My friends! Believe me, it is no more difficult than braiding hair!

This is a slow process, but not complicated! And I will try to prove this with the tutorial if you read it until the end.

Making lace on a bobbin is a painstaking work that requires perseverance and patience, carefulness and, of course, a lot of time. But all this extraordinary beauty is created in very few simple steps.

I would rather say that the formula of the lace beauty lies in only two steps: twist and cross!

I draw your attention to the tutorial which would help you to make the first step in opening up the miraculous world of bobbin lace making.

Who is it desirable to learn this technique for?

For those who sews, knits, embroiders, weaves macramé and creates jewellery, clothes and decor for it.

One can tat not only collars on bobbins,

but cuffs, inserts and independent items as well, like vests, capes, hats.

For puppeteers, being able to weave on bobbins means an opportunity to make exclusive outfits for puppets, adding a 'zest' which will become a unique and such fine feature of a master. Taking into account that the size of the doll clothes is quite small, you don't have to spend much time on completing lace elements.

In addition, learning new techniques and tricks of any handicraft, you develop your competence, acquire new knowledge and skills, expand the palette of your capabilities, increase your versatility like a wizard. You activate your potential and become a Multicraftsman!

Bobbin tape lace has a long and interesting history.

Lace-making originated over 300 years ago in Europe. In Russia, this technique appeared in the 17th century. Until the 18th century, lace was made from gold and silver threads. Expensive, elegant, delicate lace was used to trim clothing of aristocracy and nobility. For royal and aristocratiс apparel and vestments. Brocade and velvet, gold embroidery, pearls and precious stones, lace of gold and silver threads were used to create luxurious ceremonial smart clothes.

Bobbin laces are often referred to as one word — 'Vologda'. There are actually several varieties of laces, with their own names and features, as being developed in 17 Russian provinces, local lace-makers brought their own vision, technique, colouring and thus enhancing the differences between laces in each locality.

Vologda lace has a continuously winding floral ornament, shaped in a dense woven braid (called 'vilushka'), with an openwork grid of deep scallops and dense lace elements, often oblong.

In Yelets lace, the tight lace tape has transitions to an openwork net.

The Kirishi lace has a background of dense lace elements and sparse meandering tape.

The Ryazan lace is implemented with bright thread in the numerical technique.

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Well, shall we start?

What do you need for lace making?

Right, bobbins.

You all have seen them, know where to buy them — it's not difficult. You need from 50 to 100 pieces.

Then threads for lacemaking. These may be mouline, iris, linen.

Also you need a cushion, tightly stuffed with sawdust. Lace is made with clean hands — especially the white one!

For breaks in work, it's good to sew a case for the cushion to cover your unfinished work.

Keep in mind that the cover should be more in size than your cushion, so that you could easily cover all bobbins you use in work.

Skolok (a pattern), according to which you will make the lace.

Needles looking like small nails and pins with a ball at the top.

And the smallest hook, that will help to join the elements of the lace using a dragging technique.

The process of winding threads on bobbins.

All laces you ever seen have 4 main elements that are worked with only two movements.

Polotnyanka (lace tape).

Thin openwork mesh.

Nasnovka (small lace elements of oval or tetragonal shape that decorate a lace item).

You can print a skolok (pattern) from a book, create it on a special program, or draw it yourself. It's not difficult.

Make a sketch with a pencil, trying to understand and feel the movement of the lines and shapes inside given borders of the future item: a collar, insert or headgear.

In the next step, use a stylo pen to sustain the desired width of polotnyanka which forms the main lace pattern. Draw the pattern of vilushka in black ink with the stylo pen to clearly and vividly see by the contrast of colours (black and white) what the lace will look like in the ready product.

In the third step of pattern making, put tracing paper on the pattern and begin to draw the pin dots and movement of the working pair. Inside polotnyanka, the movements of the working pair is marked with such a characteristic zig-zag.

Above you can see the examples of such patterns.

Now, I want to offer you to weave avos'ka (a net shopping bag, string-bag) that may come in handy. Its mesh structure like no other allows to carry anything of any shape and the bag is very compact, takes very little space in your pocket.

Use a foam board (or tiles for ceiling).

Draw the size of the net on graph paper.

At first, work on complex patterns like these drawings.

Pin the pattern to the foam.

Wind threads on the bobbin and begin to weave.

Pin in the upper side.

Hang the pairs of bobbins and start weaving.

Begin to weave the top of the bag, hiding the ends of the yarn in the cords. Find the place for handles according to the pattern. Tie the handles through the holes at their bottom.

The handles can be made of threads left on the bobbins after weaving and wrapped in fabric strips, matching the colour and quality. There are two types of handles your may choose.

I hope that the tutorial was interesting and useful. And perhaps those who have long and successfully being working with bobbin lace might find something interesting here. And those who only would like to proceed to lacemaking, ceased to think that it is very difficult.

In fact, the only thing you really need is a desire to weave lace and accuracy in work. However, these are the most important conditions for the development of any craft! Absolutely any!

If you liked the tutorial, click the button!

With respect and love,

Lubov Komissarova