How to Make a Bobbin Lace Pillow
Making bobbin lace requires a lace-making pillow. A cookie or mushroom style pillow, or rounded dome, works very well for many types of bobbin lace, especially those with angles or doilies. This is a good choice for a beginner bobbin lace pillow and can be made at home with only basic supplies, allowing you to spend more on your bobbins or other lace-making materials.
Things You'll Need
- 1/4-inch plywood, 24 inches by 24 inches
- Ethafoam, 2 inches thick, 24 inches by 24 inches
- Fabric, approximately 2 yards
- Staple gun
- Serrated kitchen knife or electric knife
- Fabric scissors
- Jigsaw or scroll saw (optional)
- Iron and ironing board
- Sandpaper
Instructions
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How to Make a Bobbin Lace Pillow
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1
Cut your 1/4-inch plywood into a circle. If you lack a scroll saw or jigsaw, many lumber yards can do this sort of cut for a nominal fee. Choose a size of approximately 18 inches for a travel pillow or 20 inches to 24 inches for a home bobbin lace pillow.
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2
Sand the edges of your plywood circle. It should be quite smooth so as to avoid snagging your fabric.
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3
Use a serrated kitchen knife or electric knife to cut high-density foam into a circle the same size as your lace pillow base. Lightly carve away the edges to create a dome or cookie shape.
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4
Cut a piece of fabric into a circle approximately 4 inches to 6 inches larger than your cookie pillow. Place the fabric over the cookie pillow and pull taut, stapling first one side and then the other all around the bobbin lace pillow. Trim away excess fabric.
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5
Use fabric scissors to neatly cut a circle 1 inch larger in diameter than your lace pillow. Press the edges under to create a neat, finished edge. Staple or glue this piece into place to hide the raw edges on your cookie pillow.
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Tips & Warnings
If you cannot find Ethafoam, high-density foam available at your fabric store may work well. Traditional pillows were made of straw. Try leaving a small opening and stuffing your pillow firmly with clean straw, then finish stapling around the bobbin lace pillow.
