Love to Lace

I  belong to a bobbin lace guild, East Tennessee Lace Guild. Every year or two we have a teacher come to inspire and teach us new lace patterns. For quite a few years now we've been having Louise Colgan fly in from California to teach us Milanese Lace.  She's the one in the front left of the picture. It really is a blast altho looking at the pillows, you'd think we hadn't gotten much done. Lace is slow, very meticulous but it is so neat to see the pattern develop as you flip the bobbins.

Here's the group that was there this time. Since we didn't have anyone to take the pictures, I did. Most of us have known each other for years but we're always glad when someone new comes to join us and discover the fun of making lace.

 The class was for 3 days. Mary could only stay 2 days but she got her thistle done. She's wanted to make it for several years now but we hadn't been able to get the project included in the choices until this year. She got finished in time to leave the next morning on her summer vacation with family. I thought I didn't like the thistle, but it sure is growing on me! Wouldn't it be cute in a little frame? After I took the picture, she took the middle 2 beads out and re did it. I'm not sure she put any beads in the center of the flower the second time around. Either way, it's cute.

 Melissa hasn't done alot of lace and this was her first try at Milanese. The first project one does in Milanese with Louise is the moon. I did it and got mine framed. Hers looks just as wonderful and I hope she frames it as well!

 Doesn't look like Erin did much, does it? Well, this is an advanced pattern and more complicated than she even thought it was. When you do lace, you often go straight down and then do another panel next to it, straight down. Where the lace meets, you have to do a sewing. I'm not good at sewing yet but Erin is. Look at that face. She did the hair first. Then you'd think you could just do the face quickly. Wrong. The face is done in 2 parts so you have to sew all along on both sides of the center of the face. Sewing means you take a tiny crochet hook, put it through the lace that's there in a very specific spot, then pull the thread from the bobbin that's supposed to be sewn in and pull it back up through the hole, then put the other bobbin through the loop to make the join. Sounds simple but the holes are tiny, the crochet hook not always cooperative and you see how it can go! I broke my little hook trying to make a sewing the second day of class!

 Most of us were making teapots. That's 3 days worth of hard work. I just have the top of the lid and the center to do, still many hours of work. I hope to get it done in short order though. We've asked Louise to come back next year. She's got a cup and saucer that would fit nicely with this teapot... I find myself getting more confident with each project that we do. I'm not ready for the angel. Not sure I ever will be but understand what's going on in that pattern and maybe that's good enough.

I think I'll stick to my teapot for now. Altho, she does have a very pretty tulip that she designed recently and after the cup and saucer I'll need another project if we bring her back again.....

On the home front, I'm finishing all the steps to getting my woven pieces ready to sell. There's alot left to do with them and step by step I'm getting them done.
Until next week, keep weaving! On the loom or on the lace pillow, it's all weaving!
Carol