Leaves and tallies in bobbin lace

 

Leaves and tallies in bobbin lace are very similar in construction but vary in shape. Tallies, leaves and lead-work are all made by plaiting small blocks of lace, usually with two pairs of bobbins. Tallies are square or rectangular, leaves are pointed at both ends, and lead-works generally join two trails and are rectangular in shape, but wider than they are long. To make a leaf the two pairs are worked together with a cloth stitch and then the second thread from the right is woven over and under the other three threads, back and forth, until the leaf is the required length. The secret to a good shape is to hold the passive threads wide apart as the weaving progresses, until the centre of the leaf is reached, and then gradually bring them close together again. To finish the leaf a pin is put up between the two pairs of thread and a final cloth stitch is worked.

Both leaves and tallies can be raised, which means they lie above the base layer, as seen here with the leaves above the half stitch diamonds This is done by keeping two pairs to the side, away from the main work, until the base layer has been worked. Then making the leaf or tally above the base and joining the pairs back into the main work at the point where the end of the leaf joins the base layer.

Raised tallies can also be rolled, which makes them into a small tight cylinder that looks like a small roll or bead on the top of the work. This can be done by making a tally with the central pairs in a piece of lace, then either raising it into a loop over a pin laid across the work, or winding it round the pin. The pairs used to make the tally are then placed back in their original position and the rest of the lace continues. As you can see from this contemporary lace, tallies can also be twisted, laid over each other or moved from one area of the work to another. They are great for adding interest, little points of colour and relief to a piece of work.

Raised work in Bedfordshire bobbin lace

 

There are several methods of producing raised work in lace, but here I’m just looking at those used in Bedfordshire bobbin lace. This type of lace is made face upwards (unlike Honiton lace which is made face downwards) so any raised areas have to be worked above the main pattern rather than worked underneath and then covered by the main design. The first step in making the solid, thin, raised leaves that lie above the open, wider, half-stitch leaf in the image above is to lift two pairs from the main half-stitch area and set them aside. The half-stitch leaf is then continued until the length required for the stalk for the raised motif has been reached. The stalk is then worked by plaiting above the main lace and the bobbins used to make it then rejoin the main work. In the next row, four pairs of bobbins are put aside to work the pair of leaves. The half-stitch base is continued and the leaves are made and then the bobbins rejoin the main work, and so on, until the motif is complete. The stalks and leaves will be loose above the main work, but attached at both ends so they are secured.

Another method of producing raised areas is by working raised tallies, which are the 'blobs' seen on the leaf in the image above. Tallies are woven areas that are usually square in shape (tallies pointed at both ends are known as leaves). To make a raised tally, the two pairs needed for the work are lifted from the main design and are then woven to make a long tally. This strip is then looped over a horizontal pin to keep it raised and the bobbins returned to work the underlying cloth stitch. A pin is often used in the middle of the work to keep the tally tightly looped until enough rows have been worked beneath it to keep it in place.

A different way of introducing raised work into Bedfordshire bobbin lace is to make a completely separate area of lace and attach it to the main work later. In this image you can see that the four petals on the top right hand flower are raised like a flap over the flower beneath. They were worked separately using the pricking for the larger piece of lace and then sewn in place once the main piece of lace had been completed.

The raised areas can be any part of the pattern, worked separately, and later sewn in place. While those raised areas made as the work progresses can be leaves, tallies or simple plaiting worked over cloth or half stitch. Why do lacemakers raise areas of the work anyway? Probably because it gives the lace a slightly three dimensional appearance and depth that is not seen with flat pieces, and just adds a bit of interesting detail.

Stylised Japanese foliage for lace designs

 

I’ve been working on the design for my Japanese pieces and am trying to finalise the design for my medium sized hanging which is to be an impressionic interpretation of foliage. My inspiration is an overhanging bough of maple leaves I photographed while I was in Japan but I’m trying to see how other types of foliage are depicted in Japanese designs. The image above comes from a woodcut of a variety of leaves showing how a several leaves can be used together.

I also rather like the way these bamboo like leaves are silhouetted against the moon and I might incorporate something of that style in my larger hanging.

The way these willow leaves overlap is also very pleasing and I do have a willow tree in my larger design so I might try and emulate the way the leaves overlap each other. Even though I’m working from my own photographs of foliage I can’t just copy what I saw, to make an effective design does mean I have to translate the photograph into a textile design which needs to have clear outlines so seeing how others have done that is proving very useful.