Re-discovering Lace Making - Can I incorporate it into my dressmaking?

When I was about eight years old I learnt to make lace. I was taught by a lady called Peggy and I went to her house for lessons every weekend.

Under Peggy's guidance I made lots of lace samplers to practice the various stitches and even started a little 'business' selling lace bookmarks to my Grandad! (see the red and gold one in the

pictures below.

As often happens when you are younger, my enthusiasm for other creative hobbies like cross stitch, sewing and dressmaking took over and my lace making ground to a halt. Fast forward to today and sadly my lace making pillow, bobbins and threads have been collecting dust in my attic for more years than I care to remember. I have often thought of trying to pick it up again but never quite managed it as most of my time these days is spent making my own clothes.

All those years ago in Ely, Cambridgeshire, where I grew up, Peggy gave me a beginner's book on making Torchon lace which I have always kept. I recently picked it up again wondering if I could somehow incorporate lace making into my dressmaking; a lace collar perhaps, quite 'on trend' at the moment! As I flicked through I noticed a list of suppliers of lace making equipment and one of which was based in my home town of Knaresborough! Although I believe they are now long since gone, I took that as a sign to try and re-start my lace making!

So my lace pillows, bobbins and thread have all been retrieved from the attic, dusted off and now I need to find space for them in my sewing room. I also need to find the time to fit this in amongst all of the other creative things I want to do (make all my own clothes.... and bags.... and learn more about embriodery, including tambour embroidery, corset making, pattern cutting....the list goes on!) I think it will be a long time before I'm walking round wearing my own handmade lace collars but hopefully I will enjoy the process of getting there!