Choosing a Pillow
You are going to own your pillows for a long time, so choosing the right one is important.
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Your first pillow
Not sure if you want a flat pillow, a domed pillow, a straw pillow, a polystyrene pillow? The easy solution is to borrow one. If you are learning with a teacher, ask them if they might be willing to let you try out different pillows to see what works best for you. Your pillow and bobbins are going to be your biggest investment, so it's worth taking some time to get it right. If you can't wait to get started, then why not get a piece of high density foam - like the stuff used for roof installation, cover it with some cloth and start on your journey. It will be flat, but these days most lacemakers use flatter pillows often call continental. |
round / cookie / cushion style pillow
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Pillow sizes and styles
You will be faced with loads of shapes and sizes of pillows, but for your first pillow I would recommend that you go for an 18" round pillow. This is a good size for most things you will do in your first couple of years. It's big enough to make a Christine Springett snake or a starter doilly. You will come back to your 18" round pillow year after year and it's a great starter investment.
The next pillow I would invest in would be a block pillow that allows you to make long strips, corners and ... a table cloth! You can even do ovals with a block pillow.
After that its about buying pillows to match the projects you want to make but with an 18" round and a block pillow you have the two you need to get going.
You will be faced with loads of shapes and sizes of pillows, but for your first pillow I would recommend that you go for an 18" round pillow. This is a good size for most things you will do in your first couple of years. It's big enough to make a Christine Springett snake or a starter doilly. You will come back to your 18" round pillow year after year and it's a great starter investment.
The next pillow I would invest in would be a block pillow that allows you to make long strips, corners and ... a table cloth! You can even do ovals with a block pillow.
After that its about buying pillows to match the projects you want to make but with an 18" round and a block pillow you have the two you need to get going.
Collar
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Pillow Types
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Roller Pillow
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- Bolster Pillow - traditionally used for Bucks point and German / French lace, these are round cylinders of pillows.
- Because of their shape they need something to hold them in place. A simple way to do this, is to use a bread basket to sit the pillow in.
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Straw or polystyrene / foam?
This is always going to come down to personal preference. For me, using bone bobbins on a straw pillow, making lace with silk and using a traditional Bedfordshire pattern connects me to generations past. Call me a romantic like Thomas Wright. Straw pillows do have a weight behind them. If you like to make lace on your lap, then a straw pillow with a large number of bobbins will be heavy, however placed on a table and that weight has gone. Straw is outstandingly durable and a good straw pillow will last you a lifetime if you take good care of it. |
Polystyrene / foam pillows can wear from pin damage, but I'm still using my first pillow from 30 years ago and it's as good as it was the day I bought it. I just take care to never start the same project in exactly the same place in order to minimise wear. Adding a couple of layers of felt or felt carpet underlay to the top of your pillow will also reinforce the top and help it to last longer.
Choosing a second hand pillow
Second hand pillows come up regularly on eBay and other selling markets. So how do you go about choosing a pillow and knowing that it will be right for you?
What is it made of?
Second hand pillows come up regularly on eBay and other selling markets. So how do you go about choosing a pillow and knowing that it will be right for you?
What is it made of?
- Straw - Straw pillow are predominately from the UK. These have a slightly crunchy sound when you rub your hand over them.
- Straw pillows weight much more than polystyrene or foam.
- What you need to be careful of - check that they are not infected with mites.
- Other variants - sawdust and seagrass are often used in pillows from continental Europe
- High-density polystyrene or foam - most pillow made in the UK from the 1980s onwards have been made with some form of polystyrene or foam. The better the quality of the pillow the more likely it has a layer or two of felt on the top to stop the surface deteriorating.
- Both - some pillow will be made of both, for instance, the outer part of a pillow might be made of straw, and the blocks made of polystyrene.
- Firmness - you want a pillow that is still firm to the touch.
- Round pillows - check that the centre of the pillow, in a radius of about 6" is still firm to the touch and there are no spongy parts.
- Block pillows - check that the centre lined of each block, both top to bottom and left to right is still firm to the touch. Also check the top and bottom of each block. Check also that the blocks sit firmly in the frame and don't move too freely.
- Base - you are looking for a pillow that sits flat on the table and doesn't rock
- Ring attachment - some pillows come with a ring attachment to them - these are designed to allow them to be attached to a floor stand. If you don't have a floor stand, then the ring attachment can be removed to let your pillow sit flat on a table.
- Base - many pillows come with an MDF or hardboard base. Depending on how the pillow has been stored, these can warp. So, check that the pillow sits flat.
Pillow Bags
Pillow bags aren't just for travelling, they are for life.
Yes, there may be a point when you want to take your lace pillow out of the house for a lace day or to take to work and use in your lunch break or just to go out and meet with friends and a pillow bag will be perfect for that. But there are other reasons to have a bag.
Anything you might want to think about?
Pillow bags aren't just for travelling, they are for life.
Yes, there may be a point when you want to take your lace pillow out of the house for a lace day or to take to work and use in your lunch break or just to go out and meet with friends and a pillow bag will be perfect for that. But there are other reasons to have a bag.
- Storage - It's easier to store your pillow away if it's in a bag. It will keep your pillow clean and dust free
- Movability - Not everyone has a dedicated lace making space - so having a pillow bag means you can pack it up and when you aren't making lace and move it somewhere safe
Anything you might want to think about?
- Size - Having a bag that is exactly the same size of your pillow is great as it will hold the pillow securely, but means that only that size of pillow will fit in. It's ok to have a bag that will accommodate a slightly larger pillow.
- Depth - when checking the bag size, make sure that it will take the length and width of your pillow, but also the height of your pillow when it has bobbins and pins on it. If you have a domed pillow measure the highest point on the pillow
- Portability - Yep, one to remember when making your own bag. My first bag that I made was to take a 24" pillow. It was fantastic. Box shaped to allow for the height of the pillow, big enough to take the 24" pillow, but by the time I had put on the handles and when to pick it up, it required me to wear 3" heels to stop it scrapping on the floor - and I'm 5'7". I swore next time to add a shoulder strap.
- Fabric - You want the bag to be made of a fabric that lets your pillow breathe. Plastic based bags that seal up completely will affect your pillow long term. Cloth is better and the best type of cloth for durability is a good upholstery cloth. If you are thinking of making a bag yourself, look out for end of bolt specials at your local fabric shop or upholsterer and online. It's rather wonderful to have a bag made from a couple of metres of fabric that would be say £50 a metre normally but you got in a sale for £10.
- Buying second hand - make sure that the handles are secure and that any zips work. Don't be afraid to ask a seller on eBay about the condition. It's a big investment even second hand.
- Buying from a maker - many bag makers also make bobbin holders and other lace accessories. If there is a particular fabric you love and you want everything to match, but can't afford it all in one go, ask if you can pay monthly and have it sent to you when each piece is paid for. Many bag makers don't mind you doing that because it guarantees them an income.
- Choosing a maker - ask other lacemakers who you trust who they buy from. Don't be afraid to get a recommendation
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Want to make your own travel pillow?
Then use the Wayback machine to access a tutorial from the Edinburgh lace class here. The layout image doesn't work anymore, but I've included it here for you from an archive. 
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