BobbinLaceBookmark No2

I designed and made this bobbin lace book mark. I used DMC Embroidery Thread and white linen bobbin lace thread for this project. I used blue loose end variegated shades threads that runs from and edge to another. It is very easy and beginners level bobbin lace project.

BobbinLaceBookmark No1

I designed and made this bobbin lace book mark. I used DMC Embroidery Thread for this project. I used loose end variegated shades threads to get it more lively.

This is how you get them to keep the original shape. First you Iron them and then stiffen them. This bookmark includes only the basic whole stitch and at some points extra twists. Very easy to complete also at the beginner's level.

Butterfly

I started this Irma Sedej & Maja Svetlik design Butterfly in March 2025. This year I had to cancel my bobbin lace course at Valamo Monastery and instead have it alone at home for me & myself. We had the heatwave so I was able to do bobbin lace on my terrace deck from early morning to late night.

I did the trunk of the butterfly and the start of the wing at spring. Now I first finished the wing. It was very interesting.

Then I needed more thread for my bobbins. After that I was able to start the other wing. The fabric cover is there to protect the yarn not to get attached and messed up with the pins. But on the other hand it hides the project.

That's why it was very satisfying to remove the cover every night to see what I had done and where I was going on.

Finally I got it all done. Then I had to remove the pins without breaking the threads. It was more relaxing than I expected. I could compare it to making jig saw puzzles!

Here it finally is. Unfinished but there! I used DMC Embroidery Thread for this project. I used Variegated shades to get it more lively. For the trunk I used red DMC 115 and for the wings yellow DMC 51. One skein for each bobbin.

Butterfly

Today I started new bobbin lace project. It is Irma Sedej & Maja Svetlik design butterfly. It is Idrija lace. Instead of 60/2 thread I use DMC Mouliné Embroidery Thread. For the butterfly body I use DMC variegated six-strand thread no 115. I learnt this method of using embroidery thread instead the traditional ones in Valamo Monastery last summer in my bobbin lace course. And yes, I will participate again next summer. 

BobbinLacePillow -tutorial

Do you remember my bobbin lace base? It is made of Finnfoam frost insulation sheet. I have found it a bit too hard and thin in the use. Also, the white cover has turn out to be an bit too bright and white. That's why I have made some improvements to it.

I used an old YogaMat to create some more height to it. I used hot glue to fasten the YogaMat sheets under the Finnfoam. Just a little bit around the edges.

On the top I placed 1 cm foam mattress to create a bit softness. This was my only left over piece so I needed some jig saw puzzle method to complete it. But that is just ok be cause it comes so close the edge that it doesn't actually matter. I used again hot glue to fasten the foam. I pinned the edges to make sure the foam stays on until the glue dries up.

Then I cut much bigger round piece out of jersey. I sew the single fold and left it open for 2 cm to be able to take the elastic band in and trough it. Then I just tighten it all up and made a knot to the elastic band.

Ta-dah. Now I have self-made updated bobbin lace pillow and a cover for it. I saved about 120€. But I saved also the nature resources because all the other materials except the jersey fabric were recycled. This is FashionNOW.

MyHeart

This bobbin lace heart project I started on my last course hours at Valamo Monastery. This is my 3rd practice of Idrija lac. It seems to be a small heart but it has taken me hours to get it finished.

When you take a closer look to it you realize there's many arches and turn ups. What made the process even slower is that in this project I practiced to use loose end yarns and continue the yarn that runs out. 

BobbinLaceJourney

In my previous blog post I was a bit lost and missed my teacher but managed to correct my mistakes and go on.

I was able to finish the tiny bobbin lace project. It was my 4th practice. I started to learn bobbin lace 14.9.2023. After the start I did my 2nd practice a bit longer than asked. And because I once forgot my bobbin lace equipment at home and picking it up would have meant 1 hour extra drive I chose to start an extra project by borrowing community college's equipment. That's why I did the extra practice. 

And that is how come this project with corners and turns ended up to be my 4th instead of 3rd practice. I am happy with it and learnt a lot with it.

My blog has been silent for a while in August. The reason is I had to get ready for my course at Valamo Monastery college. There was 5 days long very intensive bobbin lace course I participated on. It is 6 hours drive away from home but it all was worth of it. 

At Valamo I started to learn to make Idrija lace. This is my 1st ever practice of it. I had to use totally wrong thread to get started but that was ok and very educative. This should be a mushroom with Idrija flower. It do is but looks like a mushroom with acne and abscess with a sea star on it. And then they all got run over by a truck and dried. 😂 But I am proud of myself because you can see all the elements there!

Here is my 2nd practice of Idrija lace. By the start my teacher had found me the right thread from her cottage (she didn't bring things with her because she had sent us email about the materials and equipment we need to bring but the email never reach any of us). You can see the difference very well. When you are a beginner it matters a lot that you have exactly the right equipment and materials for your learning. Doing this practice was so much easier than the 1st one because I had already practiced by the totally wrong thread. I am very happy with this project. Now I have my 3rd Idrija lace project going on. That one you will see later...

Anyway, the intensive course was great and now I feel instead of doing bobbin lace only for a year I feel I have done two years course. 

MissMyTeacher

Today I took my bobbin lace base out off my hobby bag. This is the back side of the base. The fabric cover is a thin jersey fabric that is a left over material from my sport shirt project in 2015. 😅 The pattern of the cover is just a round circle and has an elastic band to make it a sheet like cover which I can easily take off and wash.

I miss my bobbin lace teacher and hope the notes she gave me and the words I wrote were good and rationale enough to guide me through my first ever table cloth bobbin lace project with corners and turns.

I made the arch of the edge on the course. The course end in April. For the next I needed to make the heart (orange arrow) and spider (red arrow)... on my own all alone. The first half of the heart was easy but with the spider I needed to think for a moment.

The instructions were simple and good so I managed to finish the spider quite easy. Which of course lead to the fact that I made a mistake in easier heart at its end half. I noticed I had made a mistake only when finishing it (4 orange arrows) because I had not enough bobbins left. That lead to the point about which I always remind my own students: you can make it only if you can fix it. 

So, I took all my patience out off my hobby back and stared to see if I can first find the mistake, then unravel it and at the end to do it again without a mistake. I managed to find the mistake and unravel the lace to get into the mistake point. I took these pics especially for all of you to show we all make mistakes and it is ok. Making mistakes is actually something I want my students to do when they start to learn new skills. You can learn so much and quite fast from the mistakes. If it is not up to life and death, the mistakes should be accepted and given the educational value they are about. Also, understanding it and doing so is good for mental health. 

Yeppee! Here it is done again. It is better that the 1st one because its done twice!!! 😂 I am proud of myself. I missed my teacher but am happy I learnt it all and still hear her words in my mind about learning to make bobbin lace.

This is where I park it for tonight to wait the next moment to make the next arch of the edge. The Finnfoam base is excellent and chap option for making bobbin lace. Anything into which you can put pins does just fine... as long as it is thicker than the needles are high... If you use a base like this you don't need to buy an expensive bobbin lace making pillow. And on a base like this it is easier to make table cloths and things like that which need wider area. 

LazyLace

This pic shows well what I have been doing at home when being on summer leave: laying lazy on my hammock sleeping or reading, having some low intense yoga and craft making.

I started to learn bobbing lace 10 months ago. I've made a green bobbin lace as my main project last winter. Now I finished another practice project. I will make something beautiful of it. 

I used 100 % linen for it. It was loose end thread I found twine around old bobbins at work. I would love to make a small bag of it but we'll see...

ForestSámiWomen'sBonnet

At Forest Sámi Summer Expo 2024 I had a presentation about costume history and women's hat in our culture. It was connected to the lace and decorations of the hat. During the past 12 months I have received so many questions about head wears so I decided to give a presentation about it despite my costume history research is still unfinished. 

The research I make is unfortunately slow because I do it on my free time without funding. ForestSàmi culture doesn't receive any kind of funding from Sámi Parliament of Finland because they think we don't exist anymore.  We neither receive any funding from the state because they say it is Sámi Parliament's job to share the funding. Anyway, this is our alive communal culture and history so I think everyone has the right to know about it. That's why I do my best for the community and share the information when ever I have reached the point something is ready to be shared. 

Lace started to appear in Forest Sámi hats obviously at the end of 1800 or early 1900. Today we can use the lace or not, it is up to individuals like it has always been. In my hat I have used hand made bobbin lace my mother brought me as a gift when she traveled in Portugal almost 25 years ago. That is exactly how Forest Sámi people had their first lace: a gift or self bought item in trade. 

This hat is made according to old traditional design. The decoration can vary but what is common to all is the minimum use of fabric and supportive ribbon over the seam that connects the top and side parts together. Traditionally all the decorations were home made of fabric but when it became possible also Forest Sámi used factory made decorative ribbons in their head wears. For the hats you need less material than for the whole costume so many people could afford that for the hats.

This is the original hat of which I have taken the pattern at Musea Noiti Viessu in Salla. It is an old hat. It is exactly the same pattern. I had to triple check it when finished the new hat, so different it looked. But yes, it is. It just looks different and the top part stands on differently because it is not used and worn. Notice the beautiful small lace around the face part.

Finally there

I started a new hobby 14.9.2023. Over the winter I've been practicing. I still love it as much when started, If possible, even more. It is my long term dream.

I could have done it smaller but I decided make it longer. And finally I have approx 120 cm long bobbing lace made by me!

Then I just needed to cut it off and make end knots. It was a bit exciting because I did it alone at home, without my teacher.

Then I ironed it and made a photo for you to see it. Later you will see where I will put it on. How exciting!

BobbinLace

Today I started a new hobby. A hobby I've been dreaming about for over 30 years! It is bobbin lace! We meet once in a fortnight. Can't wait the next time to happen!

Today I did this 1st practice. It is my first ever bobbin lace. I feel it is relaxing, fabulous and worth of waiting for so long!