A Few Bits and Pieces

Today I am going to step away from the thread lace conversions we have been focused on recently and share with you how sometimes I come across different things in my travels on the web, or in magazines or many, many other places and I always store those things away for future reference, or I print it out immediately and put it in my "snippet file"!!  

Here I will be combining an image from my snippet file with a grid border pattern I have used quite often in my work.  I have stated many, many times throughout my blog, that I ALWAYS make a vellum TEMPLATE for any grid border I ever make on a project.  I never, ever, ever make a grid border directly to the parchment paper project...NEVER!!!  I have a very large collection of border templates from which to choose from.....and I'm always adding to it as well.  The majority of the grid border designs I use are from Piet and Annie Janssen and they are always FREE.  They generously share their work with the whole world so please click on the link and go see  their beautiful grid work and if you like anything you come across and still need to know how to convert it to a size you might use for your own work....well, there is a tutorial right here in the "Tutorials" tab!!  Now, I always have to 'alter' the size of the pattern they have made because I do not make any of my work in centimeters.....I work in inches and that creates a significant difference in how I use their designs....so, it's absolutely necessary for me to adjust for the measureing system I use here in the USA.  This sometimes also means I have to make changes in the original grid design in order to make everything work for my purposes....and I have written permission directly from Piet and Annie and Arie v.d. Linden to do that, so I'm not infringing on any copyrights.....and I do not ever claim the grid borders as my own.

Swan and Cat Tails

Okay, this grid border is an Arie v.d. Linden design #27 and it's for the Pergamano Bold Diagonal grid.  As I stated above, it is not designed for a 5 X 7 inch (completed size) American greeting card, so  when I made the VELLUM TEMPLATE from the original pattern I had to alter it by adding to the height and width and yet still maintain the pattern design sequences.  I know, now I'm talking some heavy duty mathematical stuff (oh, and plenty of patience!!) but my tutorial will walk you through all that :))

Once your grid TEMPLATE is made, you then bring the "bits and pieces" you've been saving in your 'snippets' folder to your work area and proceed to attempt to put everything together in hopes it will turn out the way you envisioned it in your mind when you began the project!!!

This is the image I discovered in my snippets folder the other day and my mind immediately saw it combined with a grid border.  Ah yes, you say....but what kind of grid border....especially considering this is an oval image  and could just as easily be  enlarged and used all by itself for either a wall decoration or sized for whatever measurements you use for your greeting cards.  Well friends, I am well known for "stepping out of the box" and I chose to be true to my own character sooooooo, I chose a rectangular border and I gently tucked the oval image inside the rectangle!!!!!  I also chose to use only parts of the image in my project.  

I have always found it to a fun adventure (and sometimes quite challenging) to pull together things that one would think simply wouldn't work....and make them work!!!  Who would ever think an oval image would work very well in a rectangle border/frame??  Remember one thing though.....I only knew what I "thought" would work when I began this project.....there were absolutely no guarantees that it actually would!!!!

In closing for this time.....sometime when time permits.....give this adventure a try and see how much fun it really is :)  I know....I'm always challenging my readers to try  new parching experiences...and the best part of each challenge is that I've already TRIED it and worked the rough parts out for you.....all you have to do is "step out of the box" and try it too!!!

Happy Parching,

 

One More Time.....For Lace Conversions!!

I've had several readers contact me asking for a more specific mini tutorial on the last post with the three vintage ladies.  I'm always happy to oblige (whenever I can, that is!!) and the problem appears to be this:  "How do we know how to follow one specific "lace thread" when we're making the lace on the project?"  I believe the best way I can answer that question is to provide an image with each "lace thread" in  one section of the gown, in a different color so you can follow it visually and hopefully that will help  better understand what I am instructing when I say follow one "lace thread" from beginning to end, in one section at a time!!

 
























Okay, click your mouse on each step, to enlarge it a bit, so you can see the different colors for the different "lace threads".  Until you get the hang of things, you will have to look very closely, in the sample I've created, for the color of each step.  Now, I have only provided the sample for one section of the gown but once you understand the process/theory behind lace conversions you will easily be able to proceed on to the other sections of the gown, the bodice and the sleeves.  The color "lace thread" you will be looking for in each step is the color of the step number!!  (Step 1.....Step 2.....Step 3.....Step 4)

My suggestion, until you get the 'feel' of things, is to take a piece of scrap parchment paper and practice a couple of times on that.  Do the four practice steps SLOWLY and you should be ready to tackle the 'real' project after that :))  The one thing to always remember when making a lace conversion to parchment is:  you only really need the image OUTLINE (Step 1) because from there you create your own "lace threads" in any manner you choose, however, you must always remember to make only one complete "lace thread" at a time, from beginning to end, and then move on to the next "lace thread".  When all the 'lace' has been completed, the remainder of the project can be completed according to the pattern.

I hope I've done a better job with this breakdown and more specific explanation for those  who have had difficulty making the pattern I provided in the previous post.  As always.....if you have questions.....contact me :)) 

Happy Parching,