Teneriffe Medallions

Day 355: Teneriffe lace is constructed with two basic stitches: knots and darning. Knots can create a foundation (web) or be a design element in and of themselves. Darning is simply weaving over and under, but can be done in a variety of ways to form bars, wheels and other types of embellishment. Many of the "stitches" are common to hardanger, Dorset buttons and pulled-thread work, a point which people new to the craft should keep in mind because comprehensive books specifically devoted to Teneriffe are scarce as hen's-teeth. The best is Alexandra Stillwell's "The Technique of Teneriffe Lace," long out of print and while not hard to find, generally rather overpriced. But if you think books are hard to find, equipment for working this type of free-standing lace is even more difficult to locate. The good news is that it can be done effectively over a piece of cardboard with a straight needle, although it's preferable to work it on a cushion with a bent-tip huck/Teneriffe needle to help prevent splitting threads.

Working the Lace

Day 353: The first step in making Teneriffe lace is to form the web over which the pattern will be stitched, and this applies whether you are creating it on fabric or as an independent motif like this one. The thread is taken from point to point until a radial grid is formed, and then the weaving begins. Typically, the first few rounds are done in "double darning," i.e., over one pair of threads, under the next pair. This is followed by a few rounds of single darning, i.e., splitting the pairs by going over one thread, under the next. There are other ways to start the weaving (backstitch, open center, etc.), but for this example, I've begun in the traditional manner, and have secured the darning stitches with a round of Teneriffe knots. The paper "plan" underneath the work helps me keep the stitches aligned and uniform. From this point on, I can be inventive, using various types of darning and filling stitches to create a unique design.

Making a Teneriffe Cushion

Day 352: I've spoken before about my maternal grandmother who taught me many of my needlearts skills, and had it not been for her, I might never have delved into the nearly-forgotten technique of Teneriffe lace. She used to include a Teneriffe wheel design on all her chicken-scratch aprons (another obscure type of needlework), and I have always worked my Teneriffe on fabric in the same manner. To make independent medallions, the needleworker must use some type of form which can hold pins securely. A bobbin lace pillow can be used, but the size is cumbersome. Ideally, Teneriffe cushions can be held in the hand. There are a number of different styles, and I prefer a domed type to a flat surface because the lace has a tendency to curl in on itself as the threads are drawn together to form the design, but I did not have a cushion. After several days of exploring the options for building one (foam? cardboard? walnut shell filling? sawdust? leather top?), I came up with a Grand Plan. I bought a small wool needle-felting pad, cut it into a circle with a coping saw, made graduated circles of sheet felt to pile into a dome, and then I took a needle-felting tool to the top and stabbed the livin' daylights out of it until my arm was tired. The result was a nice, firm dome. Next, I took a piece of a gardener's knee pad and mounted it on the bottom to give height (my Teneriffe pins are quite long). The requirement here was that a doll needle needed to be able to pierce the cushion all the way through from top to bottom in order to secure the starting thread. The knee pad was perfect. Once the form was made, I sewed a cover for it, a necessary addition to keep the lace from picking up "fuzzies." Eventually, I'll put a colourful woven band around the outer edge, but right now, I just want to make some lace.