Things to do · Arts and crafts
Learn to make bobbin lace
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
Bobbin lace is worked with pins, thread and pairs of bobbins on a lace pillow, following a pattern called a pricking. Beginners learn three or four stitches over a weekend and go home with a bookmark or sampler.
Gentle£100 to £500 / $130 to $650A few weeksIndoorsAlone or with othersUK and US
Someone who has done it
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What it's really like
A first weekend covers winding bobbins, preparing a pricking, a handful of stitches and keeping the tension even. Tina's Bobbin Lacemaking's two-day course in Surrey teaches half, whole (cloth) and double stitch, edges and a central vein, aiming at a first traditional piece; the Textile Arts Center in Brooklyn starts with Torchon basics and a sampler.
Kit is often lent. The Surrey tutor has second-hand equipment to use, borrow or buy, and a beginners' workshop in Ipswich, Massachusetts, run by New England Lace Group members, includes 12 pairs of bobbins to keep, pins, thread and patterns, with loaner pillows.
Groups keep people going after the class. The Lace Guild lists UK groups and teachers by county, with full contact details from its office, and its quarterly magazine for new lacemakers, Early Days In Lacemaking, carries patterns with detailed instructions for new lacemakers.
What beginners pay
| Where | Format | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| Tina's Bobbin Lacemaking, Effingham, Surrey | Two-day beginners' weekend, 10am to 3pm, up to five students; next dates from 21 November 2026 | £120 |
| Lace classes, Stoke d'Abernon, Surrey (craftcourses.com) | Weekly five-hour daytime mixed lace class | £25 (as listed) |
| New England Lace Group members, Ipswich, Massachusetts | 12-hour beginners' workshop over a weekend; bobbins, pins, thread, patterns and IOLI curriculum included | $350 ($300 plus $50 materials) |
| Textile Arts Center, Brooklyn | Bobbin Lace 101 weekend intensive, 23-24 January 2027; materials for sample making included | $450 |
The Brooklyn Lace Guild's class calendar lists beginners' bobbin lace courses at John C. Campbell Folk School, Peters Valley, Snow Farm and other US craft schools; prices are on each school's booking page.
How to start
- Do not buy kit first; several teachers lend pillows and bobbins, and one Surrey tutor advises against buying beforehand.
- Find a teacher or group: the Lace Guild keeps UK lists by county, and the International Organization of Lace (IOLI) runs a teacher database in the US.
- Book a beginners' weekend or join a local lace group's regular sessions.
Where to go
- The Lace Guild: UK lace groups and teachers, listed by county UK
- Tina's Bobbin Lacemaking: weekend beginners' workshop (Effingham, Surrey) UK
- International Organization of Lace (IOLI): looking for a lace teacher US
- Textile Arts Center: Bobbin Lace 101 weekend intensive (Brooklyn) US
- Brooklyn Lace Guild: beginners' bobbin lace classes at folk schools and studios US
We opened these links on 8 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
Do I need to buy a lace pillow and bobbins before a class?
Usually not. The Surrey tutor lends or sells second-hand equipment and advises against buying first, and the Ipswich workshop supplies bobbins and loaner pillows.
What lace should a beginner start with?
Many classes begin with Torchon. The Textile Arts Center's Bobbin Lace 101 teaches Torchon basics, half stitch, linen stitch and whole stitch.
How do I find a lace group near me?
In the UK, the Lace Guild publishes lists of groups and teachers by county and gives full contact details through its office. In the US, IOLI guilds and members can request details from its teacher database.
How long does it take to learn bobbin lace?
The basic stitches fit into a weekend. The Surrey course aims for a first finished piece plus one or two more in two days, and the Ipswich workshop covers a stitch sampler and a bookmark in 12 hours.
Where this comes from: The Lace Guild, Groups and teachers; The Lace Guild, Membership; The Lace Guild, New to lacemaking; craftcourses.com, Weekend Beginners In-depth Workshops, Tina's Bobbin Lacemaking; craftcourses.com, Lace making courses in Surrey; International Organization of Lace, Looking for a lace teacher?; The Boston Calendar, 12-Hour Intensive Beginner Bobbin Lace Workshop, Ipswich MA; Textile Arts Center, Bobbin Lace 101 (Weekend Intensive) (ACTIVE listing); Brooklyn Lace Guild, Classes; Seven Days, A Place for Lace (30 July 2008). Opened 8 November 2026.
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