A FREE Course for Beginners -
SOME INITIAL INFORMATION
Preparation:
Prepare Pricking 1 (given in the first lesson), which has a line of 6 holes horizontally across the top, and two vertical lines of holes going down on either side of these 6 holes. Draw this out on a piece of graph paper first, lay the graph paper on your pricking card, and prick through both layers. Protect your table top by putting a piece of cork or something similar under the card. Always try and hold the pricker upright, and always try to prick accurately, as you cannot make even lace from an uneven pricking. Prepare a second pricking without the holes at the top, to use when you move your work up your pillow (instructions for this are given below).
Firmly pin the pricking onto your pillow so that it is in the centre and towards the top, to give you room to work downwards. Cover the pricking with a cover cloth, to give you a smooth surface on which to move your bobbins. Use the other cover cloth to cover your work when you stop working at your pillow.
Wind the 7 pairs of bobbins with different coloured threads. Wind about 12 inches onto 6 of the pairs, and about 36 inches onto the 7th.
Moving your Work up your Pillow:
The easiest way of moving your work up your pillow, so that your bobbins are always in a comfortable working position, is to use a bridge made out of felt. For the first lesson you will need to cut three strips of felt about twice the width of your pricking, one piece about one inch long, the second an inch-and-a-half long, and the third two inches long. Lay the three pieces on top of one another so that the centres are lined up (ie you have "steps" at either end), and stitch firmly through all three pieces.
When your work is starting to get a little low on your pillow, ease your bridge under the pricking, so that as you continue your pins will go into the bridge rather than into the pillow itself. When there are sufficient pins in the bridge, CAREFULLY remove all the other pins, support the weight of the bobbins in the cover cloth, and move the first pricking, your lace, and the bridge up to the top of the pillow. Pin the second pricking in position under the first one so that you can continue to work downwards. If you think you will need it, prepare another pricking without the holes along the top for when you move your work up a second time.
Before starting on Lesson 1, please read the following useful information:
If you would like to take these lessons, please e-mail me for the Password. There is one for each lesson, as I don't allow anyone to start one lesson until they have mastered the previous one.
