Maple  Leaf  in  Bobbin  Lace    

Prepared  for  the  Vancouver  Lace  Club  Adele  Shaak,  January  2017  

 

     2017  is  Canada's  150th  year,  and  we  have  made  this  anniversary  the  theme  of  the  lace  exhibit  for  the  Vancouver  Lace  Club's  Getaway,  April  22-­‐24,  2017.  You  can  enter  any  piece  of  lace  that  falls  into  the  theme,    of  any  shape  or  colour  or  type,  but  we  have  had  many  requests  for  a  Maple  Leaf  pattern,  so  I  have  created  this  pattern,  which  is  free  to  anyone.    This  simple  tape  lace  outline  can  be  filled  in,  if  you  like,  in  lots  of  different  ways.  You  can  fill  it  in  with:  –  a  bobbin-­‐made  filling  (plaited,  torchon  ground,  whatever  you  like)  –  machine  net,  (sew  onto  lace  and  then  trim  away  the  excess)  –  an  insert  in  another  type  of  lace.    For  example,  a  tatted  motif  could  fit  into  the  space  in  the  middle,  and  be  sewn  onto  the  tape.  I  made  the  sample  simply  by   following  the  outline  pattern,   the  way  Duchesse   lace   is  made.  You  make   the   tape   the   same  way   as   you  would   if   you   had   a   pattern  with   pinholes,   but   you   decide  

where  the  pins  go.  If  you've  never  done  this  before,  do  give  it  a  try.    Once  you  can  make  a  tape  this  way,  you  can  make  your  own  tape  laces  from  any  drawing.    I  have  also  include  a  pattern  with  pinholes.    These  are  my  pinholes,  but  if  you  would  like  to  move  them,  feel  free.  There  are  no  lace  police!    (see  following  pages  for  diagrams  and  photos)    My   red   silk   sample  was  made  with   7   pairs   of   Gutermann   silk   sewing   thread   (4   passives   and  3  pairs  for  the  edges  and  the  working  pair),  and  it  is  7  cm,  just  under  3  inches,  from  the  bottom  of  the  stem  to  the  top  of  the  topmost  point.    The  tape  is  about  .5  cm  (just  under  1/4")  wide.    The  multi-­‐coloured  partial  sample  (next  page)   is  made  with  Moravia  40/2  linen  (again,  7  pairs)  and  I  enlarged  the  pattern  to  roughly  18  cm  (7.25  inches)  from  the  topmost  point  to  the  bottom  of  the   stem.  The   tape   is   about  1.2   cm  (1/2   inch)  wide.  Each  pair   is   a  different   colour;   I  made   this  sample  so  you  can  see  how  the  pairs  run  around  the  point  and  the  curve.    The  basic  method   is  a  plain  tape  with  a  "pin  after  4"  edge  on  both  sides.  There   is  absolutely  no  reason  why  you   couldn't   substitute   a  plain   edge  on   the   inside!  For   that   you  would  use  6  pairs,  make   the   "pin   after   4"   edge   on   the   outside,   and   on   the   inside,   just   work   the   tape,   twist   the  workers  twice  and  go  round  the  pin  and  then  work  the  tape  back.  Working  this  way  will  of  course  change  the  way  the  colours  change  around  in  the  coloured  sample    To  make  the  points:    Look  at  the  pinhole  diagram  and  see  the  two  "helper  pins",  C  and  E.  You  will  use  each  of  these  pins  twice  as  you  make  short  rows.  Try  to  follow  the  diagram.  If  that  fails,  here  are  the  directions:    -­‐  work  to  Pin  B,  exchange  the  pairs  and  work  through  all  passives.  Drop  the  workers  and  put  up  Pin  C  with  one  pair  of  passives  to  the  left  and  three  pairs  to  the  right.  Pick  up  the  left-­‐hand  passive  pair  and  use  it  as  the  worker  to  work  Pin  D.    Take  the  worker  pair  from  Pin  D  back  down  through  two  passive  pairs  and  drop.  Place  Pin  E  between  the  two  passive  pairs  you  just  worked  through.  Then  take  passive  pair  to  the  left  of  the  pin  and  use  it  to  work  through  the  right-­‐hand  passive  pair,  and  go  up  and  work  Pin  F.      -­‐  now  do  it  all  in  reverse:  work  from  Pin  F  back  through  two  passive  pairs,  drop  the  workers.  Pick  up  Pin  E  and  replace  it  between  the  two  passive  pairs  you  just  worked  through,  and  back  into  the  same  hole.  Now  use  the  pair  to  the  left  of  the  pin  to  work  up  to  Pin  G.  Return  through  all  passive  pairs,  pick  up  Pin  C  and  replace   it  between  the   last   two  passive  pairs.  Use  the   left-­‐hand  passive  pair  to  work  to  Pin  H.    -­‐  From  Pin  H,  work  back  to  Pin  A,  use  it  a  2nd  time,  and  continue  making  the  tape.    All  points  are  done  this  way.  To  go  around  the  more  gentle  curves  in  the  tape,  just  space  your  pins  wider  on  the  outside  of  the  curve  and  closer  together  on  the  inside  of  the  curve.      I  started  at   the  bottom  of   the  tape  with  5  pairs  (one  worker,  one  at  each  edge,  and  two  passive  pairs),  and  added  in  two  more  passive  pairs  at  the  top  of  the  stem.      

     In  this  sample  a  different  colour  has  been  used  for  each  of  the  seven  pairs.  Not  that  the  curve  in  the  middle  is  done  just  by  varying  the  pin  spacing.  The  small  point  on  the  left  has  just  one  short  row,  while  the  full-­‐size  point  on  the  right  has  two  short  rows,  like  the  following  line  diagram:      

 

 This   diagram  was   used   to  make  both   the   small   red   maple   leaf  and   the   much   larger   multi-­‐coloured  sample.  Print  it  out  and  enlarge  it  to  the  size  that  best  fits  your  thread.    Note   the   4   pinholes   marked  where   I   began;   I   started   with   5  pairs  -­‐  one  for  each  edge,  one  for  the   worker,   and   two   passive  pairs.   At   the   top   of   the   stem   I  added  in  two  more  passive  pairs  where   the   two   pinholes   are  shown.   Work   whichever  

direction  you   like,  and  when  you  get  back   to  where  you  started,   finish  off  your   threads  into  the  cloth  stitch.      Below  is  the  pricking  for  the  red  maple  leaf.  If  printed  out  at  just  under  3"  from  bottom  of  the   stem   to   the   top   point,   the   pricking   will   suit   Gutermann   sewing   silk.   Enlarge   to   fit  heavier  threads.      Have   you   ever   found  yourself   pondering   a  pinhole   and  wondering  how  on  Earth   it   got  there   and   how   you're   supposed   to   use   it?   Ever   found   yourself   wishing   the   pins   were  spaced   a   little   further   apart   or   closer   together?   You   can   avoid   this   sort   of   problem   by  making  tape  lace  the  way  they  do  in  Duchesse  lace,  by  following  a  line  drawing  instead  of  a   pricking.   You   place   your   holes   where   you   feel   they   need   to   go.   Once   you   learn   this  technique   you   can   make   your   own   line   drawings   quite   easily!   I   drew   this   pattern   by  trading  the  Canadian  flag  for  the  base  drawing,  then  putting  a  second  line  inside  the  first.    

Regarding   using   the   short   rows   to   make   a  sharp   point,   please   note   that   the   instructions  show   two   short   rows   for   each   point.   That   is  useful   for   a   wider   tape,   such   as   the   multi-­‐coloured   sample.   If   you   are  making   a   narrow  tape,   you   might   only   want   to   use   one   short  row.