how to spangle lace bobbins - adding beads to lace bobbins

[@WendyOakley-jj4fb]

Gosh, three clear demos and all so much easier than the piece of paper my tutor gave me (no demo!). Thank you.

[@LouiseWestLace]

Glad it helped!

[@breanaf333]

Thank you! I found your instructions so clear and helpful! Excited to spangle my own bobbins now

[@lindseypickles5343]

Brilliant a very good refreshers. All my bobbins are the old fashioned way. I'm going to enjoy respangling them now😂😊

[@LouiseWestLace]

Have fun!

[@Joodster]

What a nice, clear explanation on spangling. As a lampworker, I love that you used lampworked beads for the feature bead on your spangles. If you should run across a bead you would like to use but the hole is bigger than you like, you can use a short length of capillary tubing (PVC or plastic) to fill the bead hole, leaving a narrower opening and keeping it centered on your spangle wire.

[@LouiseWestLace]

Thanks, I love lampwork beads, and always seem to buying them to compliment the bobbins. Great idea about the too large holes.

[@junewong1794]

Thank you to show the ways to spangle the bobbins, it is very useful.

[@LouiseWestLace]

Happy to have helped.

[@lovestoswatch2694]

thanks a million Louise, managed to spangle for the very first time following your instructions, no issues at all, thank you!

[@paulswett7502]

Thank you for showing 3 different ways. I have struggled with some beads and bobbins, because of the holes being too small and I thought there was only one right way. You certainly have helped.

[@LouiseWestLace]

Thanks for the comment, so pleased to have helped. There are other ways as well but there are the three that I have personally tried.

[@whoknitter4673]

that is what I did which you showed the last one. I find first and second interesting because sometimes bobbin hole is too small for both wires to go through. Thanks!!!

[@LouiseWestLace]

Thanks for the feedback. Yes I agree, I use the method with the join at the bottom bead, but showed the other method as this was the way I spangled bobbins when I first started making lace. I have seen other methods as well but haven’t personally used them.

[@DLRTraynorCoberly]

Thank you!

[@MamaCottage]

I love your bead covered bobbins. Can you please tell me how you did that or where I can find out how to do that 😊

[@LouiseWestLace]

They are kits from Carole Morris, Spangles .. www.spangles4beads.co.uk

[@MaryMangan]

Very handy, I have never seen it done and I wondered. I got a box of beads at a thrift shop a while back and have been planning to use them on bobbins.

[@LouiseWestLace]

Thanks for feedback. Happy to have helped.

[@wocket]

Wish I had see this before I spangled my 28 bobbins 😭 I will do them again a few at a time.

[@LouiseWestLace]

sorry I wasn't quick enough to show you before you needed it..

[@denisepettit8534]

Does your bead covered bobbins add much weight for my bobbins don't have holes to spangle and I like the look and thought might give my bobbins some extra weight?

[@LouiseWestLace]

I havent weighed them before and after beading, but they dont seem to add too much weight, they do make the bobbin thicker and slightly chunkier, but that can be an advantage if the bobbin is thin. Some people just use them for the gimp threads, for the heavier thread and also to be able to spot them in the sea of bobbins. Hope that helps.

[@denisepettit8534]

@@LouiseWestLace Thank you Louise. My bobbins are thin so glad to hear the beads will be beneficial and of course pretty. I was thinking I might figure out a way to use the beads at the end to hang a spangle, all in good timing. I have other WIPS to get accomplish first.

[@magicalumbrella7151]

Midland bobbins are not designed for sewings, and dangly bits from spangles can slow you down. The whole point of spangles is to add weight to the very light wood bobbin its self. a bone bobbin is often heavier and will need less weight. The weight of the beads depends on the type of lace (thickness of thread) the bobbin will be used for making. Typically this will be for Torchon and geometric Bucks. If you use a gimp thread a slightly heavier spangle can be helpful to keep the thread well tensioned. Never use a flat pillow especially with spangled bobbins as they are designed to require a slope to create thread tension. When finishing winding wire it is necessary to smooth the end round having cut it so that it cannot snag on any thread.

[@LouiseWestLace]

Much of it is personal choice. I have used a range of bobbins over the years many with different weight beads and never have a problem with it. If you work large pieces of lace you have no choice other than to use flat pillows, having made very large collars that take 5 sheets of A3 pricking to complete, there is no way this could be worked on a domed pillow. As it was it had to be moved 5 times during the making. If you work on a flat pillow ideally raise the back edge a couple of inches using a bean bag or similar to give you the slope. Much of it is personal choice and what you are used to... often from the teacher you originally learnt from. If you snip the end close enough there is no need to do anything else with the end, as this will be between the beads.

[@LouiseWestLace]

Just to add to this comment, you can use a flat pillow with spangled bobbins, sometimes it is the only way to get the pricking completely flat on the pillow if it is a big pattern, but it is beneficial to slope the pillow, either on a stand or with something to lift the back edge, such as a bean bag or rolled up towel. I use a flat pillow more than a domed pillow as I usually work bigger pieces.

[@southernstitcher8265]

My wire keeps breaking

[@LouiseWestLace]

Do you mean while making the spangle - if so it might be that the wire is too thin for it. If you mean while you are using the bobbins, this could also be the same reason, but also after time spangles do break from being misshapened during use, manner of packing them away etc, and need respangling. That happens to everyone at some point.