Guest Author - Beverly Elrod
My favorite pattern for lace is a simple one. I’m sure that I can’t say that it’s anything that I thought up myself, although I did. But, what I mean is that there are only so many ‘simple’ laces that can be concocted. I happen to find that the most simple of laces are the ones that look the prettiest. There are some lace patterns that are pretty complex but, in my humble opinion, they’re also usually ‘over-done’. Everybody has their own opinion and I’m not saying that everything complex is bad. In fact, the truth is that if a pattern is designed…someone will like it. Many someone’s, I’m sure!
Let me go ahead and share my favorite lace pattern. I just describe this as lacy lace.
R: 4ds, p, 4ds, p, 1ds, lg p, 1ds, p, 4ds, p, 4ds cl r, rw (Note: all p’s can be made same size and look quite nice)
Ch: 5ds, p, 1ds, lg p, 1ds, p, 5ds rw
2nd R: 4ds, join to last p of previous ring, 4ds, p, 1ds, lg p, 1ds, p, 4ds, p, 4ds cl r, rw
Repeat Ch and 2nd R until desired length. End with R. If used as trimming on a dress, collar or other round object, end with ch and join to beginning R.
This is a beautiful lace if you choose to pre-string seed beads and place them on the chain picots. Most tatters will use beads ‘in place of’ picots but, for this lace I think it looks lovely to have it hanging in the picots. This will give a glistening and more of a ‘sway’ when the wearer moves in the garment with this lovely lace.
Done in white with glistening white seed beads it makes a beautiful lace for wedding dresses; or other formal attire (if done in a matching thread color). For placing lace on a vertical line, I’d suggest that the seed beads either be omitted or that the picots be drawn snug so that the beads won’t hang down and out of place. For a special gift, you could trim a hankie with this matching lace for a ‘mother of the bride’ gift.
Going one step further, I like the idea of using just a small length of this lace (especially with the beads) to trim the pocket of a dress jacket; or, without the beads, you can make a circle of this lace (in a small thread) and using stiffener, it would make a lovely pin for a lapel jacket/dress bodice, the base of a boutonniere, or decoration for a barrette to go in a little girls’ hair.
I hope you enjoy this lace as much as I do.
