Lenka's Way of LaceWire Lace Supplies Update + Christmas Sale 2022
Posted on December 13, 2022
This year the annual Wire Lace Supplies Christmas Sale started late. And it was all because of the wires! Since the late summer I was having difficulty communicating with the manufacturer, and eventually it turned out they had difficulty with supply chain. After time of uncertainty, I was able to reorder the wire, but on different spools. Which meant that I had to redo all wire listings in my online shop (WireLaceSupplies on Etsy) and furnish them with photographs that show the new product.
After all, I was happy to be able to restock the wires, because to my knowledge there is no better material on the market. And for lacemaking and other textile techniques, wire really has to be the best quality in order to work!
The new stock of wires is wound on spools that hold 175m (574’) wire, 50meters (40%) more than the previous size. You might remember that the metallic colours were wound on those spools already before. And now all colours come in that size, which means that more projects can be finished from one spool.
Price wise, the larger spool costs CA$10.95, $2 more than the small spool. But since the larger spool is priced at a bulk rate, it actually works out to 15% savings per meter. That’s a good news, especially for lacemakers working on large projects.
For now, both sizes are in stock, so if you prefer the smaller spools, it’s time to buy them now. I don’t know whether they will ever return. Each colour now has a separate listing, and you can choose the available spool sizes. I hope this will make browsing and shopping easier and more enjoyable for you.
Also, there are some colour variations between the small and large spools, therefore the best opportunity to expand shading potential of your colour palette. The new wire colours are gorgeous – rich and bright – and so inspiring. Just unpacking and photographing them, I am already excited about all exuberant lace that they will become!
And not just lace, others textile techniques as well. I learn from my Etsy Shop customers that they are using the wires for knitting, crochet, flower making, basket weaving, model building and more… And I am so happy to be able to provide the best material for all those creative projects.
While I still have only limited time for my lace studio, I remain committed to running the WireLaceSupplies online shop. Despite challenges stemming from ever changing rules and requirements of e-commerce, together with rising fees and taxes, my shop is still here and earning the Etsy Star Seller badge month after month! Positive feedback from my customers is my reward, as well as incentive to stay on track and keep the quality of products and customer service at high levels.
Shipping remains the biggest concern. While the post services are reasonably efficient and the delivery time has stabilized, the costs has been rising steadily. Especially within Canada, where fuel surcharge is added to the postage price. Now mailing one spool of wire from BC to Quebec costs almost three times the item value! Ordering more spools at once, perhaps even pooling orders with friends and thus sharing the shipping, would help decrease the overhead and keep the cost more realistic.
To reduce expense for European customers, Lenka’s Bobbins for Wire Lace (Medium and Fine) are now available from the Belgian manufacturer, Jan de Maertelaere bv. Customers in European Union are encouraged to place their orders directly with Jan by by sending email to : info@bobbins.be and therefore save on shipping and taxes.
Talking about savings, the annual Wire Lace Supplies Christmas Sale is on – until December 29th, 2022. Save 20% on all Patterns&Tutorials, and 10% on wires, bobbins, tools and kits!
Have fun browsing the new colours and let them inspire many brilliant future projects.
Wishing happy lacemaking to you all,
Lenka
Spring Sale 2021
Posted on March 28, 2021
Traditional spring cleaning in the garden and home is good to freshen things up and make space for the new growth. In my Wire Lace Supplies shop it is no exception, especially when it brings some good deals to all creative, wire loving lacemakers.
All old style medium bobbins are on sale at 50% discount, while quantities lasts. (There were only a few old style large bobbins left, and they are already sold out.) They are being replaced by the new Lenka’s Medium Bobbin for Wire Lace, which can be used for medium as well as large size projects.
The new Medium bobbins and their sisters, Fine bobbins, are manufactured by Jan De Maertelaere BV in Belgium, which means great quality and great prices for both bobbins!
During the pandemic chaos, many regular supply chains were disrupted. It unexpectedly influenced even fine craft supplies. As some items for my wire lace tool kits were not available, I had to search all over the world to find replacements. Finally, I am happy to re-list the improved tool kits for wire lace: each kit now comes with two crochet hooks, one for single wire and the other for double wire, and with a better quality bamboo nudge tool.
Prices of many components went up, but thanks to lower cost of the bobbins, the kit prices remain the same, and therefore affordable for many lacemakers.
Hopefully there will be no more surprises with stocking the Wire Lace Supplies shop, and we all will be able to get what we need for creative spring lacemaking projects.
Wires in all colours are in stock. I added one new listing for an odd colour: Almost Black, available in limited quantity. Its shade of deep purple brown, almost black, is quite beautiful and would look great if used for the Old Wise Tree – alone, or blended with other colours.
Rising prices of copper ore as well shipping costs will likely push up the prices of the wires this year, so buying the material now would save you money in the long run.
If you are looking for spring ideas in wire lace, the Seedlings, Chicken Egg Stand and Spring Garden Patterns are on sale :
For other inspiration, a walk in awakening nature can present enough ideas for wire lace pictures, sculptures and wearable art for the whole spring season, and beyond…
Let’s welcome the fresh spring energy and allow it to rejuvenate our lives, and our lacemaking practice!
Lenka
Christmas SALE December 2 – 22, 2020
Posted on December 1, 2020
In this very unusual year my lace studio wouldn’t have survived without online sales, and I am grateful for every order that I was able to fulfill. I have always preferred live lace events – classes, workshops, exhibitions, artisan markets – because I really enjoy connecting with people and sharing my passion for lace with them. Maintaining online presence is rather difficult for me, since I am not very technically minded, and besides that I do not like to spent time away from my lacemaking pillow. But this year my laborious effort paid off and it really helped me to to stay connected with many of you.
As a humble token of appreciation I am offering 10% discount Christmas Sale in both of my shops, Wire Lace Supplies and Way of Lace.
Thank you for your support and for keeping the fine craft of handmade lace alive.
Happy lacemaking to all,
Lenka
3rd lace|heart|art prizes unveiled
Posted on April 15, 2020
Prizes for 3rd lace|heart|art challenge winners are ready.
Colourful linen, cotton and metallic threads from Barkonie s.r.o. (Czech Republic) for winners in Fibre and Young Lacemakers Categories, and enamelled copper wires form Wire Lace Supplies (Canada) for winners of Wire Lace Category, will be mailed as soon as possible.
We hope that these simple materials will be soon transformed into beautiful lace art!
Please, support our generous sponsors, so they can continue to support creativity in handmade bobbin lace.
❤️❤️❤️
lace|heart|art team
Happy Easter, Happy Lace!
Posted on April 18, 2019
If you feel the spring energy surging and looking to manifest through you, here are some ideas for projects in wire lace! We have quite a collection of spring patterns in the New School of Lace design book… in bobbin lace as well as needle lace:
Some of them are available exclusively from Wire Lace Supplies shop on Etsy, the others were workshop projects that are still waiting to be published in the Pattern&Tutorial format.
Get inspired, have fun and express your creative self in wire lace!
2nd lace|heart|art prizes unveiled
Posted on April 4, 2019
The 2nd lace|heart|art international challenge entries were juried and the winning hearts have been selected.
Here are the prizes, provided by Barkonie s.r.o. (Czech Republic) and Wire Lace Supplies (Canada) for our winners :
2nd lace|heart|art winners will be announced, and the online exhibition will open, on April 8, 2019.
❤️❤️❤️
lace|heart|art team
We Have Sponsors!
Posted on January 7, 2019
lace|heart|art team is thrilled to announce that the 2nd Challenge and Online Exhibition of Handmade Bobbin Lace in Colour is receiving sponsorhip from two lacemaking suppliers.
We are happy to share the news and to introduce our proud sponsors:
Barkonie s.r.o., Czech Republic, manufacturer of fine linen and cotton threads for lacemaking
Wire Lace Supplies, Canada, supplier of high quality coloured wires for lacemaking
This means, that there will be prizes for the 2nd lace|heart|art winners in all categories! Details are coming soon…
Let’s get to work, download the free heart pattern with instructions, and create your colourfull lace art.
Do not wait, the dealine is coming soon – on February 14th, 2019!
Newsletter #2 – Spring 2018
Posted on March 15, 2018
Spring delivers fresh energy we’ve been waiting for, and sets the best example of natural beauty, creativity and vitality. Let’s look, experience, enjoy and get inspired!
New School of Lace
Weekly classes in fibre and wire lace are in full swing. Everybody is having good time and learning a lot. With more light and warmth the lace on our pillows is going to blossom, there is no question about it!
May Workshop has been confirmed. We are going to work on a special “Old Tree” pattern, which is suitable for any media. Some seats are still available, so whether you work in fibre or wire, or both, come and join us on Saturday, May 26th, in Ocean Park Community Hall in South Surrey. As always, we will learn and share and talk… this time about wisdom of old trees and old lace…
Workshop: The Old Tree
Day and time: Saturday, May 26, 10:30 am – 5:30 pm
Location: Ocean Park Community Hall, 1577 128th Street, Surrey, BC
Skill level: intermediate
Registration: laceaway@gmail.com
The Old Tree design is based on basic torchon lace pattern, but it offers much more. It will make your creative juices going like tree sap responding to the season’s call. The pattern is open to colours which can be matched and mixed, and even dyed over (fibre) or coloured and patinated (wire). Tree branches, trunk and roots are finished in a free hand techniques (braiding), which means that every tree will be different, because it will be made with different hands. In this workshop you will learn how to create truly original lace art.
And it is about time, because there are two very exciting events coming up!
Exhibitions, Lectures and Other Events
Artist call for bobbin lace makers:
FIBER and LACE
Calling all bobbin lace makers who would like to present a piece in the Langley Art’s Council’s-Art in Found spaces, Fiber and Lace show. The exhibition will run from September 19th until October 2nd, with an opening night reception. This will be held at the Langley Civic Center (Township of Langley City Hall). All works must be hung and no greater than 16”x20”. This space can hold up to 20-24 works of art, we may be able to include more if there are many smaller works, or if we utilize the upper floors. Mixed media, fiber lace, bobbin lace, anything goes, as long as it is lace based. I would like to showcase the amazing work and talent of our local lace makers. Many people aren’t aware of hand made lace, and we can change that!
Please include a write on your piece complete with how long this piece took you (estimates are fine), how long you have been practicing for, and the inspiration of your piece. Also, please include what you used (fiber, wire, paint, photography, glass, etc.) and if this piece is for sale. All works must be submitted by August 31st to Sybille, please contact her at
kisssyb at gmail dot com, or via New School of Lace email
laceaway at gmail dot com
INCOGNITO
The Langley Arts Council also has their annual fundraiser November to December called Incognito, which can be a fine opportunity to support an organization that supports local lace artists! Any type of work can be submitted as long as it is 10”x10” and 1.5” wide. Another great place to show off your amazing lace talents. All pieces are sold for $50 with $25 going to the artist and $25 going to the Arts Council. All work must be unsigned as it’s Incognito. Once the piece is sold, the buyer will find out the artist’s name and can request a signature. Please contact the Langley Arts Council for more information and to submit your work. Submission date TBA.
New School of Lace Display in Semiahmoo Library is being wrapped up this week, and three Bookworm Bookmarks will go to the lucky contest winners. Handmade lace mini-exhibit has been well received, and live lacemaking demo well attended. As a result, the New School of Lace has one brand new student-lacemaker!
New School of Lace Display in Ocean Park Library is still on till the end of March, so if you are in vicinity, stop by and see how well do lace and spring go together!
lace | heart | art
It’s been very exciting time for the lace|heart|art team to review all submissions for the 1st International Challenge.
We received many entries from all over the world, and were amazed by creativity of lacemakers, and their wonderful interpretations of Barb’s Heart. It’s been a very special experience, but also very difficult, because we had to choose winners in each category. We did our best, and are looking forward to sharing the results with you.
The lace|heart|art online exhibition will open soon, on April 8, 2018.
Stay tuned!
Before that, we are happy to present a lace|heart|art lecture and slide show at FibresWest:
Join us for presentation on importance of traditional crafts in families and communities, and a tribute to a young woman whose love is reaching lace makers all over the world. Traditional crafts facilitate connecting, sharing and healing in today’s society. Our message, perhaps needed now more than ever, contributes to an important discussion about the value of handwork and crafts for the overall well being of women and their quality of life.
FibresWest 2018
Cloverdale Exhibition Grounds, Surrey, BC
Saturday, March 24, 11:45am
For more information, visit FibresWest
Wire Lace Supplies & Patterns
As some of you already noticed (and followed up), two New School of Lace Patterns & Tutorials were published:
1/ “Snail” Pattern & Tutorial was added to BASIC series. Dedicated to Cloth Stitch and Whole Stitch in Wire Lace, the pattern offers thorough explanation and instruction of stitches that pose perhaps the biggest challenge to lacemakers who transition from fibre to wire lace. Add it to your wire lace library, and you are covered!
2/ Chicken Egg Stand Pattern & Tutorial opens a new ANIMAL series. Animal images are popular in lace, and in wire lace they come alive in 3D form. The Chicken is not only cute, but also a fully functional egg holder. It is one of those little projects that bring about big smiles. The complete step-by-step tutorial will help you along, so you can create unique decorations for Easter and all upcoming spring celebrations.
Both new patterns are available exclusively in my WireLaceSupplies Shop on Etsy.
While there, you will notice that wires in all colours were fully replenished and the wire lace student kit is back in stock.
Is you prefer to shop live instead online, the next sale event is coming soon:
WireLace Supplies will be at BC Gem Show Tailgate Sale, in Abbotsford.
Besides the regular stock of fine wires for lacemaking, I will have for sale wires in thicker gauges, that are good for wire wrapping, jewellery making and sculpture. Please visit, and bring with you your craft friends!
BC Gem Show Tailgate Sale
Saturday, April 7, 2018
Building #2-32470 Haida Drive
Abbotsford, BC
Looking forward to seeing you at any or all spring lace events! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at laceaway at gmail dot com.
Happy spring and happy lacemaking!
New Patterns for Wire Lace
Posted on March 8, 2018
Two new patterns are published, just in time for spring celebrations!
The Snail Pattern & Tutorial (B#004) explores, thoroughly and carefully, Cloth stitch and Whole stitch in wire lace.
The Chicken Egg Stand (PT#11) is popular not only for spring celebrations, but the egg holder can be used as decoration all year around. It is one of those charming little gifts that bring about big smiles. First pattern in new Animal Series.
To find more about these new patterns and to purchase them, please go to WireLaceSupplies shop on Etsy
Lenka's Way of Lace 