Bobbin Lace Pillow with Work In Progress
In addition to papercrafting, I also make handmade bobbin lace and wanted to share a little bit of that world with you. Bobbin lace is a form of weaving. Threads are wound on bobbins that are manipulated to form patterns. Pins help to support the lace while it is being made. The lace is worked with the right side down, so the finished piece isn’t revealed until it is unpinned from the lace pillow.
Withof is a particular type of bobbin lace developed by Sister Judith, a Dutch nun who will soon celebrate her 98th birthday. Because of the techniques used this lace has a rich, three-dimensional quality.
I just returned from a week in Cheltenham, England where I attended a Withof lace workshop hosted by Renate Hawkins, who was my lace teacher when she lived in the United States. The workshop was taught by Yvonne Scheele-Kerkhof.
Here are a couple of my completed pieces of lace. To give you an idea of size, the flower can be completely hidden by a quarter.
Withof Lace Strawberry—just a bit larger than a nickel
