Laser

The idea came from working with a laser cutter in university during my BA course back in 2006, but it is only now I have the knowledge and experience from teaching, and publishing designs, to see the potential of this and how it could benefit many people worldwide. 

I have seen the problems that students face in struggling with the preparation, when all they want to do is get on and make lace.  Pricking patterns carefully and accurately is a very time consuming process and one that puts off many people. They rush the process, make an inaccurate pricking and then their lace is not as good as it could be. I have spent many hours in trying to produce a good pricking (and still sometimes not getting it as good as I would like). Some patterns such as the large collars that I have done have taken up to 20 hours to make the pricking, even the smallest of patterns can take an hour or more to do a good accurate pricking. This process saves a huge amount of time on your part and gives a more accurate pricking to work with, helping to improve your lacemaking. 

The crowdfunder raised money to buy the necessary equipment to produce from the digital file, an accurate and ready to work design pricking, initially from my own published designs, but ultimately to offer the service to other designers, and lacemakers own patterns. 

The money went towards buying the laser cutter, laser printer and associated software, enabling the process to create the ready to work designs. Rewards were offered, giving the opportunity to have the first ready to work patterns off the laser cutter and also the opportunity to experience it first hand, with the chance to create your own design, amongst other exciting rewards. 84 People backed the project, which along with a small grant from the ERDF enabled the project to become a reality.

Lacemaking is a heritage craft and by using technology I hope to engage more younger people into the craft,  prolong the participation of existing lacemakers, and help to ensure the craft survives for future generations.

The laser cutter and associated equipment were installed in May 2018 and production commenced during the summer. The patterns will be launched at the Fenland lace Fair on 6th October 2018 and available online from 9th October 2018.