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  Needle Lace Tutorial -
Bookmark
  (Needlelace Instructions) (Needle Lace
Lesson)
  © Lorelei Halley 2010 
   
 Working a plain rectangular bookmark will give you a
chance to try out the method and to begin controlling your
tension.  The pattern was drawn on graph paper, and this
will help you keep your stitch spacing and row height
consistent.   It may take doing several pieces until you are
reasonably satisfied with how your stitches look. It took me
a long time and lots of attempts. I tried it in the late 1980s
and did so badly I gave up. But this year I started again and
improved a lot with advice from
http://needlelacetalk.ning.com
I worked this sample in multiple colors so that it would be
easy to see different threads functioning in different ways.
Supplies for this bookmark:  Average size sharp needle
plus thimble, both for couching, ordinary cotton sewing
thread for couching.
 You should keep tapestry needles sizes 20-26 on hand (or
some other kind of ball point needle), for use with various
thread sizes.  (Tapestry needles have blunt points, and we
use them because the lace thread should not pierce the
cordonnet or snag itself.)  Use whatever size best fits the
lace thread you decide to use; 22 and 24 are most useful. 
Sizes 26 and 28 do exist, if you like to do very fine work.
1-4 pieces of cotton cloth 12 x 5 inches (30x13 cm).  Some
lacemakers use 1 piece of cloth, but some use 3 or 4.
Print the pattern on ordinary copy machine paper (colored
paper for white or ecru lace thread, white for colored
threads).  I tried light card, but it was too hard to punch the
sharp couching needle through the card.  This slowed down
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the couching process and was hard on my fingers.

Sticky plastic film to cover pattern.  The sticky plastic filem

+ ordinary weight paper pattern gives enough body to the
pattern, protects the paper from tearing, but is still easy to
pierce with the couching needle.

For the original size (pattern is 6.25 inches or 16cm tall)

use DMC or Anchor Cordonnet 60-80 or Egyptian Cotton
36/3 for outline threads, and Cordonnet 100, Aurifil 30 or
50, Sulky 30, linen 100, Egyptian cotton 50/2 for lace
thread.

150% of original size (8 1/8 inches or 21 cm tall): use

cordonnet 30 or Brok 24/3 for outline threads and 60-80
cordonnet (tatting cotton) for lace thread.

In my sample (11 inches or 27 cm tall) I'm using 8/3 linen

(similar to crochet cotton 10 or KnitCroSheen) as outline
thread, and linen 40/2 and 35/2, or crochet cotton 30-40,
Sulky or Aurifil 12 as lace threads. 

Pattern and Setting Up:   For a pattern use BOOKMARK. 

When you get to a screen with only the pattern or diagram
right click on the image, and you will have the option of
saving or printing the image. If you save the image to your
computer you can then use whatever graphics or photo
program you have to print it out at whatever size you want. 
I suggest that you use ordinary 20 # copy paper.  Even with
the plastic film on top it will be thin enough to puncture
easily with the needle as you couch the outline threads
down.   
Also make a copy of the diagram.  Please look at my
webpage on learning needlelace.  All those images are
   thumbnails: click on the image to see the larger size original
image. I have tried to answer all the possible questions with
those photos and drawings. I realize it is not perfectly clear
all the time. I keep trying to improve it.

Make a sandwich of 2, 3 or more layers: 1, 2, or more,

layers of cotton cloth, medium weight, about 2 cm larger
than the pattern.  Put sticky plastic film over the pattern.
This will prevent the printer ink from coming off on the lace
and will keep the needle from puncturing the paper (except
when you intend it to). Baste the layers together. Multiple
layers of fabric make it easier to release the lace when it is
completely finished. You can just slide your scissors
between two layers of fabric and easily see the couching
stitches. You can then cut only those couching stitches
without risk of damaging the lace. Then start to lay the

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cordonnet/outline threads.
Laying the Cordonnet/Outline Threads: The diagram is a
rough sketch showing how to lay the cordonnet/outline
threads, rather than an exact map. The outline threads are the
scaffolding that holds the piece together. It is important that
it be hooked to itself frequently enough to give stability.
Couch the doubled cordonnet, starting at A (the arrow). 
Your couching stitches will pierce all the layers, but nothing
else will. The outline threads will merely lie on top of the
pattern. The couching stitches should be 2 -3 mm apart
(about 1/8 inch), and they should be perfectly perpendicular
to the outline threads. Use a sharp needle and a thimble. It is
only in couching that you will need a sharp needle and a
thimble. 

Couch the threads down around the outer perimeter, passing

by B and C for now.  When you start back up the last side,
  that is when you take the inner thread back horizontally and
  hook it onto the first side.   At D take the inner thread across
to C, hook it onto the outline threads there,  and back again.
At E take the thread to B, hook it around the outline thread,
and back again.

In my diagram  points B and C are different . As far as I can

tell from what other experienced lacemakers have said,
either of these methods are OK. As I worked I thought of a
3rd method. 

You can either use a crochet hook to manipulate the outline

thread, or thread it into a tapestry needle. The diagram
shows only 2 horizontal bars, but the actual pattern has
more. I suggest trying both B and C linking methods. Then
you will be able to see their relative merits when you are
finished with the piece.  Note that at D and E the 2 outline
threads just lie next to each other.  This is considered
acceptable along the outer perimeter of a piece, where
buttonholing over the outline will hold it together.  That kind
of junction is not considered acceptable in the interior of a
piece. 

To end at F you want one of the tails to hook onto the

beginning loop and then return back where it came from.
The other should continue in the direction it was going. The
tails should be about 1 inch (2cm) long. Of course I show
the pair of outline threads far apart to make the junctions
easier to see. The threads should lie right next to each other,
touching. End the couching thread by fastening it onto the
cloth at the back.
Rochelle's video  So many experts have said that doing a few stitches well is
more important than trying to learn a long list of stitches. I

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http://www.catherinebarley.com
/186037434
Lacemaking in Croatia
Burano lacemakers 1
Burano 2
Avital's Burano lacemaker
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have come to share this idea. The most popular traditional
lace styles use only a small number of stitches. I am
suggesting that you start with the easiest ones, and those
used most often. This bookmark has 6 sections that you can
fill with stitches. (The narrow sections are for trying out
several kinds of bars.) I suggest doing only 2 or 3 stitches,
but repeating them in more than one section. You can then
try out different spacing, and see how it looks and whether
you like it that way. The pattern was drawn on graph paper
and has lines going across the space. That will help you keep
your rows straight. How you space the stitches and rows will
depend on what size thread you decide to use. With
needlelace there is no need to be exact in choosing a thread
size, since you can simply change the spacing of stitches to
accommodate different thread sizes. Needle lace is not like
bobbin lace, where the thread has to closely match the
pattern, nor is it like crochet or knitting, where you have to
have an exact number of stitches in each row. In needlelace
you can decide how close together or far apart you want the
stitches to be. Part of the learning process is developing
good judgment about what spacing to use. Only practice can
teach you that. Just do what fits, and what looks good.
In order to get control of tension you will need to use both
hands. I am right handed, and I am writing this using that
assumption (not fair to lefties, I know). Look at Rochelle
Sutherland’s video and carefully watch what she does with
her left hand. Keep watching until you see it. After every
stitch she uses her left hand to hold that last stitch in
position, so it doesn’t loosen. Rochelle works holding the
work in her hand. Once I started using the methods Rochelle
demonstrates in her video, my tension improved
immediately and my stitches became more regular. As soon
as I make a stitch, I use my left thumb to hold it down so the
thread doesn't slide around or the tension loosen. And I keep
my left thumb on it as I am moving the needle and making
the next stitch with my right hand. Right hand makes the
stitch, left hand holds it down after it is made so the tension
doesn't slacken.  Catherine Barley also handles her pattern in
a manner similar to Rochelle's:   
http://www.catherinebarley.com/186037434   She has the
lace sandwich rolled over the forefinger of her left hand. 
After she makes eash stitch she puts the middle finger of her
left on top of the stitch to keep it from slipping and losing
tension.  Also look at http://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=JuMHTNeUDrI This is the lacemaking in Croatia
video. Once you pass the weeds and the harbor, you will see
a woman working at lace in her house, near a window.
Watch her left hand. She uses a pillow and her left hand is
free to keep tension on the thread after she has made each
stitch.  She makes the stitch with her right hand, then
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immediately pulls on it with her left hand to keep the tension

and make it hold its position.  Keep watching until you
understand it. My webpage http://lynxlace.com
/learningneedlelace.html has links to some other videos of
Burano lace makers. How they use their hands might offer
suggestions, also.

Doing The Stitches

Please go to my web page for diagrams.  Diagrams are also
available online at http://encyclopediaofneedlework.com
  /chapter_13.html   

Everybody agrees that corded Brussels is the easiest stitch

(also called corded buttonhole, detached buttonhole with a
straight return).

Start your lace thread by threading it under the couching

stitches for 1 cm, then wrapping it around the cordonnet. In
the 2nd image, left, the yellow thread is the lace thread. The
first row are just simple buttonhole stitches worked over the
doubled cordonnet across the top. When the first row is
  done, at the right hand side, wrap the lace thread around the
cordonnet and return it in a straight line across back to the
left side. Wrap it around the cordonnet on the left several
times until it is at the right distance from the previous row to
start the new row.  As you work the 3rd row from left to
 
right, catch the straight return thread as well as the bottom
loop of each stitch from row one. Don’t let yourself run out
of thread in the middle of a row. Sacrifice a length of thread
instead. Corded Brussels is usually worked close together, so
your thread should be 3-4 times as long as the length of the
row you will make with it. For stitches that are more spaced
out you won't need that much. When you get to the bottom
  of the shape you can either whip the last row to the
cordonnet at the bottom, or you can work the buttonhole
stitches of the last row onto the bottom cordonnet,
depending on how the rows are spaced. Most stitches tend to
curl upward to some extent. The corded and whipped
variants do that less than the plain versions. But it may still
be a problem. You can see the upward curve in my photo. So
when you whip or buttonhole that last row, you may have to
pull to some extent to bring the last row straight and make it
  stretch.

I imagine the stitches each being repeated in more than one

section, for practice and to improve tension.

The last image at left is the same stitch worked more densely
(closer together).

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In some of the other spaces work a few more stitches. 
Double Brussels and the simpler pea stitch variants are
probably the most useful and the easiest.  I'm not showing
plain simple buttonhole because that is actually one of the
most difficult stitches.  It is easy to understand and easy to
do the stitches, but getting the tension and spacing right is
 
very difficult, as it tends to curl up.  Save it for later.  Needle
lace is about juxtaposing dense areas and open, transparent
areas, so that there is a constant variation between the two. 
These next  stitches are all relatively open.  The important
thing is to learn the best way to space each kind of stitch,
and to achieve even tension.

Double Brussels -- Also look here, figure #721.  As you

work double Brussels it is really important to stick your left
thumb on the thread coming from the 2nd stitch of each pair.
Otherwise the thread will slip and the stitches you just made
will change size. Figure out some way to nail each pair of
stitches down while you are making the next pair.  Notice
that the last row is whipped to the cordonnet.

Pea stitch, variants 1 and 2 -- DMC figure #726.  You don't

need to work both variants.  Choose just one and do it
twice.  The purpose of doing any of these pea stitch variants
is to get used to the idea of working different sequences of
stitches in different rows.  There is another variant of pea
stitch which looks much more striking and is actually used
more often than these (and in several traditional styles as
well), but I found it difficult to make it look good until I got
fairly good control of my tension and spacing. So I'll save

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that one for later.

For pea stitch 1 I whipped the last row to the cordonnet.

For pea stitch 2 I worked the last row of buttonhole stitches

onto the cordonnet (you can see the yellow thread).

Making the Bars: -- When I drew the outline for this

simple bookmark I left some narrow spaces between the
segments because I wanted to try out several kinds of bars.
These bars are not used in all laces, but they are very useful
if you are designing your own work (where you can do
whatever you like). The narrow spaces are bounded by 2
parallel horizontal outlines.

The illustrations in the DMC Encyclopedia pertaining to the

bars seem clear enough to me that I have not redrawn them
myself. --  Figures #694, #695, #696 are the most basic. The
DMC #694 Guild of Needlelace book 1 also has these bars on pages 32
and 33.

Plain twisted bar or Alencon bar

Anchor your thread to the cordonnet as you normally would
and throw the thread across and whip back.  WHIP  the
thread around the cordonnet until you are in position to
make the next bar.  (Ecru thread lies on top of the pink
thread.)

Double twisted bar or Alencon bar  (actually has 3

foundation threads, whipped on the 4th journey)
Attach the thread onto the bottom cordonnet and throw the
thread to the top cordonnet and around it.  Take the thread
  back to the lower cordonnet (2nd pass), around it, and back
to the top cordonnet (3rd pass).  Now whip back over all
three foundation threads, at least 3 times, or covering the
whole bar, if you wish.  Whip the thread around the bottom
cordonnet until you get to the position of the next bar.
(Lavender thread diagonally on lower bar is the whipping.)
DMC#695

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Venetian bar or plain buttonhole bar

I laid down 3 foundation threads, and then buttonholed over
  them.   But it can be done over just one foundation thread.
DMC #696 Venetian bars
You don't need to work the bars if you don't want to. Instead
you could work 2 or 3 rows of double buttonhole in those
narrow segments.

Buttonholing the Cordonnet: this is the last step in the

actual lace making process. It has 2 purposes: to lock all the
beginning and ending tails of lace threads onto the
cordonnet so they cannot pull loose, and to make a smooth
outline. However, achieving a smooth outline needs help.
Experts recommend laying two padding threads on top of
the cordonnet and buttonholing them onto the outline. I have
found in practice that this really does make a difference and
is worth the effort, and I often use more than two.

  When deciding where to start the buttonholing, what

sections to do first, you have to think about layers. In many
pieces which represent real objects, you will want some
parts to appear to lie on top of others. And that part should
be done last so that the bottom loops of the buttonhole
stitches are above other outlines. In this piece layers are not
important. So the horizontal internal outlines should be done
first, and the outer perimeter done in one movement, and
last.

I am writing these instructions assuming right handedness.

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Padding threads:
Take a thread twice as long as outline segment you are going
to work and hook it to the right end of the outline bar. Use a
crochet hook or thread it onto a tapestry needle to
manipulate it. You can use the same thread you used for the
lace stitches or you can use something else. Some styles of
lace use a great number of padding threads  (as many as 16)
and this produces a raised and sculpted look. I often use 4-6
padding threads because I like the look of a prominent
cordonnette. There is no rule. But use at least 2 or it will be
very difficult to get a smooth outline. You should use the
same thread for buttonholing the cordonnet as you used for
the lace stitches. Usually the padding threads, outline
threads and lace thread are all the same color. If they are
different colors, the underneath layers will be too visible and
this may ruin the effect. In my sample I am using different
colors so you can easily see what I am doing. If you are right
handed work the buttonholing on the cordonnette from right
to left. The reason for this is that you can then use your left
hand to keep those 2 padding threads in position. On one of
my first pieces I thought it would be clever to whip the
padding threads into place so I could work from left to right.
But the diagonal whipping thread defeated the purpose of
laying padding threads down, and I ended up with a lumpy
cordonnette. So keep the padding threads loose, but guide
them with your left hand. By the end of this piece you will
find working buttonhole stitch from right to left very easy, I
promise.

Hook your buttonholing thread to the right hand end of

the outline segment you are planning to work. I usually let a
tail as long as the segment lie along with the padding threads
and then I work the buttonholing over the outline threads,
the padding threads, and the tail of the buttonholing thread.
After 2 stitches it is locked quite well.

Start buttonholing the cordonette

I have laid 3 beige padding threads, and 1 green tail from the
green buttonholing thread.  Here I am taking the first
buttonhole stitch.

I have laid 4 yellow padding threads and am using the same

thread to start the buttonholing. 

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Here half the buttonholing is completed. 

Most of the horizontal cordonettes are finished.  I will cut

off the short tails before I start buttonholing the perimeter of
the piece, and will keep the long tails and add them to the
padding threads for the outer cordonnette. 

  
The last step is to slide a scissors between the layers of cloth
and cut the basting stitches and couching stitches.  See here.

A sample worked by chimerastone:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xKbRQcv9y7s/TnJNDU56ChI
/AAAAAAAABvk/4Ijb84669YQ/s1600/needlelace-
book.jpg

another: http://tattinggoddess.blogspot.com
/2010_05_01_archive.html
and another:     http://csab-crafts.blogspot.com/2011/09
/trying-out-needle-lace-and-other.html

I have written another tutorial based on a simple leaf pattern drawn by Lenore English.  Needlelace
Tutorial 2   

 http://needlelacetalk.ning.com/group/beginners/forum/topics/needlelace-tutorial-leaf-10

 http://needlelacetalk.ning.com/group/beginners/forum/topics/needlelace-tutorial-leaf-10-1

© 2010 Lorelei Halley This may be copied for personal use, but not for any commercial use, nor may
it be copied or posted on another website. Links are welcome.                              November 23,
2010            revised January 6, 2011

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