BMancaster Farming. Saturday, November 12,1988
Nimble Fingers Fashion
Thread Into Delicate Lace
BY SHARON SCHUSTER
Maryland Correspondent
Dorothy Schuster’s nimble fin
gers fashion bundles of plain
thread into fine, delicate lace.
“This is handmade lace, not
machine made,” she quickly clari
fied. Dotty first became interested
in the centuries old art of lacemak
ing when she purchased a book on
the subject about three years ago.
“It was something I wanted to
do with my spare time,” she
added. In serious pursuit of the
craft. Dotty sought out an expert
lacemaker to teach her the basics.
“I took lessons with Marty Fry in
Rockville,” she explained. “She is
excellent at lacemaking.”
After just eight lessons. Dotty
completed her first project, a lace
bird. Since then she has made
lovely bookmarks, flowers, and
doilies, And she continues to learn
various types of bobbin lacemak
ing, such as Torchon, Bucks, and
Honiton. “I’d like to do Flanders
and Tomder lace,” she added.
“If you watch it,” Dotty
explained, bobbin lacemaking “is
like weaving - over, under, over,
under.” She uses specially made
bobbins to guide the threads
around stick pins which outline
the design to be made. All of the
work is done on a ‘lace pillow’
which is a foam core covered with
blue cloth. “The cloth is usually
blue, green or brown so that the
threads can be seen easily,” she
said. The paper pattern which is
outlined with stick pins on the pil
low is called a ‘pricking.’ “The
same colors are used for prickings,
which are made from card stock,”
said Dotty.
“I "adf lace hr doili
Into other craft areas. She attended a series of classes to
learn to make Japanese dolls. She made this Japanese Lion
Dancer, the velveteen rabbit, the lace bookmark and other
lace samples { lie at the feet of the doll.
Htcmesfead
tf/oifis
with homespun linen in the cen
ter.” To complete this project, she
used seven pairs of bobbins and as
many as one thousand stick pins.
“Depending upon the size and
intricacy of the project, Dotty said
as many as 86 pairs of bobbins
may be needed. “And they really
get in the way,” she added.
“A lot of people use magni
fiers,” she explained. “I don’t I
only work in the daytime because
of the shadows cast in the
evening.”
Those who have witnessed Dot
ty working at full tilt, marvel at
her ability to do such finely detail
ed close work so quickly and neat
ly. Her husband, Lou, said “she
gets those bobbins really click
ing.” The smooth wooden bobbins
which she manipulates so easily
are also of interest to many as col
lectors items.
“Some people use doll clothes
pins to wrap threads on,” said Dot
ty. “Bobbins are made of hard and
soft woods and exotic woods, such
as Zebra Wood.” She said the
slim, turned bobbins can also be
made of bone, ivory, cocabolo and
ebony. Dotty explained that bob
bins often tell a story with carv
“l
chased a bobbin which comme
morates the Spanish Armada. In
England, some have the name of,
for example, the sheep farm where
the lacemaker lives,” she said.
Bobbins are often weighted with
beads to keep them from moving
on the pillow. However, bobbins
used for Honiton lace are thinner
with no beads.”
Dotty said she usually purch
ases her bobbins at conventions
that English bobbin makers
attend. “There are bobbin makers
in the United States.” She named
Holly Van Sciver of Ithaca, New
York, as one with whom she is
familiar.
Dotty’s interest in lacemaking
took her to England last year.
“Lacemaking is quite an art in
England,” she said. “A lot of
teachers come over to the national
convention every year.” Dotty
joined the lace group of the Chesa
peake Bay area three years ago.
“The group was formed eleven
years ago,” she said. “We meet
once a month at a member’s
home.” The group works on pro
jects together and shares ideas and
techniques. When Dotty runs into
a problem she said that she often
calls a friend from the group to
troubleshoot over the phone.
Lacemaking for Dotty is a hob
by done for “accomplishment and
enjoyment. It wouldn’t be profit
able for me,” she commented. To
make a three-inch lace heart, Dot
ty said “it takes about two hours.”
And to complete a ten-inch doily
with a heart motif, she said, “with
no interruptions, it takes about
twenty hours.”
The finished products are dis
played in the Schusters’ Glen
wood, Maryland home. “Lou
photographs them,” she said.
Some of her samples are in an
album which she carries with her
when she is asked to demonstrate
lacemaking at various shows.
Dotty has performed her craft
for thousands at the Montgomery
County Fair for the past three
years, at New Market Days last
year, and at the International Lace
Show held in the Textile Museum
in Washington, D.C. And a broken
leg didn’t keep her from demon
strating at the county fair again
this year.
Her interest in lacemaking has
led her to related crafts such as
silk embroidery. Last summer,
Dotty attended a four day work
shop to complete a butterfly wall
hanging made of silk and metallic
threads. Dotty and Lou’s rambling
rancher is warmly decorated with
samples of her lace, needlework,
stenciling and folk art painting.
Perhaps the most important pro
ject which Dotty will attempt is “a
piece of handmade lace for my
granddaughter, Rachael’s, wed
ding dress. Maybe I will make a
garter,” she said. “If I start on it
now, I may finish in time.” At that
rate, maybe Dotty could make the
whole dress - Rachael is three
months old.
- mom old granddaughter,
Rachael. Dotty plans to make a special piece of bobbin lace
for Rachael’s wedding dress. She explained, “Something
for which Rachael can remember her grandmother.”
uses to make bobbin lace. The hand painted bobbin at top
left comemorates the Spanish Armada. The bobbin at top
right Is made of ivory. The various wooden bobbins are
Intricately carved, turned and decorated with metal. Some
of the bobbins are weighted with beads. They rest on a piece
of bobbin lace.
Dotty also is Interest*. -*ery, .
decoys, dolt making and folk art painting. The tray in the
background Is a sample of her painting.