I've learned how to make lace when I was about twelve years old. I took a class in school, and I liked it. When I went to high school and I stopped visiting the classes, I stopped making lace. But this summer I decided I want to make some lace jewelry, and because I forgot how to make some of lace making techniques, I googled if they were on the internet. They weren't, so I just had to make do with my old notes. Luckily for me, I have great motoric memory. I remembered how to make them, and now I want to share this knowledge with you. So I made videos of how to make lace. This is the first one. I know I have to make another one real quick with the basics of how to tie the knots between the bobbins in the pair. And how to prevent the thread from just falling off the bobbin. I promise I'll try my best and do that in the next 24h.
And now to lace making. I put the video on YouTube for everyone to see.
WHAT DO YOU NEED?
-Pillow
-Pins
-Colored thread (I used the one that's usually use for gobelin-making instead of the thread for lace-making, because it's easier to see what I'm doing in the video this way), like pink and violet
-Two pairs of bobbins (that's four bobbins)
-Scissors
-Patience
LET'S START!
-First your bobbins must have thread on and be tied together in a pair (I did that before I start filming...)
-Put the pin into the middle of the pillow and put the bobbins, so you'll have each pair on one side (two bobbins with pink thread on the left and two bobbins with violet thread on the right)
-In each hand take the bobbin of the right and put it over the bobbin on the left. Than take the right bobbin (=the bobbin on the right side) in the left hand and put it over the left bobbin (the bobbin on the left) in the right hand.
-Repeat the movement. If you're doing it right you'll get the original setting of the bobbins on every fourth repetition. (if you started with pink on the left and violet on the right, after the first repetition you'll get (from left to right) pink, violet, pink, violet; the second time you'll get violet, violet, pink, pink; the third time: violet, pink, violet, pink; and the fourth time you'll get the original setting: pink, pink, violet, violet.)
-When the braid starts moving too much (it's too long to continue without moving too much) just put a pin in the middle (after you're finished with crossing the right bobbin in the left hand over the left bobbin in the right hand) between the bobbins, so you'll get two bobbins on each side of the pin.
-I went around the pillow three times, so I really learned how to make it. But you can just continue until you're sure you know how to do it with your eyes blindfolded.
-When you're finished you need to tie it. Take a pair of bobbins into your hands and put the right bobbin over the left one, so you have the right bobbin's thread under the left bobbin, and the left bobbin's thread over the right bobbin.
-You need to make two knots for each pair. Cut the rest of thread away right under the knots (be careful so you don't cut the knot.)
-Leave the lacy braid on the pillow for a few hours, than remove the pins and you have your first official lace.
I know that it doesn't look like much, but it's the basic. I already filmed the next technique, I just need to edit it. It's more practical than the four braid lace... BTW I used this lacy braid for a bracelet, but you can also use it as a decoration for your homemade bookmark...
This really should be my life motto. Sadly, I'm known on giving up on things if they don't go the way I want them to go... So this quote by William E. Hickson is really something I should do more often. I'll keep on trying to make this blog thingy really working - maybe this time it will be a success (I'm not planning on becoming famous, what I want is to establish a blog that will make people's life more interesting, make them happier...)
xxx
Lucy Jane
Gossip girl is over (and we, I mean I am still mourning the loss!), so this means Blake Lively (if you've been living under the rock since 2007, that's the chick that played the legendary Serena van der Woodsen) has a lot more free time on her hands... I guess she's not fond of making a musical carrier, like so many young Hollywood actresses do these days. If you're not a triple threat you're nothing in Hollywood (wait, isn't this a Broadway 'thing'?). Anyhow, she just launched her new lifestyle page called PRESERVE.us and supposedly (according to bunch of internet sites I accidentally saw) it's a Goop-like site (apparently a lifestyle page brought to you by Gwyneth Palthrow), just darker. Translation: it has a black background and Goop has white. Big difference, right?
So, in order to promote her newly launched page, she did a video, where a person behind camera asks her 73 quick questions. I liked the questions, so I thought, why not do them as well.
Good idea, but I'm camera-shy, so I'm gonna do them here... Just so you can get to know me better.
HERE THEY COME...
How are you feeling these days?
Honestly, lazy and excited. It's the holidays, so I don't feel like doing anything productive, but I have some great ideas on how to spice things up a bit...
What is the best thing that happened to you this year?
I somehow passed seven out of ten exams I took with practically no studying.
What is the best thing that happened to you this month?
I found out there's a big chance I'm moving into a bigger space this year!
What is the best thing that happened to you today?
I got to spent the afternoon with my baby cousin.
What's the best thing ever?
Cake. Whoever invented it is a genius!!!
What's your favourite season.
Fall. (just like Blake! Twins!)
What's your favourite holiday?
All of them. (just like Blake. Again! Told you - TWINS! I get to have a day off and spend it with my family. What more could I ask?
What's your best Halloween costume.
Honestly, I don't do Halloween, however I do do Shrove's Thursday. And there's this traditional costume of an old lady carrying an old man in the basket on her back. It's hilarious.
Would you ever live anywhere besides the East Coast? (let's paraphrase this so it's logical for me - Would you ever live anywhere else than in Slovenia?)
Yes, New York.
Which Sex in the City character do you identify with most?
Charlotte.
Do you like surprises?
Yes.
What's the biggest surprise you ever had?
I got an all expanse paid trip to NYC for my birthday!
What's a surprise that made you cry?
Getting an all expense paid trip to NYC.
What's the best surprise you've ever made for someone?
I organized a Happy Birthday serenade for a friend.
What's your favourite plot twist?
Towards Zero (Agatha Christie).
If you could organize a Flash mob where would it be?
In a museum. Preferably Louvre or MET.
Do you like cupcakes?
Yes, who doesn't?
Do you usually bake cupcakes?
I do. (But I disagree, raw are just as good as baked.)
Do you want to decorate some cupcakes?
Yes, if I don't have to prepare the frosting, and if I don't know what's in it. I hate the butter/sugar combo. It makes me gain weight by just thinking about it!
How often do you bake?
Whenever I want to avoid doing things (read study) and I don't feel like cleaning.
What's your favourite dessert?
Don't really have one. Maybe chocolate mousse with strawberries?
Is there a desert you don't like?
Anything with poppy seeds in it. Like Over Mura Moving Cake.
Cake or pie?
Cake.
What's your favourite bakery?
Lucy's Wonderland. Doesn't exist yet, but when I get the courage and the founding, this would be MY bakery.
What's the coolest thing about Canada?
The stereotypes it provided for jokes for How I Met Your Mother.
What's your favourite food?
My Grandma's pancakes.
What's your least favourite food?
Buckwheat žganjci (mush. Not really sure what the English word is...)
What's your favourite condemn?
Even after Googleing it, I have no idea what they were asking. So I'm gonna go with MANNERS (just like Blake Livley)
It's time fro brunch what do you eat?
Nothing. I had breakfast and I'm having lunch in a few hours.
It's 4 a.m. on a Saturday night. What would you eat?
Pancakes. I'm always craving pancakes after the clock strikes midnight. (gosh, I sound like a pregnant lady... No pun intended)
You're stuck on an island. You can pick one food to eat, what would it be?
Bread.
Favourite colour?
Bloody red.
Least favourite colour?
I like them all.
What kind of lip gloss do you use?
I only use Baby lips lip balm. Does that count?
What colour of the dress did you wear to your prom?
Yellow.
Blow-dry or air-dry?
Blow-dry or I get a killer headache.
Would you ever cut your hair short?
I did, when I was little and wanted to get rid of the bangs.
Who's your fashion icon?
Mix of Dior's New Look and Coco Chanel (doesn't really go together that well, does it?)
What's three things in your purse you can't live without?
Wallet. Phone. My allergy meds.
Favourite super hero?
I like 'em all!
Who's your favourite painter?
Renoir.
What do you see in this decoration?
A dog. (but than I realized I'm looking from the wrong perspective. So I turned my computer upside-down. Now I see a cloud.)
Who's a person you love to have coffee with?
Friends.
Who's a historical figure you'd love to have coffee with?
Leonardo Da Vinci.
How do you like your coffee?
With lots and lots of milk. Usually I make an espresso and pour half a litre of milk over it.
What do you usually order in Starbucks?
Only get to go maybe twice a year. So the biggest cup of whatever feels right.
Seven questions from now a man will appear through that window and ask you a question about home-making. Is that OK with you?
No. It's 1.30 in the morning. I don''t want anyone creeping their way through that window. And if he somehow get's out of my computer screen, that I'll definitely scream!
Who's the last person you texted?
My uncle.
Who's the last person you tweeted?
I do have a tweeter, but I have no idea how to use it. So I guess no one?
iPhone or Android?
As long as it's calling and texting right.
Vine or YouTube?
YouTube.
Twitter or Instagram?
I'll let you know when I figure out how to use Twitter.
Who should everyone be following right now?
Their dreams.
Blah, blah, blah... Carpet or wooden floors?
Wooden floors. You can always add the carpet if you feel like it.
Have you ever had anything stolen from you?
Pencils, erasers, stuff like that in school. It probably wasn't on purpose, they just forgot to return them... I hope. Or I have to seriously reconsider what kind of people I hang out with.
Favourite country to visit?
France is always nice. Austria, Germany as well...
Last country you visited?
It was either New York State, Italy, Hungry or Austria. Not really sure.
A country you wish to visit?
United Kingdom. All of it. Including the entire island of Ireland.
What was your first pet?
A rabbit.
What was your first pet's name?
Rabbit?
Something, something, animal?
Something something, something....
Kittens or puppies?
Puppies? (Just like Blake, I told you we were twins =))
What's your spirit animal?
Parrot.
What are you doing tomorrow?
Shopping. working on my book, working on my summer project (big secret, I'll let you know once it's done and ready
What are you the most excited about in life right now?
My book.
What's your favourite movie?
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Movie you laughed the hardest to?
How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days. Gets me every single time.
If you could sing a duet with someone who would it be?
Frank Sinatra.
If your life was a song what would the title be?
Crazy, Manipulative, Lazy, Outspoken and Always Right
A book you read because everyone else was reading it?
Twilight Saga. I'm not proud, but I did stop at 50 Shades of Grey. BTW the first look trailer is out!
Best gift you ever received?
An all expense paid trip to NYC. Didn't I already answer this?
Last gift you gave a friend?
A handmade bobbin lace (made by moi!) in traditional Idrian lace style. And a red rose.
And one last question. Did you forget something?
Yes, my common sense. It's two in the morning. I'm gonna be like a zombie tomorrow!
****
It's over! It took me close to two hours and a fussy toddler that can't sleep to finish this piece.
Now, I'm going to bed, because I'm slowly dying from sleep deprivation that I subject myself to. Better start looking out for myself better. Maybe Preserve.us will help me with that...
Of all the books I have ever read (and I have read a lot of them) there is one I like more than others. It's a book that got me trough some though times. The book I'm talking about is labeled as a "classic". I'm a female, so you're probably thinking: "It's Jane Austen. It's always Jane Austen." Well, you'd be wrong. It's still a female author and with familiar topics of writing. And the title also has a Jane in it.
Yey, if you're thinking that the book I'm talking about is Jane Eyre, congratulations are in the order - you were thinking right.
Jane Eyre made my day when I was going through a tough time when I was about eleven or twelve. All of the sudden I felt like I was missing out on life. Everyone knew everything that was going on. I felt lost, and this might sound cliche, but I got a feeling everyone around me knew what they were doing except for me. I had no idea what to do. I've read a lot of books before, but when you're twelve, all of the sudden you realize that books on children and young adults section aren't as interesting as they once were.
I discovered Jane Eyre by accident. I was looking at the books in the library and there was this lovely blue book in soft print. I thought, "Hey, this book looks good and I heard it's supposed to be great." What was the turning point was the fact it was in soft print. All those years ago, it was rare for a book to be in a soft print. And I always choose the longest books. I believe I already had ten other books, so one in soft print wouldn't do much of the difference in the weight I had to carry home (it's a twenty minute walk from the library to my home).
I took my time before reading it. But when I did, I feel right into it. I left the 21st century and traveled back in time on this amazing journey with an orphan from Longwood. Jane Eyre was brave, though and intelligent. She was all I wanted to be and at the time, this book gave me courage to be who I am. To be brave enough to fight for what I want (and it wasn't to party) and stand behind what I believe in. Because no matter what, I had it better that Jane, I had (and still have) a family that loves me, stand by me and supports me. And for a teenager, full of hormones and all about pushing its rights, it was a revelation of the century.
There are a lot of books out there that are labeled as "classics". To me, most of them are boring. Maybe it's because I'm a child of modern age, were everything needs to be filled with suspense and action. Things should always move, stories should always have something going on. Or maybe I just don't understand what all the fuss is about. I don't care if the book is labeled classic or a fan fiction or a biography. As long as it has an interesting story plot to follow and it's well written I'm all for it.
It's been a while, but here it is. Another quote from my collection.
I wish I could be this great of a person that Faulkner was (I conclude this way because of this great quote. Honestly, I don't know much about him...). But no, I'm just plain old me, that refuses to play board games, because she hates to lose so much!
Anyhow, I missed this, I'll do my best to post more frequently this summer.
Isn't it beautiful? After quite some time I've visited my page on Polyvore and this is one of the things I saw while I was making my last set. I absolutely love it!!! I don't even know what's so special abut it, but I absolutely love it! It was sold on Etsy, but it's sold out right now. There's a link under the pic, you can check, there are more (just different dimensions) and all of them are absolutely lovely!
Can you believe it? The final's month is FINALLY over and right now I'm having my hard earned holidays! Well, you can hardly call it holidays, since I'm constantly bombarded with demands from my relatives like: Do this... Make sure this is done... Take care of this...
And it never stops! They want me to pick up kids from daycare, to entertain them while they are having a break - which seems like all the time! Sure I like kids, but right now, I can't even look at a picture of one without remembering about how loud and dirty and demanding they are. If someone asked me if I want to have kids, right now, I'd say no. It's not that I'm not capable of taking care of them, I just don't fell like all the extra work that comes with them. Sure if they come I'll be grateful and will love them with all my heart, but I'm not planning on having one for the next ten years... Besides, I'm still young, there's absolutely no need to hurry.
About my finals, so far I know I passed 7 out of 13 exams, I'm still waiting the results on one, and have a total of five to do in the fall. So yeah, these holidays I'll definitely need to study if I want to pass this year. And I do, I have no intention of going through this year all over again! So, wish me luck, and pray that I'll have enough strength and motivation to study, so I'll pass those stupid exams!
Now to more happy news. I decided to do something, besides watch TV shows and work this summer. Not that I already got a job, but I'll probably do some waitressing in one of the nearby caffes. Or something like that. But that's not relevant. What matters is I'll probably open an Etsy shop and start selling handmade traditional Idrian lace. I've learned how to make a lace in seventh grade in the past few years I've seriously considered the option of making lace jewellery and accessories. Maybe one day I'll be good enough to make lace shoes, like the one's Ben Affleck wore on one of the premiers (I think in Venice... Holy guacamoly, that rhymes!)
Let me know, what do you think of my idea (the one of opening an Etsy shop). I really don't want to go through all the hard work the process of making a lace requires for nothing. Because here's an example: To make that small patch of lace you see on these shoes I'd need about five to eight hours to make. Depends on how good my mood is at the moment.
Anyhow (how much I loooove, this word!), I have to get back to my vacation a.k.a. work camp my relatives created.
God, I missed this. I promise I'll do my best and start writing again (and do all my usual posts about TV, movies and books. Three of my favourite things - if you forget about shopping and food)
