A cookie pillow is good for beginners and basic lacemaking. Block pillows are best for creating long or wide pieces of lace. Roller pillows work well for creating long strips of lace.
Patterns included in pattern books are often printed on thick paper so they can be reused again and again. If you print out a pattern on computer paper, you will only be able to use it 1 time. It is recommended that you prick the pattern before you use it. This means that you use a pin to poke a hole through each of the dots marked on the pattern.
For example, a simple pattern may only require 6 pairs of bobbins, which is a total of 12 bobbins. However, more complex patterns may require 50 pairs of bobbins, which is a total of 100 bobbins! Lace bobbins come in wood and plastic. Plastic bobbins are cheaper than wood ones. Bobbins also usually have some sort of decorative end, but this will not affect the results you get.
Cotton, silk, and linen thread are good options. Keep in mind that the thickness of the thread may affect the look of your lace depending on the pattern. Check your pattern to see what type of thread is recommended. You can use cream-colored thread for an antique look, or choose a more colorful thread if desired.
Your pattern may indicate a specific measurement, or it may simply advise you to do an arm-to-arm or arm-to-chest measurement. These are traditional ways of measuring thread for lacemaking. Check your pattern to see which measurement is required.
Repeat the same winding process for the second bobbin in a pair.
The amount of thread that hangs down from the pins will be half of what you leave between the 2 bobbins.
Each time you need to unravel more thread, you will need to undo the loop, loosen the thread, and redo the loop again.
Try putting your feet up on a stool in front of you to bend your knees and angle the pillow. If you prefer to sit at a table, you can angle the pillow by propping up the back of it with a book or another small pillow.
For a piece of lace that you can work easily on a small section of the pillow, pin the pattern in the center of the pillow. If you are using a cookie pillow to create a long piece of lace, pin the pattern up high on the pillow. If you are working with a block or roller pillow, you can pin the pattern anywhere and move the pillow pieces or the pillow as needed.
After you finish a row of stitches, you will need to place additional pins where indicated by your pattern.
Continue looping thread around bobbins all the way to the end of the row of pins in your pattern.
Keep in mind that a cross is not a stitch on its own. It is 1 of the movements that you will use to create different types of stitches.
A twist is a component of a stitch and not a stitch itself.
For these types of stitches, you might find it helpful to label each of your bobbins in groups of 4, such as bobbins 1, 2, 3, and 4, or A, B, C, and D.
For example, a cross (C), twist (T), and then another cross (C) makes a cloth stitch, which you will also see often in patterns.
Repeat to the end of the row. Snip off the excess threads as you go.
