This Cluny style design with just a touch of Muaiga, was created while playing with a program on an ipad. This is great fun to do but doesn't take into account the practicalities of a hand drawn original design where you can see the dance of the bobbins following their paths, the program is more of a 'chuck it in and see where it lands' sort of vibe. Lines may line up, and make a beautiful colouring in mandala, but they cannot work out how bobbin lace needs to be made. This causes some puzzling out to be done when working the first trial piece.
Good job I like the puzzle aspect of bobbin lace making! A second puzzle was that I had 35 pairs of bobbins to put away, but I only counted 27 needed for the piece, maybe it was all the in and out short thread ends I was using up on this piece, let me know what number you come up with, although this can vary according to how you choose to do your own bobbin dance.
I started by adding 'magic threads' in with the starting pins because I knew I wouldn't be able to get a needle or crochet hook into the start of plaits or windmills when it came to joining the ends to complete the circles. These are simply 5-6 inch long loops of left over thread, preferably coloured, tied at the ends which are placed through the starting threads at the pins. These are pulled out at the end, drawing with them the threads you need to pull through the pinhole to make the tie off.
There was a bit of plait joining going on at the end, so to avoid having lumpy knots along a plait, I took the threads along the plait with a bit of rolled edge technique, throwing out the threads one by one and finishing with a 'surgeons knot' using an extra loop fed into the last thread knot.
This is not a beginner piece, it doesn't follow all the techniques relating to a specific style of bobbin lace though I would say it was more akin to Cluny than Bedfordshire lace. The main difference is in the crossings. I prefer the crossings which don't take the pair into the passives one side and use the existing passives from the opposite edge to go out on the other side. I find this makes the trail have a spliced look. The Cluny style crossing also leaves the actual passives in place, very handy if they are a different colour, being used to carry gimps or colours, or short threads.
13.5 cm - 27 pairs - Thread 27 wpc equiv to Presencia Finca 30, Empress Mills Cotton 50s
The square tallies were difficult for me as I am not well practiced in making these yet, so please forgive the irregularity of them! The two threads for the square tallies can be changed for a different colour as these are independant of the design. They can also be changed for four pairs instead of two single pairs and made into a half stitch bud to fill the space. The angle they come in from is wider on one side than the other, this caused a little concern but I'm sure with more practice, I could get them more even.
13.5 cm - 27 pairs - Thread 27 wpc equiv to Presencia Finca 30, Empress Mills Cotton 50s
Techniques:- Cluny crossings, single and double thread picots, false plaits, Square and leaf tallies, windmill and complex crossings, raised and rolled tally in half stitch ground. Magic threads recommended for joining at end.
If you have difficulty printing this at A4 on your home printer, you can download the .pdf at Lesley's Lace Facebook Group look for the Files tab for this and other patterns.
If you print at 'letter' size, the pattern will be a little smaller, but the tolerance is 13.5 to the outside of the picots, and it should still work with the same thread size at a smidge less than 13cm
Would love to see a picture of your finished lace on my FB page.
 |
| Print at A4 |
