Needlelacetalk - new forum on ning

I have been working on my needle lace, but there's nothing exciting to show. I finished the pink flower and found unintended holes and floppy stitches, so I took another step back. I worked on some samples, just plain squares, and I need to do even more practice stitches.

So there are no pictures here, but new things are happening on http://needlelacetalk.ning.com/ .
Lorelei Halley started this forum specifically for true needlelace. I'm quoting here from the main page: "true needle lace, punto in aria, aemilia ars, reticella, Nadelspitze, les dentelles a l'aiguille and the knotted needlelaces such as puncetto, oya/bebilla. Roumanian point and Battenberg type laces are specifically excluded, as are crochet, tatting and knitting."

There are 38 members so far, and a few discussions started. Interest in Aemilia Ars and puncetto, also showing up early on. There are beginners like me, others are wannabies who have not yet begun, and members who are experienced needle lacers. There's room for everyone who is interested in true needle lace. Stop by and check it out!

Progress on my Pink Flower, and Hearts Exchange

I'm ready to start the cordonnette on the pink flower. My tension improved as I grew accustomed to working on the pillow, and now I'm comfortable with the change.
I thought I might need more weight to the pillow, but it works fine as is. I may take it apart and wrap a few layers of wool around the foam. I would like it a little thicker when I pin my pattern in place.
I did a better job of the Alencon and Venetian bars with this flower, but my leaf isn't as nice. I did a section with Trebel Brussels, and I am very pleased with it. I'll be able to continue with the bird after I finish this flower.


Here is a picture of all the items exchanged at our lace group meeting. I got the hanky with a tatted edging and a tatted heart on a card. You can see a jewelry bag with a tatted heart, a knit bookmark with hearts, a bookmark decorated with hearts and a lacy crocheted edging, and more heart motifs. All very pretty, and everyone had a lot of fun.

Lace Group Meeting Tonight!

Tonight is our Lace Group's meeting, and I'm ready for the exchange. This time we had a theme of Hearts. I made two hearts, my blue needle lace heart and a tatted heart.

I put the blue heart on a needle book, and the red heart on a knitting needle case. Those are my dpns for sock knitting and lace knitting, for illustrative purposes only. I love my Susan Bates dpns, and would never give them away!
I needed a case for my own dpns, and made one from some sunflower fabric. I like the little flap at the top, it keeps the needles from falling out after you roll it up. I put in a second pocket, which can be used for crochet hooks, seam rippers, and other stuff.

I plan to take my camera and get a picture or two of what other members did for the exchange. I hope they had as much fun as I did on these little projects!

My pink flower is coming along nicely. I'm getting used to the pillow, and I think it's helping my tension. I just finished a section of Treble Brussels, and didn't make any mistakes. I'm going to bring my pillow to the meeting, just so they can see my flower in progress.

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

I had some problems with the bird. I was happy with my work in the head and beak, but the body got all out of control.

I am working with too many new things, I guess. I am learning the differences between #80 tatting thread and 30wt Blendables, then I added the pillow.

Finally I got to Treble Brussels Stitch, and the area was bigger than I was used to. I had trouble finding the loops, they were hiding under the previous row. I could see my work was getting all crooked, and all I can do is cut it out and try again.

I decided to work Pattern 4 again to help me learn to handle the Blendables thread. I'll cut out the blue thread on the bird and rework the body when I am more comfortable with the pillow and thread.

I'm not at all discouraged, in fact I feel pretty good about redoing the flower. I view this as an opportunity to get more practice, and I really like the idea of a pink flower.

Needle Lace Pillow

Encouraged by my friends and by This post on Stitchety Grub's blog, I searched the house for a suitable container. J has lots of stuff in the basement, and I found a round plastic jug that held bungee cords at one time. It is thin plastic, but just the right size with a cap that twists on. I decided to give it a try.
I found a nice self sealing foam that had been a cushion for sleeping bags. I've used it for other projects, and had enough left to wrap around my jar. J glued it on with epoxy.

I had amore than 1/2 yard denim leftovers, and sewed a cover for the pillow. I gathered the bottom and covered that with 2 circles that had been stitched and turned.

I added a drawstring through a casing at the top. I can open the cap and carry things inside if I want to. I'm not sure how convenient that will be, but I have the option.

I added another layer of fabric to attach my pattern, and pinned it snug with my "dowel" in place. It is a huge knitting needle from the 1970s, probably a 35 or something like that. I don't ever remember using it, and maybe I'll eventually settle on a smaller dowel.
I have worked on it a little, and there is a big difference in the way it works. I didn't have enough light, so I set it aside and will try again this afternoon.
I think it might be very nice, but it is very light weight and shifts a bit too much. I will give it a chance, and see if I can adjust. If not, I may get myself an anniversary present.

Pattern 5 - The Bird's the Word

I started Pattern 5 from the Guild of Needle Lace Basic Instruction book this weekend. I'm using Sulky Blendables 30wt, and I've used Ocean Blue, Parchment, and Buttercream.

This thread is very different from tatting thread, and I have to concentrate to keep my stitches even. I probably should have worked a little sample piece before starting, but I was eager to get started.

I found a deal on Overstock.com, and couldn't resist. I bought 10 spools of 30wt Blendables. The colors were all appealing to me, and I had birthday money from my mom waiting to be spent.

The thread is 2 ply and much softer than the tatting thread, but I think I can live with it. I don't care for wildly colored variegated thread, but these colors change gracefully.

The head and face are Single Corded Brussels, the beak is Single Brussels and Whipped Single Brussels. Next I will do the body, which starts with Treble Brussels and changes to Corded Trebel Brussels along the dotted line.

I had thought of introducing a dark green for the belly, but have decided to keep it simple and use Parchment.

I've gotten feedback from internet lacers (hi F, and L!) who say a needle lace pillow is very nice to work on. I started making one of my own yesterday, from stuff I found around the house. I haven't taken a picture yet, but I'll post pictures and results another day.