My Lacemaking Hobby

[Laceylady]

I make bobbin and needle lace. Here is a piece I did for our church, the pattern is not mine, I only worked the lace.
this first pic is just after I finished working it, with all the pins still in place.

Here is the framed final piece.

[avalen]

oh how beautiful, but omg, how hard is that?! It looks like something my brain couldn't function doing. But then I can't knit
either, but I can crochet

[BarbaraRose]

That is amazing! Just beautiful! But does look like a ton of detail work!

[Laceylady]

Bobbin lace, like other textiles, is easy to learn the basic stitches, and then you move through various advanced techniques. I have taught 5 to 8 year olds the basic two stitches and had them working solo on a basic woven stitch in only a few minutes. Learning to alter the stitch combinations and good tension control take a little time, but it's not any harder to learn than crochet or knitting, only smaller and requiring a lot more expense to get started. Those little wooden bobbins are $1.50 each (for the cheapest you can buy)... I had to use 162 of them for this pattern.
The history of bobbin lace is actually rather interesting... Who knew Lace was such an important commodity that it was smuggled, and wearing it without permission was a punishable offense? Until I started making it, I never would have suspected the history behind it. Usually I make small, uncomplicated things, but I wanted to try this pattern because it was so beautiful.

[VickieP]

That's beautiful! You are one talented lady. I can not even imagine what it would look like if I attempted that.

[monik7]

How beautiful. I'd love to have that in my house. I can't imagine doing something so beautiful.
Sandi

[Redetotry]

Beautiful, great job! Just looking at the first picture made my mind scramble, I would think this takes a lot of patience!

I am a huge fan of lace and used to collect it and linens but now it all sits in boxes in my basement.

[IrishIroamed]

How beautiful. How patient you are.

Definitely not a hobby for me - I'd be way too impatient and would lose sleep trying to get it done. Guess that's one virtue I don't have (yea like that's the only one )

[Bethers]

Oh, you can tell us over and over how easy it is - you might be able to teach me the basic steps, but it would take me years to maybe get something that looks half as nice. That's gorgeous.

[Phoenix]

Stunning!!!

[judi]

Amazing! I would have to be medicated to do something like that.

[MandysMom]

That is truelly amazing, so beautiful. Thanks for showing us.
Velda

[snowball]

so very pretty!!! I totally agree that it looks so very hard but then I said that about Swedish Weave
this looks like you would have to be able to keep track of all those things the out come those is so good
why don't you share with us a piece that a beginner could do?

sheila

[mtngal]

Lovely! And amazing work! (I am reminded of a book, the Lace Reader, I read
sometime ago, must look it up to revisit.)

[havingfunnow]

That is just beautiful! Wow!!

In Ireland during the famine, a skilled lacemaker could support an entire family. There's an entire museum of lacework in Dublin.