Genevieve loves to travel Europe and sample all of the latest in court fashions. She is accomplished in embroidery, lacemaking, and cooking fine dishes. Researching and writing about the arts and sciences is also one of her pursuits.
A friend just emailed that the picture I’d originally posted of the extant hose my project is based on, is no longer showing on the site. So, here they are again. These appeared in Janet Arnold’s Patterns of Fashion #4.
As I mentioned before, I have struggled to decide just how true to the extant embroidery pattern I should be. The extant piece is not perfectly symmetrical or equally spaced. The first draft I posted was drawn exactly from the orignal but I just couldn’t be happy with it. I decided to clean it up a bit, but how much. I spent the last couple of days doing drawings and this is the one I’ve come up with that I like the best. It still has that sort of colloquial quality, but now has a bit more symmetry.
3rd Draft of the Embroidery Pattern
I completed a sample of the stocking lace and submitted at Magna Faire, Regional Arts & Sciences. I was very pleased with the results!
Lace in Progress
The final product
Back to the original lace pattern. I loved the pattern from Elizabethan Lace by Gillian Dye but ultimately I chose not to use it for the following reasons:
1. It didn’t allow for the same 4 color progression as the extant lace.
2. It had a modern footside edge not seen in period patterns.
3. Gillian Dye didn’t thoroughly reference the design in her book. She states that it is drawn from a design on an Elizabethan Ruff, but doesn’t give any additional information.
So, I went back to the pattern and drew another version of the original lace using some of the things I learned from working on the Dye pattern.
The pattern will be done in #5 silver and gilt passing and soie perlee silk that I got from Hedgehog Handwork.
Hose Lace version 3
It’s been awhile since I posted on the Stocking Lace. I have been playing with an almost identical pattern from Gillian Dye’s book, “Elizabethan Lace.” I am thinking of using this pattern instead of the one from the Janet Arnold book. I am still having some trouble with getting that pattern to come out just right.
I did two samples of the Gil Dye pattern. One lighter weight one with Soie 100/3 and Elizabethan Twist in Gold and Silver that I got from HedgeHog Handworks. One heavier one with Soie Perlee and #5 Passing in Silver and Gilt. I like the heavier one, as it lends more presence to the lace as it appears in the extant example.
Samples of the Gillian Dye Pattern
I got a little frustrated with stocking lace, not able to find the exact threads that I wanted.
So, I took a little break to teach myself the technique used to add spangles and beads to the bobbin lace. I ended up putting it on a little bag as a favor for my husband. The embroidery is one I did in an Asissi class at Gulf wars in 2003.
Red Bobbin Lace with Spangles
Here is the pattern I have drafted for the hose.
Embroidery Pattern
The Dilema? I think this draft is relatively true to the original. It’s not professionally embroidered. I keep fighting the urge to clean it up, making it more symetrical than the original. (I’ve already done that a tidbit.) So, ideas? Shall I get out the ruler and set of curves? Should I make one each or the two different flower styles on the top/bottom edges and copy them all the way across so they all the same? (They don’t on the original)
Well, the lace is on hold for now. I’ve determined that I need a different pillow. The Roll pillow that I borrowed is made of straw. Problem 1 – It’s hard to stick in the pins and they keep bending. Problem 2 – The pins aren’t securely held by the straw and when I tension my lace, they pull free. So, I’m going to pick up the lace again after Christmas, hopefully with a new pillow. The project is NOT on hold. For now, I’m switching to the embroidery. Once I’m done transferring the pattern, I’ll post a pic here.
I learned something new today! Have I mentioned that I’m a beginning bobbin lacer? Silk is slippery on the bobbins and while I’ve practiced with silk, it’s been a heavier weight and twist which while still slippery, is not nearly as slippery as the stuff I’m trying to use now. It took me an hour to do half an inch because the bobbins kept unravelling every time I touched them. Knowing there had to be a better way, I did some googling and found a myspace video that demonstrated some different hitch techniques that work well with silk. Ta-da and wah-lah, peace on my bobbin lace pillow.
