Belgian Bobbin Lace: A New Family Heirloom – Part 2
Having refreshed my bobbin lace-making skills by creating a sampler using various combinations of the three basic types of stitches, it was time to choose a pattern for my niece’s wedding garter. The type of Belgian bobbin lace that I make is called Torchon. It is made up of motifs such as spiders, fans and hearts. I decided to choose a pattern that would embody several motifs that would represent my niece and her special day. So, if you look closely, you will see hearts (in white) for her beloved, pine trees (in gold) for her second love, the Ottawa Valley, and spiders (in white, silver and gold) for her creativity.
Yes, I decided to work in three colours. This did make the process more complicated as I needed to calculate which bobbins required which thread colour in order for the motifs to be coloured appropriately. Also, the gold and silver threads were metallic and much more slippery than the white cotton thread. This meant that they tended to slip off the bobbins more easily. So I had to keep an eye out for runaway bobbins while I worked. With a little patience though, the motifs came together beautifully and the extra effort was certainly worth it. And the metallic threads reminded me of a lovely song my mother often sang as she did her housework: “Silver Threads and Golden Needles”.
I find the lace-making process to be a pleasant and somewhat meditative one. I love the sound of the bobbins clicking as they bounce off of one another. And seeing the pattern emerge is so rewarding. I also like the feel of the smooth bobbins between my fingers as I weave the stitches together. An added bonus in this case was that I did much of this work while sitting on the deck in my shaded backyard on beautiful summer days.
Once I got on a roll, I was able to produce an inch of lace in about an hour. I had calculated that I needed about 24 inches for the garter. So when I had achieved that, it was time to start the assembly process. My sister and mother-of-the-bride, Betty, gave me some leftover fabric from her wedding dress that she had made about 30 years earlier. I attached the lace to a band of her beautiful, ecru silk and inserted elastic to gather it, then stitched the ends of the band together.
My next task was to seamlessly weave all the threads at both ends of the piece of lace back in on themselves to make a continuous piece. This was a painstaking process that took the better part of a day. It was worth it in the end though.
This done, all that was left was to make and attach a little rosette out of some of the satin that Betty had used to appliqué flowers onto the bodice of her own wedding gown. I am tickled pink with the finished product. It turned out even better than I had imagined and I just love it. And so did Julia when I presented it to her at her rehearsal party. As you can see, it was a perfect fit!
I’m also very happy with how this little bobbin lace memento has bound together the threads of three generations of women in my family. (Did I mention that both the gold thread and the satin fabric had belonged to my mother?) And, with any luck, it will help weave future generations together as well.
19 Comments
Lindy
What a lovely story and totally beautiful heirloom, Thanks for sharing it.
L'Abeille Française
So glad you enjoyed it Linda. It was my pleasure.
Pam Ashenmacher
What a beautiful gift for your niece! As someone who can barely sew on a button, I’m in awe of you making lace. I’m going to Bruges in April this year. I’m very excited. My grandmother (who lived in Minnesota) bought lace for her wedding gown in Belgium. I have a small piece of it.
Thank you for wonderful web site that I just discovered this morning!
L'Abeille Française
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback Pam. And welcome to L’Abeille Française! Belgium lace from your grandmother – what a beautiful heirloom. Enjoy your time in Bruges. It’s one of my favourite places. If you’re looking for more ideas of things to do there, you may want to read my ‘Market Day in Bruges’ series. Bon voyage!
Jane Ridgewood
That is beautiful and heartwarming! <3 <3 <3
L'Abeille Française
Thanks Jane!
Sue
I am very much enjoying the trip, the sights and your talent .
L'Abeille Française
Thank you so much! I’m so happy that you are enjoying it.
Laurie
Absolutely gorgeous! I hope your niece appreciates the time you put into her garter. What a wonderful created heirloom!
L'Abeille Française
Thanks so much Laurie! She certainly does.
HistorianRuby
Amazing! So nice to see the finished garter. I’m sure your niece was over the moon with it. 🙂
L'Abeille Française
Thanks Ruth. She was!
Lucy
Such beautiful work and heart-warming family history. Thank you for sharing.
Betty Biesenthal
Thank you for sharing this lovely story, Fran. The satin came from Mom as well.
L'Abeille Française
My pleasure Betty. Thanks for reminding me about the satin. I’ll make that update.
Rebecca Moon Ruark
Wow–certainly a treasured heirloom already! Beautiful!
L'Abeille Française
Thanks so much Rebecca!
annieasksyou
Lovely work, lovely story, and the multigenerational angle gave me chills!
L'Abeille Française
Oh, thank you so much!