Whilst it can be tempting to go hard on buying ALL the new things when starting a new craft, that can soon get expensive, especially if you then don’t pursue it further.
For getting started in lacemaking, I’d always recommend finding your local group (the Lace Guild have a list) as they will often have spare or pre-loved equipment that you can buy or borrow.
If you want to have a go at making your own pillow though, read on! These instructions can also be useful for more experienced lacemakers who might need to make a custom sized pillow for a specific project. The instructions are for a flat square pillow, but can be adapted for different shapes and styles- pillows come in all shapes and sizes, depending on the project- but for a beginner and for many subsequent projects, a square works just fine.
You’ll need:
- thermal loft insulation board (c4-5cm thick) or polystyrene square
- felt
- 100% cotton fabric – quilting cotton weight is perfect.
- pins and scissors
- Cut your insulation (or polystyrene) to the required dimensions. For a square pillow, I’d recommend either 30cm square (c12″), 40cm square (c15″) or 45cm square (c18″). (Even if the lace you’re making is very small, you need space for your bobbins to be supported on.)
- Cut a square of your felt to match the dimensions
- Cut your cotton fabric so that it covers your pillow with a small seam allowance (as if you were wrapping a present!)
- Lay the felt on top of the block then cover the whole pillow with the cotton fabric. Either fold the seam allowances under and stitch the fabric on, ensuring it is taut, or pin it on tightly around the edges. Pinning it means you are able to remove the cover for washing later. (If you were making a round pillow you could include a drawstring).
- Extra: If you have enough cotton fabric, you can make a matching cover cloth by hemming a square to match the dimensions of your pillow.
Cattern Lace 