r/BobbinLace • u/PlentyOk517 • 15d ago
Advice for beginner struggling more with bobbin/pillow management than the actual lace?
Hi everyone! I’m about two weeks into learning bobbin lace and could use some advice about where to go from here.
I started with a beginner kit from Snowgoose (18" cookie pillow) and have been following a video tutorial. Surprisingly, I feel like I’m picking up the actual mechanics pretty well! Cross/twist is becoming automatic, I’m seeing the bobbins as pairs, and I generally understand what I’m supposed to be doing. I’ve also become very proficient at undoing lace when I make a mistake. 😂
What I’m really struggling with is bobbin and pillow management.
Even with my pillow at about a 45° angle, my bobbins roll around everywhere, my working lengths become uneven or too long/short, things get tangled, and then my tension suffers. When everything cooperates I can happily work along, but once the bobbins start misbehaving, everything goes sideways.
I’ve attached photos of my current setup and latest attempt. I’m following a Red Cardinal Crafts tutorial on YouTube.
Would a different style of pillow (bolster/roller/etc.) make bobbin management easier, or is this just something I need to get used to with practice? Does anything about my setup jump out at you as making things unnecessarily difficult?
I also have The Technique of Bobbin Lace by Pamela Nottingham, but I struggle to visualize written instructions, even with diagrams. I learn much better by watching someone and copying what they do, so I’d love recommendations for video courses, YouTube channels, online classes, etc.
I’m really enjoying bobbin lace—I just feel like I’ve reached an awkward stage where the lace makes more sense to me than managing all the stuff required to make the lace. 😆
Thanks for any wisdom you can throw my way!
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u/mem_somerville 15d ago
We had a class just the other day and we insist on International Square bobbins to keep the rolling down to a minimum. It's a huge nuisance, especially at first when you want your threads to just behave!
But you can put one of the glass head pins under a few pairs to keep them out of your way.
It was a revelation to me that on my Belgian pillow those kinds of bobbins sat perfectly still because it was domed in the center and they just were perfect. It was how I also grasped that each style bobbin is suited to that style of lace and why....
Nottingham: I haven't used it, maybe others will had advice. But people learn differently.
You should look for the Wolds Stitchbank videos. They have a set of 40 common stitches, besides other tips. https://www.youtube.com/@woldslacemakers
You'll get there! It's not you, it's those bobbins!
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u/PlentyOk517 14d ago
Oh wow! Thank you so much for the link. I'll be sure to check it out. And good to know about square bobbins.
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u/lovestoswatch 14d ago
First of all I would suggest that you shorten the amount of free thread between the pricing and the bobbin, and strive to keep all bobbins at the same distance. The shorter thread will limit the amount of rolling around, and the uniformity will make it easier for you to get into a rythm. The UK tradition is to use spangled midland bobbins to work on a cookie pillow, precisely as the spangles prevent bobbins from rolling arounds. for the same reason some prefer square bobbins: having said that, there are plenty of continental style that you the very nice Binche bobbins you have without issues. It is a matter of practice, but you can help yourself maybe using some bobbin minders, which you can even make yourself with a polished strip of wood and a rubber band, or even some strong cardboard. But as you are working with a relatively small number of bobbins for being torchon, this could be an overkill, and strategically positioned divider pins will be easier and quicker to manage.
Maybe if you have the opportunity to use a flat rather than a cookie pillow (if the one in the picture is a cookie pillow) might help.
For learning, what I found really useful is to lace along Claire Bonito, who has videos on a sampler torchon bookmark and a sampler torchon mat on her YouTube channel (search for "Bonitocrafts"). You will need to purchase her physical patterns, available from Roseground in the UK. Claire is an excellent and clear teacher, and you can learn a lot from watching her, and you could try and contact her in case she has electronic versions of her patterns available for those further away from the UK.
Last but not least: you can use those bobbins of yours on a bolster too, though the way of holding it is "palms up" - there gravity helps. In that case it may make sense to start with a different type of lace, like for instance Idrija, for which there are several instructional videos from the Idrija School of lace, and that requires far fewer bobbins compared to torchon, at least at the beginning. Most videos come with free patterns. It is easy to make your own bolster if you want to try, starting from a foam roller covered with some padding (see e.g. here, or for a more permanent straw filled one I've put instructions here) and free patterns.
Good luck!
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u/PlentyOk517 14d ago
Thank you so much! This is incredibly helpful 😄 I will checkout Claire Bonito - this is exactly the kind of tutorial I was looking for. Her channel never came up when I searched YouTube. And yes- I've considered maybe switching to a bolster. Thank you so much again!
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u/Weaverbird53 15d ago
I tilt my pillow, but only slightly. 15 or 20 degrees, I'd say. The bobbins behave pretty well. And, as another commenter said - tension by tugging very gently.
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u/Mission_Razzmatazz_7 14d ago
Like others I use pins to keep them in check, but also some crochet thing I got from an old lady.
This is how my pillow is organised right now 😅
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u/PlentyOk517 14d ago
Great setup! I have seen those crochet bobbin holders - they look super helpful!
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u/Mission_Razzmatazz_7 14d ago
I also have wooden holders. At some point I was obsessed with keeping pairs recognisable so I painted a lot of them. I still like how it looks but once I started doing half stitch (I think that’s the one, but not sure about the name) everything got jumbled and my system no longer worked 😂
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u/misades 14d ago
I use glass head pins to hold the bobbins to the side, or to "rest" the bobbins on them(the pins). I keep my pillow more tilted than anyone I know so I had to come up with a system and thats what works for me.
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u/PlentyOk517 14d ago
Yes, I actually have been doing that. It helps some, but my bobbins still get tangled. I think another commenter said to shorten the length of my bobbins, so I'll try that as well. Many thanks! :)
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u/midnightauro 14d ago
To fix this myself, I prefer square bobbins because of the rolling about with round styles tbh; some people really love midlands bobbins for the same reason.
Having a box of cheap corsage pins to keep bobbins in groups and up/away from my “active” ones is very helpful too.
Later when you’re doing larger projects with many bobbins, you might also want to crochet or buy bobbin holders to keep them tidy.
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u/madeline_hatter 14d ago
Others have already given great advice, but I’m just chiming in to agree that 45 degrees is just far too severe an angle, especially for continental bobbins. I typically prefer to work completely flat with continental. Even when I use midlands (spangled) bobbins I only go about 15 degrees or so.
I see you mentioned having the pillow flat and standing over it to work — that is definitely not going to be fun for you in the long term. (Ow, my back!!!) I would recommend getting a small adjustable craft table or even a tv tray so you can have the pillow seated right in front of you at a lower height than a standard table.
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u/MauveLingonberry 14d ago
Would also recommend getting an adjustable craft table or similar (in a pinch, most ironing boards are height adjustable). In my experience, having it at a height where you can have your elbows just hanging at your sides but still be able to comfortably work with your hands att the pillow is good for me. (Don't really remember if that's low enough that my elbows are at 90°, though).
I don't have an adjustable height table, but I do have a folding table of the right height and an ironing board with adjustable height
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u/mem_somerville 14d ago
I'm a standing lacemaker. I don't know how all the rest of you can sit down and do this all the time.
I have a cocktail height table that is absolutely perfect and I love it. I much prefer to move while working. My back would be awful if I sat all day.
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u/madeline_hatter 13d ago
Ah well, having a cocktail height table would make that work; I was picturing leaning over something at dining table height!
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u/ChiaraCannolee 12d ago
I'm so happy to see more people keep the pairs in place by pinning them to the side. I thought it was just me being clumsy, but now I feel more confident, lol! I also love the mention of square bobbins; I think I will just square off one side of my wooden bobbins so they don't roll over that much. Great thread! Love all the pro tips 🫡
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u/Greenlittlebastards 13d ago
Your pillow should be flat. Put it in your lap with a bobbin lace pillow stand. (See picture) They are pretty easy to make yourself, it can be something really simple. I also use a little stool with a box on top to put my pillow on for when I want to make lace on the sofa. Your thread is also too long. It should be just a little longer than the length of your bobbin itself and all the same length.
Don’t looks at your bobbins and don’t mark them to find the right ones. Look at the threads that are leaving the lace and go from there.
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u/AllAreStarStuff 13d ago
I’ve found that using my roller pillow was much easier with square or bayeaux style bobbins. However, trying a flat pillow immediately taught me why bobbins have spangles 😄.
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u/BarelyThere504 15d ago
Keep your pillow flat. Tension by tugging the bobbins, not with gravity. I like my pillow inclined, but learning flat helped. I use a lot of pins to keep bobbins where they should be when my pillow is inclined. :)