Revisiting an Old Friend
One of my early accomplishments in needle lace was making a whole collar. I think there is much to be desired here, but I was so excited to have finished it.
The original design from Vecellio’s pattern book
I sold this collar recently. I miss it. So, like any good maker, I’m going to make another one. When I look back on the experience of making it, I recall that there were many things I just didn’t understand at the time. I worked on it periodically for almost three years before I finally finished it. I have, since then, gotten faster at making needle lace collars.
I love the design though. I remember doing the research before I began making it. At the time, the only lace book I had was that book that is published by Dover, Pattern Book of Renaissance Lace — Vecellio.
In it I found a little square design that I thought would look really interesting when made into a 4-quadrant square. Because I had less practice and skill at the time, I didn’t want to commit to so much Antwerp stitch (the dotted, thicker bars and arcs). So i simplified the design and invented a center that was based on another design from the same book.
I think, in the end, I was grateful to for my choice to simplify the design since it took me around 60 minutes per square inch to make.
My simplified interpretation
My original interpretation of the design in a four-square, radial setup.
Now though, I am much more comfortable with the different stitches and I have less issue with the variety.
Since I miss the original collar in my collection and I really want to see what it looks like with a better interpretation, I’m returning to this design to see what I can do with it today. I plan on making a new collar with it. I have already decided that want to make a new collar, though I could also do some fantastic linen cuffs with me new interpretation. I had chosen to eliminate the fleur-de-lis shape in the corners as I found it to be a bit fussy and too detailed for the scale at which I’m making this lace. If I had gone up to a 3” combined square, I might be able to incorporate the fleur, but since I’m going with my original scale of a 2” combined square, I decided that I would leave it out again this time.
The new & improved interpretation of the design.
What I am going to do is use Antwerp stitch in the design this time. I think it will really give the final lace a different look and will be more interesting to view. I like the difference in densities that it provides and I think, when the whole collar is complete, it will really have a clean, precise look that will put the original collar to shame.
I decided to start doing this piece of lace for another reason as well, the island where we are spending a portion of our summer has terribly slow internet so I am using this lace as something to occupy my hands while things load up on the computer.
I’m looking forward to sharing this process with you all and hope to use the photo as a tutorial for a different order of operations. This particular lace pattern doesn’t follow the same order as most squares and I find that utterly fascinating.
What have you been working on lately?
