Review
------
Everybody loves the delicate beauty of lace, and of
course you can buy machine made lace easily, but there is nothing
like having a go yourself. Handmade lace is nothing like its
modern counterpart, and you can have it made of whatever you
like, in the colors you choose to go with your wardrobe. This is
a book ed at the beginner, and shows you how to make one type
of lace called Torchon, which is the type usually recommended to
start with. All the equipment associated with the hobby is
described, and refreshingly it is all there in its least
expensive form. You might well have much of it already, and you
can make lace out of almost any type of thread or yarn, which
certainly flies in the face of what I was taught. But this is a
refreshingly modern type of book, and I was delighted to find
that I could understand every word, which puts it way ahead of
every other lace book I own or have seen. This is mainly due to
an absence of the mystique surrounding this notoriously difficult
craft, and the presence instead of lots of fairly large and very
clear diagrams and photographs. The projects are attractive and
either modern or timeless: bookmarks, a bag, cushion trim, shawl
and f. They are inspired by the seasons, which adds a nice
touch. I think I might not keep my other lacemaking books now,
but get out my pillow and bobbins and maybe have a bit more
success this time around. Very highly recommended.
--MyShelf.com
A very competitively priced book of 80
pages, 25.7 by 20.1cm in format, printed on high-quality glossy
paper throughout, it contains full colour photos and close-up
step by step black and white photos of six bookmarks, along with
five further designs entitled 'Four seasons'. These include a
purse, two ves, a bag and a pattern, which could be used
either to decorate a cushion or make into a hanging. The
prickings are also available in the back of the book along with
details of the neccessary ments when photocopying. The
book is as it says a beginner's guide and starts with an
introduction to lacemaking along with a guide to the neccessary
materials. The photos here are lovely-lots of bobbins, modern
brightly coloured threads (no white in ) and beads. The
bookmark collection starts with more tempting photographs,
followed by the necessary preparatory work. A plait is then
worked with excellent photographs of each bobbin movement;
however, the completed plait (worked in cotton perle) is far from
exciting. A series of bookmarks follows, introducing a variety of
stitches and techniques, also worked in cotton perle - all with
excellent instructions. The second section, however, is the most
inspiring part of the book. Large scale patterns and textured
yarns are used to make or decorate usable objects - the photos
really make you want a trip to the local thread shop, to try
something different! A complete beginner could easily use this
book to teach themselves the basics of bobbin lace; a super
publication, which even more experienced lacemakers should buy -
particularly if they fancy having a go at using the more exciting
modern threads on offer these days. Best if all, it's written in
English by English authors. --Sally Wadsworth, Lace --Sylvia
Quixley, West Country Embroiderers Newsletter 67
A very competitively priced book of 80 pages, 25.7 by 20.1cm in
format, printed on high-quality glossy paper throughout, it
contains full colour photos and close-up step by step black and
white photos of six bookmarks, along with five further designs
entitled 'Four seasons'. These include a purse, two ves, a
bag and a pattern, which could be used either to decorate a
cushion or make into a hanging. The prickings are also available
in the back of the book along with details of the neccessary
ments when photocopying. The book is as it says a
beginner's guide and starts with an introduction to lacemaking
along with a guide to the neccessary materials. The photos here
are lovely-lots of bobbins, modern brightly coloured threads (no
white in ) and beads. The bookmark collection starts with
more tempting photographs, followed by the necessary preparatory
work. A plait is then worked with excellent photographs of each
bobbin movement; however, the completed plait (worked in cotton
perle) is far from exciting. A series of bookmarks follows,
introducing a variety of stitches and techniques, also worked in
cotton perle - all with excellent instructions. The second
section, however, is the most inspiring part of the book. Large
scale patterns and textured yarns are used to make or decorate
usable objects - the photos really make you want a trip to the
local thread shop, to try something different! A complete
beginner could easily use this book to teach themselves the
basics of bobbin lace; a super publication, which even more
experienced lacemakers should buy - particularly if they fancy
having a go at using the more exciting modern threads on offer
these days. Best if all, it's written in English by English
authors. --Sally Wadsworth, Lace 130
This book is designed for the newest recruit to bobbin lace
making. It is attractively presented and gives an introduction to
the tools used, instruction in basic stitches and several small
items for the beginner. In addition to the basic stitches, there
is instruction in preparing a pricking, tying in new threads and
finishing off, and the final section includes some quite
complicated projects. One criticsm: the instructions are easy to
follow, the photographs show threads in two shades of grey on a
dark blue background. I think two brightly coloured, contrasting
threads would be much easier for the beginner, who may progress
to something more elegant later. This is a very practical book,
and as it progresses from very simple to fairly difficult, I
think it would keep one busy for some time! --Sylvia Quixley,
West Country Embroiderers Newsletter 67
Synopsis
--------
Explore the world of Bobbin Lace with this book, which
takes you through simple Torchon ground pieces to ves, purse
and bags.This book features an extensive techniques section makes
lacemaking clear, simple and enjoyable. It includes five full
step-by-step projects with pricking patterns.It gives advice on
adding decorative features, beads and tassels. It is suitable for
both beginners and more experienced lacemakers. It presents a
clearly illustrated step-by-step guide to all the stitches and
techniques needed to create beautiful bobbin lace. It also
includes prickings and easy-to-follow photographs showing how to
use them. It provides full instructions for a selection of
colourful Torchon lace projects using a variety of yarns: a bag,
a purse, a f and a cushion.