Lace In Your Project

[Lyn Gaskill]

I am a crazy quilter. I use lace in my projects for several reasons but mainly because it gives the right accent to the project. Also lace is so versatile. You can color it and it will add texture to your project.

I personally use a certian type of lace on a continous basis, it has to be either vintage or vintage like. I have been known to use modern lace in my projects but not often.

As we have so many fiber artists here and I have visited many blogs. I have seen such wonderful art. I have many questions. This one is on the use of lace. How and why do you use lace in your projects? Also what type of lace do you use?

[pat winter]

I have collected lace since I was a young girl and when I began crazy quilting, it was just something I had to use. Like bread and butter. It just works.
I use lace to overlay on plain fabrics,I cover seams with lace and sometimes bead or embellish in some way,and I collage laces around a fabric image then embellish.
I mainly use vintage laces because I love the idea of using something old, re purposing lace so to speak. It also has a more delicate,gentle look than the newer large and crisp laces they have in every store these days. Nothing wrong with new, and I have used it, but vintage is my preference. I also use it with stains that remain even after gently washing. I keep the bits of laces to add to the snippet type fabric making like in my Sea Whispers purse. It just adds a romantic feel.
Pat

[Karrin Hurd]

I also have collected lace for years. I love the vintage lace and tattings for use in my CQ projects. I have some my MIL gave me that belonged to her mother. I have bits and pieces of tatting that were apparently bits of bigger projects that were never used that I use also. I use them because I love them
and want to see them in projects.

[Diane Knott]

I love using lace, especially the old cotton ones, crocheted and tatted. I like the little single lace motifs too.

What I like to do is lay a piece of lace over a seam and add embroidery to it to make it wider and even more decorative. I use beads over it too.

I think it adds a feminine, textured look to my projects. I don't do ribbon embroidery so I like to use the lace as embellishment instead. In place of ribbons I often use the ready-made little florets instead. My fingers have trouble with all the ribbon loops, etc. I have trouble handling small things that need to be held in position. I have no trouble with tiny stitches because I can use the tips of my fingers and fingernails, but tiny ribbon and craft projects - *sigh* - probably because of minor stiffening from arthritis.

I'd love to have more lace available to me locally. I have to drive 40 miles to The Corning Stitch Works to buy vintage or buy online. I was recently disappointed with a purchase online. I'd like to touch and see first. :-)

Diane

[Jo in NZ]

My preferance is tatting. I love adding tatting edging (hard to come by if you don't tat) and doilies. I like that they are visually 'lighter' than crocheted pieces. You can still see the foundation fabric through it, and lots of spots for beads and ribbon roses.
Otherwise I don't tend to use alot of lace, but vintage over new anytime.
I wonder what our current modern laces will be replaced with in 30-60 yrs time, and if CQers then will still be crowing about "vintage" stuff??

[Mieke Noor]

I'm a starting collector of lace. I only just began to realise what a beautiful things you can do with it. Here people use it for grandma's couch for instance. I'm also thinking of using embroidered freestanding lace. Anyone did that before?

[Ati Ham-Sas]

I use lace on my CQ work because it gives a nice feminin touch. I one of my CQ wall-quilts I have used many little crochet pieces made by my grandmother and my own 'try-out' bobbin-lace pieces which have lain for years in a box. Now they are on this quilt they will stay there for ages I hope. The quilt is called "Old lace and roses"and goes in the slide show on my page.

[Amy]

Oh my, I love lace. It reminds me of my grandmother :) Like Pat I use it to cover seams and to dress up plain fabrics. Sometimes my blocks just scream at me for lace. I love to use venice lace and hand crocheted lace. I have several gallon baggies full of lace that I have collected over the years ans 1 gallon baggie of lace that belonged to my great grandmother.

[Gail Odegaard]

I enjoy using lace on my pieces as well, not all have lace on them though. I do have some vintage pieces but most of mine are new, just cause there is no place around here to get anything. My closest quilt shop is 40 miles away, most of my things are purchased online.

I have another question...............

How do you store your laces?

[Lyn Gaskill]

I store my laces in Plastic rubbermaid shoe boxes. I have them split up into catagories. it depends on the age of the lace or weather it is machine, crochet, or tatted ast to which box it goes in.

[pat winter]

I store my laces in those clear drawer units that stack. They are organized depending on age,width,natural or dyed. I store my appliqués in a different three drawer unit for convenience.
Pat W

[Karrin Hurd]

I got something called craft drawers at Target. They are those rolling carts with 7drawers. The great thing about these are that they have lids that snap down, so the laces or ribbons don't get caught up
when you push them back in. I have laces in several of them, ribbins in another, trims in another, and old hankies I collect in another one,

[Pam Kellogg]

Lace is a weakness of mine, just like buttons! I use it on my CQ's because it adds an airy and feminine quality to my projects.

I have a huge collection of lace - antique, vintage and new. What I use on any given project is determined by the theme of the piece or the aesthetic quality that I'm going for. In many cases though, it's just what looks good or fits the space.

I have an ugly old 4 drawer dresser and I store my lace in there. I should say, "stuff" my lace in there. I have quite a bit! I've had my eye open at antique shops and flea markets for a lovely Victorian dresser (the kind with the hat nook in it) that I can use instead but just haven't found the right thing yet. I want one that's already been refinished. My husband and I don't need another project! I have determination so I know I will find one eventually!

Pam