A Llacey Llama

Yes, I do know llama is pronounced 'yama', but in UK we pronounce it with an 'L'.  However, I could have used 'Llummy Llama' as a title which would be pronounced 'yummy yama'!😀

I suppose this could be called a multi media piece of bobbin lace.  Not only does it draw from a variety of bobbins lace making styles, it also uses paint, embroidery and tassel making.

I used an Ecru coloured thread, slightly thicker than I use to make my first pieces. This meant that the piece was larger to work on.  It only just fitted on the disc block of my pillow, part of one foot had to be made in the air which is a whole new way of making lace!

This piece was turned over before painting and adding tassels because there were a lot of threads thrown out along the top of the blanket.  The bead for the eye happily popped through the half stitch to change sides. 

This is fresh from unpinning, showing the disc block it was made on.

These are the paints I use to colour the lace.  To get lighter colours, simply dilute more.  These blocks don't seem to penetrate the thread and run, so they are ideal for small areas. They also didn't show as strong on the reverse.  The paints were handy to even out the colours along the top of the blanket where the ecru passives and workers were tinted to match the bands of different colour threads.

The final, and trickiest bit was making the tiny tassells for its head and the blanket edge.  I used leftover thread and sewed the tassel to the lace.  On the face, I embroidered chain stitch to make it's halter with the same thread as the tassel.  

Tiny Honeycomb Heart

I originally designed this little heart to use up the threads left on my bobbins after making larger patterns.  It soon became a project in it's own right when l used different fillings, passive stitches, edges and threads. Keeping to the same 4cm outline pricking, it became a handy way of experimenting with different ways to fill a small, curved shape.

The Honeycomb ground filling is based on approx a 60 degree grid. This is a six sided grid instead of the 4 sided Torchon style grid.  I like to use half stitch and twist, pin, half stitch and twist, which creates two twists after the cross instead of the usual one.  This gives an even hole surround to the honeycomb holes.  This can be varied by using different combinations like two extra twists on the legs or around the pin, for a different effect.  Well worth experimenting with this very useful ground.

Honeycomb is made by working one part of the stitch on the first row, then on the return, the second part of the stitch. 

On this little heart pattern, the edge pins cannot line up exactly with the honeycomb grid, so you have to use some artistic licence. Offer the pair to the first available pin, and then to the next one along to see which looks best.  Remember, you may need the next pinhole for the next row, so that is something else to consider.  

Near to the edge, where there may be a very close line of honeycomb stitches, you can choose to miss these out and stretch the honeycomb to reach the edge, or work them to keep the ground close to the edge.

Curvy edges create the need to add, throw out, and carry pairs.  This means the edge should be able to hide them as you go along to avoid knots.  Cloth stitch passives are the most forgiving.   Work the edge passives and pick up the pair you want to carry or remove, continue to cloth stitch through these and work the outer edge pin.  

To 'bounce' a pair off the edge - Work the pin and either swap the worker with the ground pair, or return the pair to the ground after working the pin. 

   

To carry a pair- Work it in with the passives till the pair is at the pin where you want it to re-enter the ground.  This makes a slight difference in the thickness of the edge so you don't want to carry too many extra pairs.  

To remove a pair after working it into the passives from the ground - Pick the second and fourth bobbin from the outer passives (making sure they are the ones that don't show the worker underneath when you lift them, if they do, choose the third and fifth bobbin)  and lay these back by lifting them upwards and lying them above your work so they don't get in your way.    

Don't cut these off yet, if you have made a mistake, you can reverse your work and pop them back into place, but once cut off, you don't have this option. 

I made this large heart with crochet thread 20 to make it easier to see during a live pillow in a zoom group.  

 

Test before Investing in a Bolster Pillow

Two pairs of lovely Duchesse bobbins came into my possession which created a need to try out a bolster pillow.  All the sawdust and cutting straw put me off making one so I made this bolster pillow just to try out my 2 pairs with a little 2 pair pattern.  

It is not meant to be passed down the generations, or to do more than satisfy my curiosity as to whether I want to go down the path of using small numbers of bobbins and making tape laces, or do I stick with my favourite block pillows and loads of Midlands bobbins. 

Kitchen roll, cotton fabric, boiled wool blanket, pins.

Wrap the kitchen roll tightly in two or three wraps of the blanket, cutting the edge to the same width as the kitchen roll.  Tension and pin the end, sew to secure and remove pins.

Cut fabric to leave 6 to 8 inches over at each side, wrap around tightly and turn under the edge along the roll, pin in place.  I didn't plan to make lace over the pinned area, if you do, then simply sew this edge the same way as the blanket.  

Gather the excess fabric at one end, twist it around tightly and push it down into the centre of the roll.  

Stuff the fabric down into the roll by using up any scrap blanket trim, or socks, or similar to add weight to the roll, and to secure the ends.

At one end I squeezed in a small pin cushion, just the right size!  

Sit the bolster in a box, or roll a towel or blanket to make a long sausage and wrap it around to make a nest for the pillow to sit in. 

I drew a quick tester pattern for using the two pairs of bobbins I have, this was just to see how they handled. 

They behaved quite well.  Keeping track of 4 bobbins was easy enough.  The creases on the edge of the roll worked to hold the bobbins when I placed them over the sides. 

I tried a little bit with the bolster up on it's end. 

My little piece of tester two pair lace.  So far so good.  It feels strange to be a beginner again and have to learn how to handle bobbins in such a different way. 

 

This bolster pillow can be unwrapped, fabric reused, and the kitchen towel (although a little fluffier for being stabbed with pins) can be put to it's normal use.  A good way to test before investing.  

Shivery Squirrel

My word but it was cold this morning!  

I took my 'fresh off the pillow' squirrel into the garden so I could take it's photo against the dark green leaves of our Bay tree.  With the help of a handy twig, I held it up to take a photo, but by this time, I was shivering, so was the little stick!   My mobile phone did it's best and I raced back inside the house to see if I had managed a shot.  Not willing to go back outside and set up for a shot again, I deemed this to be as good as it gets for a one shot wonder, it shows enough for you to get the idea.

This little piece of lace is a true 'Muaiga' piece, I blended a Torchon fan in the face, a bit of Honiton in the big leaves, used a few bar joins from my recent play with Idrija lace, and scattered all over with bits of Cluny and Bedfordshire.   

Not being sure if the mass of plaits in the tail would hold up to being handled, I damped it down on the pillow and let it dry before unpinning it, ironed it and only then did I dare take it outside.  Because of the damp climate I live in, a piece of lace will soon droop when taken outside so I do only get one or two tries at taking a photo before it droops.

 

Single thread Picot Video

Single Thread Picot on YouTube

I made this video to remind myself a much as anything. A couple of times I have had to look up, or ask how to make, these little picots!

These single thread picots are very handy when making a plait which needs to stay in a curved shape ( a two thread picot usually gives a sharp bend to a plait). Also used for making crescent leaf tallies, and can be used multiple times along a plait without creating much disturbance to the appearance of the plait. When using thick thread, a two pair picot will be quite a large one. The single thread picot can be used around a fine pin, and doesn't need the twists to make it work as only one thread goes around the pin.

Single thread picot are handy when using thicker thread to avoid a large picot made when using the two loop method. Although this produces a single thread loop, two threads are used. patterns available at https://www.youtube.com/@LesleysLace https//www.facebook.com/lesleyfw

https://youtu.be/P--z4h_GRL0?si=T13_8HNZkJbvL10a