Valenciennes, bucks and dutch pinless grounds.

Pinless Ground Lace

I’ve gone back to Freehand Laces as they are so quick after Bucks. I do use the odd support pin and often a pricking, which may be either just two columns of pinholes on the edges, or the thread diagram suitably reduced.  I tried to do some Valenciennes ground and found that my tension was awful, so back to the freehand laces for a bit of “no pin”practice.

I saw an old pricking for Bucks Point, that had about an inch of dots for pins in the ground, and the rest was left blank.   I did not know, at that time, about working the ground ‘Pin-less’.   Valencienne lace works the ground without pins, too, I think.

In the most recent English “Lace” No. 124, there is an item by Jean Leader and Gil Dye on Freehand Lace. Which I think will tie in with the dutch lace we have been learning. It is not mentioned but laces of other countries around are, also some books as referrence and web pages. Has anyone read the item and what do you think?