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The Book Blog

22/1/2021 0 Comments

The Bedfordshire Family of Laces -  Jennifer Fisher

Publisher : Kangaroo Pr (1991)
ISBN : 0864173288
The Bedfordshire Family of Laces by Jennifer Fisher
Whilst this book was intended as an instruction book, from beginner to intermediate, I would say that a basic level of lacemaking is an essential to work with this book and it's aimed more at a beginner in Bedfordshire rather than a beginner lacemaker.
What works well?
  • The book has clear diagrams, prickings and text for each of the supplied patterns.
Anything that we need to take into consideration?
  • The photo of the christening gown in the book does not have a pattern provided.
  • This book is out of print but still available from most online booksellers as well as lace suppliers and eBay.
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0 Comments

22/1/2021 0 Comments

Basic Technical Instruction Book - Book 1 Bedfordshire

Publisher : The Lace Guild (1988)
Basic Technical Instruction Book - Book 1 Bedfordshire
This book was originally published as a workbook for anyone interested in learning Bedfordshire lace.
​
Barbara Underwood put this book together with help from Vi Bullard.​
​The patterns are all old traditional patterns.
​What works well?
  • This book is illustrated throughout with black and white photos and diagrams
Anything that we need to take into consideration?
  • This book is currently out of print.
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0 Comments

21/1/2021 0 Comments

Torchon Lacemaking - Jan Tregidgo

Publisher : The Crowood Press Ltd; Illustrated edition (23 Aug. 2010)
ISBN-10 : 1847972012
ISBN-13 : 978-1847972019
Torchon Lacemaking by Jan Tregidgo
Subtitled : A Step by Step Guide
I met Jan at The Lace Guild Convention in Exeter where she was running a workshop on her bracelet.
​
I'm going to make a confession here.  I put off buying this book because I was focusing on collecting European books and was arguing with myself as to whether or not I needed another beginner book.  
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When I started teaching again, I was being asked by my students was this book or that book any good so I bought a copy to add to my library and was blown away by the amount of step by step photos in the book. 
What works well?
  • This book is lusciously illustrated with step by step photos which really enhance this book
Anything that we need to take into consideration?
  • Jan makes particular mention of using colour as a beginner because it helps follow how the bobbins are moving through the lace.
  • This book is currently available from most online books sellers as well as lace suppliers.  It is available as a Kindle book.
0 Comments

21/1/2021 0 Comments

The Technique of Torchon Lace - Pamela Nottingham

Publisher : Batsford Ltd; 1st Edition (26 July 1979)
ISBN-10 : 0713402687
ISBN-13 : 978-0713402681
The Technique of Torchon Lace by Pamela Nottingham
This book builds on Pam Nottingham's The Techniques of Bobbin Lace with further patterns and techniques in Torchon.
What works well?
  • ​Pam Nottingham's writing style is very easy to read.  She is very descriptive.
Anything that we need to take into consideration?
  • This book was published before colour diagrams came in so diagrams are very rare in 
  • This book is out of print, but frequently comes up on both online sellers and eBay
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0 Comments

21/1/2021 0 Comments

Variations on a Theme - Jennifer Ford

ASIN : B004IFOFA4
Publisher : John and Jennifer Ford (1 Jan. 1992)
ISBN-10 : 0951023624
ISBN-13 : 978-0951023624
Variations on a Theme by Jennifer Ford
Subtitle: Bobbin Lacemaking Patterns for the Complete Beginner
This book was designed to help complete beginners understand and learn Torchon lace without a teacher. 

​The concept was that this book would take a new lacemaker through spangling their bobbins to ​learning different stitch combinations. 
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What works well?
  • The diagrams are shown at least twice the size of the prickings
Anything that we need to take into consideration?
  • This book is out of print.
0 Comments

19/1/2021 0 Comments

A Charm of 'French Fans' - Glaisdale

Published: Self Published (1982)
A Charm of 'French Fans' by Glaisdale
​This is little book takes you through the technique of french fans.
​
French fans, instead of joining to the ground and gradually adding in passives to the fan as the workers head towards the fan apex, works differently.  
The weavers work through all the passives and go straight to the apex of the fan wrap around and go back to the head side then back to the apex pin and round it again.  This is done until the fan is finished.  When the apex pin has been removed the weaver threads lie flat and give a distinctive shape.
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What works well?
  • The black and white photos beautifully illustrate and compliment the text 
Anything that we need to take into consideration?
  • Beware that a number of times, this book has appeared for sale, but instead of the shiny card cover, it's a photocopy of the book.  Selling photocopies breaks copyright.
  • This book is out of print, but comes regularly on eBay
0 Comments

18/1/2021 0 Comments

An Introduction to Bedfordshire Lace - Jean Leader

Publisher : The Lace Guild (2004)
ISBN :  1 901372 11 1​
An Introduction to Bedfordshire Lace by Jean Leader
The booklet is illustrated throughout with black and white photos,  white line drawings & diagrams 
​
First published in 2004, this book has been in continual print since and is considered to be a great introduction to learning Bedfordshire Lace. 
Jean uses the same  clear writing style that has made her Introduction to Bucks Point so popular.

Jean has also now published a full book on Bedfordshire, taking you from beginner to advanced; Bedfordshire Lace.
What works well?
  • This book is aimed at the absolute beginner and is clearly structured to support the new lacemaker in learning.
Anything that we need to take into consideration?​
  • This book is currently available from both The Lace Guild and lace suppliers
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0 Comments

17/1/2021 0 Comments

Elizabethan Lace - Gilian Dye

Publisher : The Elviston Press (2 Sept. 1995)
ISBN-10 : 0952270935
ISBN-13 : 978-0952270935
Elizabethan Lace by Gilian Dye
This was Gillian Dye's first book on historical lace that led to her further series of 5 books on the subject
​Whilst the techniques do cover the basis for lacemaking, this book is for an adventurous beginner as it includes high levels of picots and plaited lace.
Gilian goes on to explore these historical laces her​​ series on sixteenth and seventeenth century bobbin lace
  • Prequel - Introducing Bone Lace
  • Book 1 - Gold and Silver Edgings
  • Book 2 - The Isham Samples and other Linen Edgings
  • Book 3 - Surface Decorations in Silk & Metallic Thread
  • Book 4 - Insertions & Borders
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What works well?
  • The key techniques are clearly illustrated with black and white diagrams
  • The pattern for the front cover purse is provided as the original pattern from Le Pomple.
Anything that we need to take into consideration?
  • Whilst this book does include two chapters on needle lace along with a chapter on cords and laces, it is predominately bobbin lace based.
0 Comments

17/1/2021 0 Comments

Magic Threads - Christine Springett

Publisher : ​Self Published
Magic Threads by Christine Springett
This is one of those books that when you read it, you think 'wow' that's so obvious.  But it isn't until someone tells you how to do it.
​
​The concept of the magic thread is to put in a loop of thread early so that you can make lace sewings and joins by using the magic loop to pull the working thread through the existing lace and make the join.
What works well?
  • Every single step is clearly illustrated with black and white photos making this like having Christine sat next door to you, teaching.
Anything that we need to take into consideration?
  • This book is still in print and available from the author so do support Christine Springett by buying direct.
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What do other people say?
This book is reviewed on lace gumnuts:
Christine starts with a couple of pages of FAQ’s, then goes on with directions illustrated by photos for using magic threads with Torchon edging starts in trails and in fans, Torchon finishes, and then several pages on using magic threads in Bedfordshire Lace.
She also covers the use of a darning magic thread, which is where you attach the magic thread loop to your bobbin, to enable you to darn away ends.
Torchon and Beds are the only laces she specifically mentions, but the techniques could certainly be used for other types of laces – in fact, anywhere where you need to tie in threads. I’ve used the techniques in the book very successfully in coloured tape lace, where I wanted small areas in a contrasting colour.
0 Comments

17/1/2021 0 Comments

Fun with leaves - Christine Springett

Publisher : Self published (2007)
Fun with leaves by Christine Springett
This book was originally sold with small hanks of the variegated threads used in the samples.

​ The concept behind this book is using variegated thread to create repeating colour patterns with the leaves.
​
The logic and techniques behind this also helps the lacemaker to learn to understand howhow the leaves are constructed
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What works well?
  • As will all of Christine's books and patterns, this book is very clearly written with the intent that it can be used without a teacher.
Anything that we need to take into consideration?
  • Whilst the instructions in the book go into great detail on the technique, it is assumed that the lacemaker is familiar and competent in basic Bedfordshire techniques including leaves.
  • This book is out of print, but occasionally appears second hand on eBay or through lace suppliers
What do other people say?
This book was reviewed on lace gumnuts
Comes with a little parcel of the variegated thread that Christine refers to in the book.
A book of little motifs using leaves, and detailed instructions on how to achieve matching variegated leaves.  Lots of clear diagrams and written instructions, there are 9 pages of technique notes at the end, including written instructions on how to make leaves, plaits and picots.
Summary a very useful little booklet which I recommend.
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    I'm the lace bee and these are my books

    With currently over 300 books and about the same number of individual patterns, I have an enviable library.  So here are some of my books.

    ​You can see all of the titles by opening up the archives or by clicking on the categories which I've used to group by authors, language and lace types

    I am very grateful to the lace gumnuts of Australia for permission to quote and link their reviews to this site.

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    All Advanced Alex Stillwell Australian Barbara Underwood Bedfordshire Beginner Bobbins Bridget Cook Bruges Lace Bucks Point Building Butterfly Christine Springett Christmas Cluny Danish Design Duchess Dutch Easter Elywn Kenn English Estonian Expert Finnish Flemish Flowers Free Lace French Geraldine Stott German Gilian Dye Gozo / Malta Guipure Historical History Honiton Instruction Intermediate Italian Jane Lewis Jewellery Louise West Mechels Milanese Lace Miniature Mixed Lace Multilingual Needle Lace Non Bobbin Lace Pam Nottingham Pat Perryman Pat Read Patterns Pricking Reference Russian Lace Sandi Woods Scarves Spanish Stitches Swedish Tape Lace Techniques Tonder Torchon Ulrike Voelcker Valenciennes Wedding Withof

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