Introduction to Bobbin Lacemaking
This is the book's history
When the Australian Lace Guild was first formed in 1979 our most urgent need was for bobbin lace teaching, especially in the remote areas of this large and sparsely populated country. A correspondence course seemed to be the answer so I set about developing what I had written for a series of craft cards into a set of six bobbin lacemaking lessons. We trialled these for a year and launched the final product in 1982, having incorporated all the suggestions made by students.
The course had a staggering number of participants in those early years and is still going. Several early students in remote places did not see another lacemaker at work until long after they had finished the course.
Perhaps the most successful aspect of the lessons was developed because prospective students did not have photocopiers. This meant they would have to draw their own patterns on graph paper before starting work. Like most teachers I had always photocopied patterns for students in my weekly classes in the city, but when working on the correspondence course I decided to change this and have new city students draft their own patterns so I could more easily identify problems the remote students might encounter. I was delighted with the result. Some students were even able to design in a modest way after the third lesson, and all reported having a much better appreciation of the way lace 'works', so that working out such matters as where to start a piece, or how to alter its scale were no longer the trial they had been to earlier students. Most importantly, both groups of students became 'independent' lacemakers in a very short time, and gained the background and confidence to move on to more challenging laces.
The success and enjoyment of these students gave me the confidence to expand the lessons into a book. The basic content of the book has not changed from the first edition but in 1995 I revised it completely to be easier to read, and reduced the scale of the patterns to reflect the easier availability of more suitable threads. Many copies of the earlier edition were sold in Europe and America so I also standardised the use of 'cloth stitch' instead of 'whole stitch', and added an introductory chapter on 'free lace'.
Developments in communication have reduced the isolation of people living in remote areas but the book is still useful for, and appreciated by, those who cannot easily get to classes, wherever they might live, or those who prefer to work on their own.
What others say about Introduction to Bobbin Lacemaking
'This is the only book I know of which you could hand to someone, along with bobbins, and say 'Now go home and learn bobbin lacemaking'. The first edition grew from the correspondence course which Rosemary wrote for the Australian Lace Guild and is just like having a teacher standing beside you. Some Australians live so far from classes that this book, and maybe a weekend workshop to start off, are all the tutoring they can obtain. All in all, a priceless book for the beginner, now with ideas on free lace to come back to later.'
The editor, "Australian Lace", Autumn 1996
'This is the best of the beginning bobbin lace books. The author is an innovative lacemaker whose approach is to help you understand the underlying principles of lace making so you can soon be developing your own designs, not merely following step-by-step patterns. She takes readers through a series of exercises that build on the basic skills of lace making, and she gives instructions for several small projects. Extensive diagrams illustrate the clearly-written text.'
Halcyon Yarn web site (see links page)
'This is the book I wish I had when I started to make lace. I can recommend this book to anyone new to bobbin lacemaking.'
Patricia Stow in "Lace" 2/96
'This is certainly a book for the lacemaker starting out in this lovely craft - and a book for the teacher who will find it useful in class.'
Pat Hallam in "Lacemakers' Circle" 3/96