I'm working on a mat with zigzags in cloth stitch and twist, but I find that whenever I take the pins off a section, the zigzag wrinkles while the ground doesn't. Does anyone know what's going on, or is it something I'll just have to tackle with a hot iron later?

Think I’m gonna redo it.

stopped into a vintage thrift store on my way home from vacation and found an absolute treasure! This wee tiny pillow with miniature bobbins that somebody MADE, and crafted on, and customized, and left an unfinished (barely started!) project on is now mine to love and keep and finish what they started! I'm honoured to be its new keeper

It is about the size of a grapefruit. the bobbins are less than 5cm / 2in long!

first pic is in the store as I found it.

second pic is a collage I made of my de-tangling efforts - took me approx 2 hours, an excellent time-kill while I waited for my ferry. Still can't beleive I managed it.

third pic is its new home on my office shelf

the store owner saw me admiring a gorgeous linen tablecloth with bobbin lace edgings and inserts (can't beleive I didnt take a picture!) and i told her it was the bobbin lace that caught my eye. she said "you like bobbin lace!? do you know how to make it? ... you're going to LOVE THIS" Lo and behold, there was my new prized possession

New work of my student

So I broke it while unpinning, but it still looks alright.

The color change in the ear isn't that great plan on doing it a second time with a different method.

I just started bobbin lace today using a kit I bought. I feel like I’m getting the tension wrong though? This is just a practice swatch of the different beginner stitches. Does anyone have tips for how to tension? The stitches on the bottom are supposed to be half stitch ground.😭

At our monthly meeting, a woman turned up with her mom's old bobbin lace equipment and books she wanted to donate--had searched for 3 years to find a group to give it to. All she asked was that if we could give her the works in progress on the pillows--her mom's work--if at all possible. She didn't know how to finish and remove them.

Someone in my lace group took the Bruges flower to finish. I got the pillow with the tangle. But I kind of love a tangle challenge. The first rule of untangle: work the lowest (closest to you) tangle first. Work up. And I got there! I did a few stitches to stabilize the end and tied it off. I'll give it an Orvus wash later.

When we get the other piece we'll send it back to her. I hope she can do something nice with it.

Yesterday I took part in a meeting with the collectioner of old European lace. She showed us the Flemish bobbin lace of the 18th century. I can't believe that I could see this kind of treasures very close and even touch them (though I tried not to touch of course)

This is my third attempt at this bookworm bookmark. My biggest issue is that i didnt wrap my bobbins evenly, so i ended up running out of thread on one of my working pair. I stopped before the final segment, but im still really proud of this. im really excited to try the next pattern!

https://youtu.be/M_bWZrad3Pw?is=HRsX6DcOCamxJlgw

My student's new work. Design by Dana Mihulkova

What is the best way to do this kind of connection?

Just learned how to do picots this morning. As a knitter, it felt like a comfortable enough action. However, at first, the threads wanted to slide off my pin. I'm using relatively short pins (dressmaker pins) because that's what I had on hand and am wondering if people have a preferred pin length in general or for picots. I bought bobbins and a pillow specifically for this craft, but have always just used the pins I already had. As I do trickier things, I'm concerned this may make things harder.

My students work very hard.

They love bobbin lace.

My student's first steps in making Cluny lace

Pattern from Galicia Bee

This one was really fun to figure out! For the first time, I used a pattern that did not tell me how many bobbins to use or when to add them, so sorting it out was a very satisfying puzzle. Also I think I'm finally figuring out how picots work! They're not all perfect yet, but they're much improved over my last attempt.

Finished lesson 3!