Teneriffe Lace Using the Stitch-Around by Posi-Bendr

After reorganizing mount craft supplies I worked on learning Teneriffe lace making.  There seems to be very little available on the subject.  I found two books one printed in the early 1900's and another in 1980.  The technique of Teneriffe Lace by Alexandra Stillwell is quite good.  It offers a very thorough understanding of making Teneriffe lace or Sol lace as it is also called.  The author explains how to use a handmade tool and the instructions are really clearly illustrated.  There are also lovely examples in the book.  A PDF copy of the book can be found on this site. http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/books/sa1980.pdf

Many years ago I had purchased the Stitch-Around I think it was from snowgoose here is a link to their Teneriffe stuff  https://www.snowgooselace.com/
Snowgoose is a great company to buy from and they have a variety of lace supplies that are hard to find as well as kits.

Since I last saw my teneriffe tool all I had done was to thread through the holes.  I had never actually started a motif.  So Yesterday I found the instructions and the loom again.  I had found one or the other for years and I knew I had to try making some lace before I lost something again.

The first motif I made was very simple in fact so simple it is barely holding together.

Lace motif one.

So I started another motif using the book pdf file for instructions. I had made the second motif the wrong size so I couldn't make all the rows in the pattern but it did look nice.

Second Teneriffe motif.

The second motif was 2 inches woven with size 20 crochet cotton. The best thing about the Stitch-Around is that by using different rings on the tool the motif size changes from 2 inches to 6 inches.  So I wove the threads through a 3 inch setting and now have two much space because I used a much finer silk thread.  It is hard to see so I may wait until tomorrow to finish it. 

Third motif still on Stitch-Around.

Looks like I just need to practise making motifs to get the hang of sizes of thread to motif size.  One project in the teneriffe book is a small mat made of 5 motifs, I would like to make it as a gift.  Of course what I really want to make is a mantilla, which was at one time traditionally made of Teneriffe lace.  I first saw a mantilla in college, Teneriffe was taught in the general needle arts class.  But this was long ago when it was not as easy to track down needle art tools.  So we learned using pins to weave around.  This method can be very frustrating as the threads try to tangle everywhere and it takes a while to set up the pins.  So I didn't have a piece finished for class but I don't remember anyone else finishing a motif either.  I am very proud that I was able to make my first two motifs and I will at least make a mat or decoration for a pillow.  I also have an idea of using teneriffe motifs to form lace flowers, they would be pretty with the ribbon roses from earlier blog entries.

I almost forgot that in the 60's there was a tool called a knitwit.  It was a little handheld tool that had spokes that were retractable.  You wrapped yarn around it and then popped off the motif.  The knitwit made daisies and it was often called daisy work.  It was a very very primitive form of teneriffe work.  I have some old instruction books on making daisy layettes.  I had started an afghan but the daisies were so small it was just to big a project.  I would love to get another knitwit, about 5 years ago they were popular for a short time.  Maybe one of these days I will make a daisy afghan!  Here is a link to an instruction book from the 50's.
http://www.knitting-and.com/small-looms/knitwit.html

I hope that this has inspired someone to try this form of lace.

Sleeve Cover 2

Yesterday my blog didn't post probably user error!  So I posted it today.  The sleeve was pretty but I wanted to decorate it.  So I tried doing a wool rose.  It came out pretty but even with two pieces of wool thread it was to small.  So with the leftover fabric I cut up strips and did a spider rose which was big and three dimensional and was great looking.  The fabric and the roses being the same color really is difficult to see.  Here are a few pictures.

Spider Roses.

Spider Roses.

Sleeve Covers

The other day I joined pintrest, and the first thing I saw were lovely embroidered sleeves.  Here is a link http://www.flickr.com/photos/mskriss/3703195115/in/faves-ederajewelry/

I just loved the embroidered roses and lace so I pinned it..  Then I realized it would make a wonderful cover up for a lymph edema sleeve.  When out looking for wedding fabric a while back I came across 13 yards of 60 wide black lace that had a swirling leaf pattern and small iridescent sequins.  The lace is amazing especially at $1.00 a yard.  I couldn't walk away from such an amazing find!  There was also 30 yards of black rose patterned lace with gold braiding woven into it.  I just hung on to the lace and kept saying "it's mine".  So with way more lace then anyone needs I'm trying to figure out how to sew the sleeve.  That way I could make some for the local cancer center. 

So with very few sewing skills I hand sewed a lace tube using a lingerie seam.  It was easier then using a machete to get to the sewing machine! That came out very pretty.  The lace has a beautiful satin stitched edging that I'm using for the lower part of the sleeve.  I wanted a ribbon at the wrist, so I got some silk ribbon but I bought the wrong stuff, it was only 1/4 inch wide.  Loosely stitching the ribbon around the sleeve to have it tighten around the wrist didn't work.  That was just a stupid idea.  I also purchased some black elastic, so I can only think of making a casing and putting the elastic inside.  I must have seen my mom do it a hundred times as a child.

My mom was an amazingly talented person and could sew anything.  The last time I sewed clothing was in 7th grade in Home Eco.  My mom was showing me how to set in a sleeve of a blouse and she showed me a short cut.  She would sew the sleeve and the body of the blouse at the same time.  My teacher want us to learn how to do a set in sleeve instead.  I had never heard my mom yell at someone like she yell at that teacher.  I didn't fail but my mom was not allowed to help me anymore.  That sort of ended any real desire to sew.

Anyway I have several books to help me with sewing ideas.  The first sleeve will be mine and I will use the silk ribbon to make spider roses and add a few beads and crystals.  It should be fun once I get the technical issues dealt with.

Sleeve

Close up of edge of sleeve.

Close up of fabric pattern.

Wedding dress

Yesterday after Beverly's morning crochet group, Lee and I went to a local thrift store just to look around.  I found a light blue skirt and jacket to wear to a wedding.  In a back corner I also found this lovely oldish wedding dress.  I believe it is from the 1980's from the style and abount of dust.  The satin has yellowed very beautifully.  You can't easily see that there is a sheer fabric with lace edging over the dress.  I had started looking for a wedding or bride's maid dress to alter for a ongoing magazine contest.  My idea was to take an ugly wedding dress and torch the outer skirt leaving the underskirt in tact and punk it all.  But the dresses I found were to ugly to believe.  So that idea got shelved and yesterday I found this dress but it is to beautiful to burn.  So I am going to give it a second chance as a wedding dress.  The bodice has a rather common design of machine made lace, so I though of encrusting it in beaded embroidery and I'm toying with adding color.  Why should Queen Victoria still set the trend in wedding dresses?  Why not some color or goldwork or even tiny silk roses embroidered onto the lace?  With a lot of care I am going to scan the bodice and bring it into Corel and design on the conputer before starting to embroider.  Play with color and crystals on the screen.  If someone in my family wants the dress I will take their ideas and start working immediately, so speak up!  One thing I do know is the sleeves have to go!

Partial veiw of back of dress.

Bodice on dress makers dummy from view.

Front of bodice again.

Sleeve cuff.

Back bodice.

Back bodice again.

Lower back of dress.

Back skirt.

Bottom of skirt front.

Most of dress front.

Most of dress front again.

Dress back part of train.