Lace Challenge 9

Hallie Ray 

Madison, Wisconsin, USA

2.25" x 1"

Lizbeth size 10 color 603

My first piece of needle lace.  

17  Nov 2023

Devon Thein

Livingston, New Jersey, USA

Leaf size 4 ½ inches

Bottom half is unknown thread from Maggie.

Top half is a DMC 12.

Maggie is very concerned that lacemakers are largely anonymous and she plans to have everyone’s name on the art work. In an effort to test methods for self-identification for the lacemaker, I put my initials and the date on the leaf. I think it will make it easier to find in the large assemblage.

2 December 2023

Mary Elizabeth Barron

Logan City, Queensland, Australia

Leaf sizes, two each at:

6.5 cm (2.6 inches) by 2.5 cm (1 inch)

5.8 cm (2.3 inches) by 2.2 cm (0.9 inches)

I used a spool of old crochet cotton, Coats mercer-crochet cotton thread No. 40, from my mother’s stash.

This was my first attempt at needle lace but certainly not my last.

Mary Mangan

Somerville, Massachusetts, USA

Materials: DMC No 50 cotton. 

Size: ~~3.5 inches or 8.7 cm

This is a sample of a leaf for the project. I'm only a beginner at needle lace, but I am grasping the appeal now. From nothing you create an object using only thread and a single needle....  My leaf is one half Maggie's guidance, and one half a scallop pattern in an old needlework text from Modern Priscilla that I have admired but never had the courage to try. That's why I included the book in the photo. The text is from 1925.

I have been meaning to try needle lace for a long time so I was very happy when this community project came along to give me a prod in the right direction. The leaves are just the right size for learning and experimenting. Thank you Maggie Hensel- Brown! 


I used white and ecru DMC Cordonnet Special 50 left over from something else. 

Gillian Clarke 

Toronto, Ontario, Canada 

Denise Botkin  

Curran, Michigan,  USA

I have played with Armenian needle lace a little and battenburg.  I was happy to see the instructions for another type of needle lace.  The challenge sounded fun and it has been.  I have the 5 leaves done.  The smallest was with an unknown brand of  #50 cotton.  The rest are done with #30 DMC and the largest leaf has a center vein and the outside done in # 8 DMC pearl cotton.  Thanks! 

Leaf size: 7cm x 2.8cm (2.7 x 1 inches)                             Thread:    2 strands of The Thread Gatherer Silk ‘n Colours  (col

Prairie Winter #721)                      

Border Thread: House of Embroidery Pearl Cotton 8 (col #41)

Stitches used:

Detached buttonhole with return

Detached up and down buttonhole

Twisted buttonhole with return in alternate stitches

Leaf size: 4.6 x 2cm (1.8 x 0.8 inches)                               Thread: 2 strands of Silk Caron Waterlilies (col # 130 eggshell)

Border Thread: 

DMC Cotton Perle 8 (col #950)

Stitches used:    

Double Brussels, Trellis stitch,

Detached buttonhole with return

Sue Babbs

Northfield, Illinois, USA 

The stitches are much more distinct when worked in the smooth Soie Perlée than in the fluffier Silk ‘n Colours  or Caron Waterlilies.  Though I did like the subtle variegations in those threads.


Leaf size: 12 x 5cm (4.6 x 1.9 inches)                                 Thread: Au Ver à Soie Soie Perlée (col # 80)

Stitches used:  

Knotted buttonhole, Trellis stitch

Knotted buttonhole in alternate stitches 

Knotted double buttonhole

Detached buttonhole with return

Double Brussels

Yvonne Taylor 

Douglasville,  Georgia 








11 cm

DMC 12 cotton ecru 


Enjoyed learning this and working on it at Christmas time so family and friends could see!   As a bobbin Lacer, I love the mobility of this craft.


Carolyn M. Wetzel

Massachusetts, USA

Top left:

apx 7 cm in length.

DMC Cebelia, No 20, Ecru

Edge Clark's, 30, Color 4A (Vintage)


Top right:

apx 6.5cm in length.

Lizbeth 20, Col. 168

Edge DMC Cebelia No 20, Ecru


Larger leaf:

apx 9.5cm in length.

Lizbeth Size 20, Color 601

Edge DMC Ecru, No 20, Cebelia


I enjoyed creating the leaves and participating in the Community Lacemaking Project.  

Carol Parry

NW Indiana, USA

Liz Redford

North Carolina, USA

I have sent 4 leaves to Maggie. They are made of size 20 crochet cotton.  They are about 2.5 inches long.

Mary Ramke

Denver, Colorado, USA

Loved this project!

Jill Hawkins

Cheshire, Connecticut, USA

My first attempt at needlelace, and I think I’m addicted! 

Joyce Ann Martin

San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA 

Sizes of Leaves: Approximately 3" x 1.25" and 4" x 1.75"

Materials: Lizbeth Size 20 (Colors: 603 Ecru and 602 Natural)

I had been wanting to learn needle lace for some time, and Maggie's presentation about this project finally inspired me to give it a go! Little did I know when I started that these leaves would become my companions during isolation when I caught COVID in January. Never was I more thankful for the calming effect of lacemaking. The larger one was my very first piece of needle lace; the smaller one my second.

Miriam Kahn 

Columbus, Ohio, USA

Needlelace stitched with beige Cebelia 30 and DMC Cordonnet Special 40.  The two smaller leaves are 1.5" (excluding stem); the larger is 3.5" (excluding stem).


I attended the lecture, watched the videos, and attended the online zoom class which was very informative and lots of fun.


Thanks so much to Maggie Hensel-Brown for introducing me to needlelace. I've dabbled in it before but now I am hooked. I'll be making more leaves and other shapes.

Katholene Hofner 

Haskins, Ohio, USA

My leaf is 2.25” x 1”. I used  DMC Cecelia 20. This is my first piece of needle lace. Finished 2/29/2024. 

Helen Gieske 

Frederica, Delaware, USA

My name is Helen Gieske, and I am a member of the Diamond State Lacemakers (Delaware) and the Liberty Lacers (Philadelphia area).  


The leaf I made is 1.25 x 3 inches.  I used Clarks ONT thread size 30, mostly because I already had it and it was the right shade and size.


I was intrigued with the challenge, as I had been wanting to try needle lace.  The step by step photos and directions were outstanding.  After a couple of tries, I was able to make something I felt was acceptable to send.  I also enjoyed Maggie's podcast.

Maureen Tuttle

Greensburg, Pennsylvania, USA

I completed 5 leaves that have been mailed to Maggie Hensel-Brown.


The small leaves are 2 inches long and the large leaves are 4 inches long.  I used DMC Cebeilia size 20 thread.

Shannon McDowell 

Maplewood, New Jersey, USA

 My leaves are all made of Lizbeth cotton thread sizes 20, 40, 80. 

Liliana Wahn

Texas, USA


Material: Lizbeth 20

Colors: white, ecru

Sizes: 2 x 4cm, 2 x 8cm

Coats & Clark's Tatting & Crochet Cotton 

Size 30 ecru     video only 



DMC Cebelia 

Size 30 ecru      PDF file only 



DMC Special Dentelles 

Size 80 white      PDF file occasionally

Tammy Paulson 

Stillwater, Minnesota, USA

Linda Antal

Ashland, Missouri, USA

 

Size 30 Knit-Cro-Sheen - Ecru

Lengths of leaves: 2.5",  3.4" and 4.25"


I've always wanted to try needle lacemaking and this challenge prompted me to give it a try.  I really enjoyed it.  Thank you for the opportunity!

Gráinne Griffin

Furbo, Co. Galway, Ireland


My 3 leaf sizes are 

12cm x 6cm

5.5cm x 2.5cm

4.5cm x 2 cm


Materials used were Coats cotton (white and ecru).

I already had these in no 20 and 30.


Stitches:  detached button hole, linen stitch, twisted buttonhole, corded triple buttonhole, chain picot, bead stitch and rosettes


I really enjoyed making these little leaves for Maggie’s project and being part of the worldwide lace community. 


Dones Del Castell De Bellcaire, Spain

Sofia Tsampara

Athens, Greece

I liked the challenge so, I spent a lot of time & imagination 

to finish this project.  I see it as a chair pillow.


4.7” x 1.7”

DMC #10 cordonnet special

Sally Olsen

Iowa, USA

5” x 2.3”

DMC #10 cordonnet special

You are welcome to contribute as many leaves as you want for this challenge and for Maggie Hensel-Brown’s Project.  Deadline for mailing leaves to Maggie is mid-March 2024.  Deadline for emailing pictures to IOLI is March 31, 2024.