Ideal for inserting in keyfobs, phone cases and cards.

This little Adventurous Kitty design is aimed at the confident beginner and beyond. Two Kitties are provided already filled with Bedfordshire Lace and Honeycombe ground. The Kitty Template is left empty for you to put in your own fillings. Use a picot edge for a fluffier Kitty, add colours, add sequins, add a new ground, be adventurous! Prints out at A4.

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Muaiga Muffins

In my customary 'made up as I go along' manner, I make cakes the same way. This is the latest favourite bake. It's all about making it as simply and least messy way possible, I am not a fan of cleaning up mess afterwards.

I don't usually weigh ingredients, so this time I have put the bowl on a scale and set it to zero before adding the next ingredient.

Not sure why, but I started with the fat, half margerine and half peanut butter this time, it looked about right to me and the scales say 116g this time.

I usually use much soggier bananas, often two rather than one and add more flour, oats, maybe coconut to off set the wetness. This time I cut up a small eating apple into little bits and cut the banana about the same.

Next the eggs go in. These lovely posh orange yolked eggs were not as large as normal so I chucked 3 in.

Sugar weighed in at 107g, I don't use much sugar, the fruit is often sweet enough but I tipped the jar a bit too fast. To offset the sweetness, I didn't add the sultanas or coconut.

Couple of handfulls of rolled oats. Forgot to weigh them! I like to throw these into any wet mixes because they hold the cake together well, are good for old folks and make it easier to carry on walks etc.

Good old self raising flour. 173g this time, could have added more, would have made more cakeiness to wrap around the fruit but it was enough this time as the banana wasn't over ripe.

Forgot I had these crystalized ginger pieces so cut some up and threw them in.

Chocolate chips - yippee! (I may have saved a few in the bag for my secret stash, shhh!)

Yes, I admit it, I use my marmalade making spoon for cake too. It has a long handle and I put my mixing bowl on a stool so it's easier to stir stuff up. It is a bit stiff to start with but soon blends with gentle folding. We like the lumps of fruit so no point whizzing it all up in a mixer (and creating more fuss and washing up).

This looks about right. A good batter consistancy and plenty of lumps left. I could add more flour or oats but it seems to cook better left like this. I didn't put any spices in this time, you can add any you like, personally I go for mixed spice and maybe a bit of molasses or black treacle for a winter cake.

Makes 6 or 7 large muffins (or cakes as we call them). I always use an extra little tin to make one for my Mum who likes to cut a little cake into pieces.

Middle shelf of the oven at gas number 3 or 4 (the numbers have rubbed off the dial) for about half an hour. Test with a clean cool knife poked down the centre, if any mixture comes up, then it needs a bit longer, if melted chocolate comes up, you can lick that off later.

Also known as battle cake, these are particularly handy on walks, shoved in a pocket or handbag. There are not many cakes you can do that with!

Happy caking!

Logrithmic Bow - Updated June 2024

Pattern has been updated, and made available in 2 sizes to allow for different paper sizes in US. Now in A4 and US Letter size.

Digging through my old designs, I found this experimental logarithmic Torchon lace pattern.

I made a few of these using the basic pricking with different stitches drawn on by hand.

Seems a shame to leave it languishing in the dark so here I present another little gift for those who like to play about with a pattern.

It takes 18 pairs, you can add in gimp threads, or some extra passive threads at the edges.

New A4 size pattern

Letter size pattern

Old Pattern

Adventurous Seahorse Video

Dipping into the world of video tutorials. A few verbal typos but videoing in one take using just a mobile phone is nerve wracking!

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Hope this helps you to begin making and playing about with my Adventurous Seahorse gifted pattern and other hobbies as they happen.

Adventurous Seahorse

Presenting a new gift pattern of the Adventurous Seahorse.

The idea behind this gift pattern is to encourage experimentation using a simple pattern which can be altered again and again.

It will help if you have experience with cloth stitch, half stitch and adding extra twists and adding pairs to start with, then add picots, braid edges, mix the cloth with the half stitch, add beads, add sequins, add different threads, go mad with colours!

Start with cloth stitch along the nose, this will give you an idea of how many passives you will need to add for your chosen threads. Aim for a snug cloth stitch, if it is too spaced out, add more passives. The only thing that remains constant is the worker pair, try and keep this to the same thickness of thread, even if it changes bobbins if you work in half stitch.

This pattern can be used for teaching and sharing as the original A4 only, with due respect to my copyright.

Guide to thread sizes. Add more or less passives as needed.

8-10 cm = DMC 80 (27-29 wpc)

12-13 cm = DMC 40 to 50 or equiv. 15 cm = no 20 to 30 crochet threas 14-16 wpc.

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Lost Art

My Mum is fascinated by the worms in her compost bin and likes to check they are doing well. It tickled me when she said she had to lean in and stir the compost because she couldn't see them when it was newly set up. This image came to mind. I embroidered this design onto a piece of her skirt from the scrap box.

Pillow quilts

Before l made bobbin lace, l used embroidery as a colourful way to combine my doodles and threads. I heard about using little quilts as bobbin lace pillow covers and had great fun making these.

Such a good way to enjoy seeing the work l did and not have it languishing in a box.

This is 'Tally' a little elephant l designed and made in Bedfordshire lace. Sitting in the garden lends itself more to embroidery than lace making so l made Tally again in full colour.

Thread Chicken

I played at thread chicken again😁🐓. Several bobbins were running out of thread. I was so near the end of a piece so l risked tying short ends to fresh bobbins, hoping l would finish before the knot was reached. It got It got very close!

This pattern is from a book, not one of my designs for a change. A good way to learn new techniques is to pick the most complicated piece in the book to start on.

Hotch Potch

Hotch Potch, the rare 'Threadendicus Ridikulus' bird likes to play with spangling beads and read lace magazines.

This daft bird started as a quick sketch, destined to disappear in the depths of the photo files until l was looking for something to use up all the odd colours and different size threads left on bobbins which were not being used, but didn't want to waste.

Himself did point out that Hotch Potch closely resembles the huge, fierce, but now extinct 'Terror' bird which stood taller than a man, and could probably have eaten one!

I like to think that Hotch Potch will show a little more restraint and l don't mind losing an odd spangling bead to him if it stops him nibbling my ankles!

Tiny dragon

Where else would you find a tiny glass dragon but on a tiny mushroom pincushion?

Muaiga Lace - Little Fox Howl

Looks a bit like Milanese, but it is what l call 'Muaiga' lace.

The fun of this piece is that there is no pattern other than the outline, the filling made up as l go along which gave rise to the acronym 'Muaiga' Made Up As I Go Along...or Made Up As You Go Along.

The direction of work and number of bobbins are what l actually used, there is no need to follow these suggestions.

Pillow tool tidy

l needed something to keep my longer tools handy without taking up space on my pillow or rolling away all the time. This is what l made, a pillow tool pocket to pin onto the side of my angled pillow.

0h look, a skating rink!

Finished my Bedfordshire style letter 'O' design and these cheeky little penguins jumped in to skate about!

Guiding Star

My Guiding Star Pattern, a gift in memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll

I had just started making my Guiding Star when the news came in of the loss of our dear Queen Elizabeth ll.

A few days later I was in town choosing fabric when everyone in the little shop made for the door, one of the ladies offered to stay behind to serve me. I didn't want to hold anyone up so asked what was happening.

"To hear the Proclamation of King Charles lll being read out in the square."

I wasn't going to miss a piece of history, and would not want to stop anyone else so the ladies locked up and we all went to witness the event. That evening, I finished the Guiding Star. I shall always remember this pattern and the changing moment in time when this star came into being.

Queen Elizabeth ll was patron of over 600 charities. I chose to gift this pattern to lacemakers to mark the occasion and would love it if a donation could be made to a charity instead of paying for this pattern.

Bedfordshire/Cluny style lace - 60 Pairs - 18.5 cm hight - Print at A4

30wpc - suggested threads Gutermann Quilting Cotton. Presencia Finca Bolillos 30 or 40 Madeira Tanne / Cotona 30. DMC Broder Machine 30

Made using a Cluny technique for crossing over a trail. I do prefer this method because if gives a smoother edge to the trails.

Start at the tip and work down both sides to end at the point.

Edge trail uses 6 passives, inner circle uses 4 passives.

The downloadable .pdf pattern sheet is in the Files tab on my Lesley's Lace facebook page.

The A4 .jpeg can be copied from here, or my Lesley's Lace facebook page.

Please always respect the copyright of the designer.

This pattern must only be shared in its original form and cannot be sold.

If you wish to teach from this, or any other of my free patterns, please ask for permission first.

If you wish to include any of my patterns in group news letters or magazines, please ask first, and let me have a copy for my records.

Have fun!

The Half Stitch Mystery

I found half stitch really difficult when I started, and this is how I made sense of it. There are many ways to make half stitch for different effects but for the beginner ribbon, this helped me.

Half stitch has a different rhythm to cloth stitch.

One of the worker pair (Fred) makes a new 'friend' at each half stitch. You can see Fred weaving across through the passives as you work, leaving behind his new 'friend' at each stitch, going off with a new 'friend' and leaving a horizontal, single thread weaving from side to side.

If you lose track, find the horizontal thread coming from the pin, that is Fred.

If you use two twists around the pin, Fred will stay as your main worker. This means you can keep control of the tension on the last row or two.

If you have passives to work in cloth stitch at the edge of a piece, use Fred and the friend he is with. When you reach the passives work through with cloth stitch. on returning to the half stitch ground, put extra twist on Fred and friend so Fred is always leading.

Starlight Kangaroo

'Starlight Kangaroo' pattern is my gift to Australian bobbin lacemakers who challenged me to design one, though anyone is welcome to make this little creature.

The five silver stars of the Southern Cross feature in this little Bedfordshire Lace style kangaroo. The leaves and flowers of the Golden Wattle make a trail down the tail and the leg.

Print at A4

PDF is available.

This pattern is not to be sold or republished digitally or in print without permission. Personal use only. You may sell the Starlight Kangaroo made in lace if you wish. All patterns, diagrams and photographs remain copyright of Lesley F. Williams 2022

The downloadable .pdf pattern sheet is in the Files tab on my Lesley's Lace facebook page.

The A4 .jpeg can be copied from here, or my Lesley's Lace facebook page.

Please always respect the copyright of the designer.

This pattern must only be shared in its original form and cannot be sold.

If you wish to teach from this, or any other of my free patterns, please ask for permission first.

If you wish to include any of my patterns in group news letters or magazines, please ask first, and let me have a copy for my records.

Have fun!

My Nostalgic Choice of Thread.

My preference for the Empress Mills thread is based on a nostalgic fondness for the part of England where I was raised and where this thread is made.

There are probably many threads better suited to fine lace making, something to do with the direction of the twists and the number of cores.

White 4,000m reel

I buy 4,000m reels because I am continuously refining new designs on the pillow. Using a plentiful supply of matching thread is one less thing to think about when I am elbow deep in a pillow full of bobbins! Any yarn left on the bobbins will always match up and I only need to de-thread the bobbins when I change to a new reel.

One day I hope I will use some of the beautiful threads I am hoarding!

This thread is not as widely available as others (although it is online) so here a list of a few comparable threads about the same wpc (wraps per centimetre) as listed in Brenda Paternoster’s ‘Threads for Lace’ book (sadly now out of print) the twists and the finishes will vary, as will the handling.

Wraps per Centimeter

I am using Empress Mills long staple Egyptian Cotton Machine Quilting 50s - 3Z - 27 wpc.

Comparables are:-

Gutermann Quilting 3Z - 28 wpc

Presencia Finca Bolillos 30 - 3Z - 27 wpc

Presencia Finca Bolillos 40 - 3Z - 29 wpc

Sulky
Premium All Purpose Mercerized Cotton 30wt - 2Z - 27 wpc

Valdani All Purpose mercerised cotton 35wt - 2Z - 28 wpc

Madeira Tanne / Cotona 30 - 2Z - 29 wpc

Mettler Quilting Art no 136 - 40/3 - 3Z - 28 wpc

This is by no means an exhaustive list, many threads have become discontinued, new threads are constantly being released and, of course, it varies so much from country to country.

This is how I keep the thread clean. A hole in the top dispenses the thread and the reel stays still. The larger reels like this are designed to have the thread taken from the top of the reel, not from spinning around like the smaller ones.

Thread dispenser

Gift of a Sunflower

I present my gift of a sunflower motif to help spread a bit of cheer.

Made with 46 pairs and cotton thread of 30 wraps per centimetre it measures 8.5cm tall. Techniques used are leaf tallies, changing colours, plaits, double picots, half stitch, adding and throwing out pairs, starting edge and plaits in two directions

There are a few ways of adding/taking out coloured threads. Look at the photo on the blue background. The deep yellow of the circle around the petals can be seen running into the top of the green stalk. The yellow of the petals is added as a third pair for each leaf tally at the top, all are carried through the half stitch centre and then, after the windmill crossing through the circle at the other side, throw out the yellow pair and you are left with two pairs of white to make the plait. Hope this helps.

The downloadable .pdf pattern sheet is in the Files tab on my Lesley's Lace facebook page.

The A4 .jpeg can be copied from here, or my Lesley's Lace facebook page.

Please always respect the copyright of the designer.

This pattern must only be shared in its original form and cannot be sold.

If you wish to teach from this, or any other of my free patterns, please ask for permission first.

If you wish to include any of my patterns in group news letters or magazines, please ask first, and let me have a copy for my records.

Have fun!

Ribbon pattern for fundraising

I designed a charity ribbon pattern after being asked to sell a large donation of lacemaking equipment for Blood Cancer UK charity. The colour for this charity is red, but could be made in any colour for any charity fundraiser.

This pattern is my gift to any lace makers who would like to make a simple piece and to maybe help a good cause at the same time.

Start at one end, work all the way around the top loop, back to the middle and just sew the worker thread into the four pins at each corner where it crosses then throw out at the end and weave the last two pairs back in. Throw out pairs at the same rate you add them in the first place.

Roller Pillow Restoration

This pillow was passed to me having been rescued from being thrown away. It was unusable due to smell and rust but I like an occasional challenge so set to work.

The book which came with it was dated 1934.

"I feel sure this charming book on Lace-making will be a great help and incentive to out Guides....We owe Miss Milroy a deep debt of gratitude for the labour and time she has expended on bringing out such a valuable addition to our Guide literature.....Lace-making is one of the oldest and most beautiful of all our handicrafts."

I suspect the wood was taken from bits of cut down furniture as evidence by the green railway paint still on some pieces. The stuffing was cut up blanket and knitted wool, with a flock layer on top. The photographs show the work progress from original to finished dressed pillow along with the original hand drawn patterns.

I had to rebuild the pillow using high density EPS foam because I couldn't work with original materials.