Handmade Lace - An artform which is respectful to the environment, and honors our ancestors
Hi! I’m Kelly and I’m delighted that you came by to visit me here in my shop, Whimsy and Lace. For more information about me, check out my profile page. Feel free to explore my shop and ask questions. We’ll inspire each other!
My shop was born of a desire to share myself and my work. I love being a part of the Etsy community. I’ve never had a bad experience here, everyone is friendly and kind. I am impressed and amazed on a daily basis with the talent that is found here in these shops. Being a small piece of this beautiful movement toward handmade, recycled, and artistic creations is so much fun!
I make lace using a technique called tatting. Tatting is highly valued because unlike most lace, it cannot be produced by a machine! Lace made this way is durable, retains its shape, and does not completely unravel if damaged. These qualities make it the perfect medium for lace jewelry, which is so elegant! I want to tell you a bit about my process.
It takes a lot of hours to create the items I have for sale. First I choose the design and the thread. At Whimsy and Lace you’ll find lots of my own designs, some new designs by other authors, and also some patterns that have been around for well over one hundred years. I work almost exclusively in cotton. I like it because it is strong, easy to clean, shiny, soft, non-irritable, lightweight, breathable, shiny, and durable. It’s also a renewable resource, making it an eco-friendly way to create and use artwork!
Then I tat the piece, that’s the most time consuming part. When you consider that one bracelet has thousands of stitches in it, and that each stitch has be to executed properly or the whole pattern will be off, it really puts into perspective the time and attention required! After the piece is completed, there’s still another step, called blocking. I wet the art down, and pin it stretched out flat on a foam board. (Yeah, that sounds easy until you see how many pins are involved!) It stays that way until it’s dry, and then it holds the pattern revealing its beautiful form.
For me, tatting is an art form that is peaceful, meditative, respectful to the environment, and honors our ancestors. The artwork I create is special because it’s been made in a time honored fashion by an actual person, not just a machine making something cheap that won’t last. Using these old techniques to create items of lasting beauty is an important part of my life and I want to share my creations with you!
I love getting custom orders. There’s nothing better then working with somebody to make an item that is just what they were looking for. Please contact me through an Etsy conversation. I’m really happy to make lace in the exact size, color, style, or pattern you’re thinking of. Take a look through my shop for ideas, together we can come up with something just perfect!
For me, the deepest satisfaction of shipping out an item comes from knowing that what I created is touching some else’s life. I love the idea that something I put my energy into will be cherished and enjoyed for years by somebody else. That’s magic.
