Photo Album

Point de Gaze style plastron and collar worked on 1983

Point de Gaze fan designed by Agnes Stevens. Ivory fan sticks made by John Brooker, lace worked in 1993

Ten years have passed since working the blouse and I have been practicing very hard!

The fan was worked in small components which were joined together as completed.

Only one more section to complete

The final section completed and joined

Working on the fan 1993

Dressing table set designed and worked 1994/1996

Mirror back with fillings completed and net ground half complete

Background net completed

Cordonette (top stitching) worked, along with tiny couronnes on net ground and flower.

Fancy fillings for flower centres worked. These are worked as late as possible to avoid becoming soiled with constant handling.

Two sets of extra petals have been worked and applied.

The completed mirror back.

The brush back started in 1995

Brush back completed

Back for clothes brush started in 1996

Completed clothes brush - 3 years to work the complete set!

A sample from my book 'Needlelace Designs and Techniques Classic & Contemporary', first published by B T Batsford 1993

Another sample from my book

This piece was designed specifically for my trip to Australia in 2007 but only for the 'advanced' workers!

THE SNOW QUEEN - My biggest challenge so far, worked in 1996. I'm really beginning to get the hang of this now, having practised hard for 13 yearss at working the fine background net! "Rome Wasn't Built in a Day". (For detailed images of progression see 'THE SNOW QUEEN'

Framecraft cystal bowl worked in 1999.

'PARASOL FOR IRIS' - Six years from design process to completion in 2007. (For detailed images of progression see 'MY GALLERY'

One of two ovals designed for an invitation to teach Point de Rose in Bruges 2005

Second oval for Bruges with additional petal.

Grid filling No 1

Point de Gaze grid filling No 2

Californian Poppies worked 2010 (For more information/images see 'CALIFORNIAN POPPIES' & 'POPPY IMAGES'

3-Dimensional Butterfly designed and worked in 2012

Lace Guild 'Winifred Millar Challenge worked 2009/10 (See 'LACE GUILD CHALLENGE' for images and information).

Henley Bridge - My most recent project completed October 2012

POINT DE GAZE is the needleace that I favour most and enjoy working/designing and is probably the lace that I assumed in my ignorance all those years ago, to have been made with bobbins!

It's main feature is its delicate gauzy ground and tiny buttonholed rings, which were used for bud motifs and a variety of fillings.  The designs are incredibly beautiful, usually depicting naturalistic sprays of flowers, sometimes with added layers of petals giving an extra dimension and beauty to the lace.  The hand worked fine net ground is the most difficult to master and it takes many hours of practice to be able to maintain an even tension using the finest of threads and this of course is what makes a piece of work outstanding.

I have been amused to read how some workers are placing graph paper on their patterns as a guide to help with their tension whilst others are putting in little tacking stitches on which to anchor their threads, but I doubt very much if graph paper was even availavble around the middle of the 19th Century!  Those lacemakers were making lace for a living and putting in all those little 'holding' stitches would surely have decreased the output of their finished laces?  There is no shortcut and the only solution is to practice I'm afraid.

I designed and worked the lace for the blouse pictured above in 1983 but did not at that time know how to work the fine net ground.  All of the roses, buds and leaves have been worked separately and mounted onto machine made nylon net.  I have no idea how this will stand the test of time with regard to maintaining it's colour and it may well discolour with age whilst the Swiss cotton fabric that I purchased for the blouse itself, will probably remain a good shade of white.  However, only time will tell!