by damaris 19 May 2010

What is bobbin lace? How is it done? thanks

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by mops Moderator 19 May 2010

Bobbin lace is lace made in one of the two traditional ways. The other way was to make lace with needle and thread, and there were combinations: small ribbons of bobbin lace laid down in a pattern and connected with needle-lace. It's very time consuming and thus very expensive. The machine imitation is pretty and quickly done. You can easily spot the difference as the places the pins were put are a clear sign of the real stuff.
To answer how it's done, you need a pillow, a pattern and bobbins (looks like a spindle) wound with the thread of your choice. For a one inch lace ribbon you might need 13 pairs or more. You work with two pairs at a time, two bobbins in the left hand, two in the right. Their are two movements, turn the two pairs around each other simultaneously and twist the middle two. The combinations give the different "grounds", different motives are made by a more open or more closed ground, just as the pattern demands. Hope this makes sense, I can't show a picture as I am on vacation and don't have any lace making books with me.

1 comment
damaris by damaris 19 May 2010

thank you

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by dlonnahawkins 19 May 2010

Bobbin lace is an older term used by threads being twisted from threads wound on bobbins to manage them. With the miracles of machine embroidery we can produce this effect by the lovely work of our digitizers. Old bobbin lace was wound to create designs and used for edgings, and etc.

1 comment
damaris by damaris 19 May 2010

thank you

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