Very new here

[Rosa]

I would like to ask for help please. I have tatted for years and when my hands began to stiffen up I made a comment to my 84 year old father that I would like to learn how to bobbin lace. For Christmas he hand turned me 50 bobbins. After suffering from brain cancer daddy passed away in February. I would like to learn to make the lace but I’m not sure where to begin. Can someone direct me in the right direction.
Thank you

[Jo Edkins]

I have a website

http://www.gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/lace/index.htm

It tells you about equipment, and how to wind your bobbins, do the stitches, etc. There are some beginner patterns, with detailed instructions. I know that people have learned to make lace using only the website. You are welcome to contact me, either through this forum, or via my email (on my website). This forum will give you help anyway!

However, there is a lot on my website, so I have also written a book

How to make Bobbin Lace by Jo Edkins

It's on Amazon, either as a Kindle book (ebook) or as a "real" book, made of paper! It starts at the very beginning, describing the equipment, and everything you have to do. There are 22 patterns in it, and if you manage all those, you will be a lacemaker! None of the patterns use more than 12 pairs of bobbins, so you have more than enough! (You will find that lacemakers talk of pairs of bobbins - my book explains why.)

The book costs money, but not much, and the website is free, and everything in the book is on the website, but some people prefer the book because it's linear - you read one page, then the next, and so on. There is a LOT on the website, and some people find that confusing! However, the website has little animations (cartoons) of the different stitches, and people say that they have found those useful.

Good luck with your lacemaking! I hope you stick with the hobby. The bobbins are easy to handle. The tricky bit (for us oldies) is putting the pins into the pattern. There are a LOT of pins, and they must be accurate. But we prick the patterns first (put small holes where the pins have to go) so it's easier than you might think.
 

[Rosa]

Thank you so much

[Lorelei Halley Administrator]

Rosa

If you decide to work thru Jo Edkins' online lessons post your samples here to show us your progress. You may receive helpful comments.