Torchon Bobbin Lace Mat

Torchon follows very strict geometric rules. As you can see, everything is based on a diagonal 90° grid. However, even with these limitations, it is possible to come up with interesting and new designs. I selected this pattern because its Art Nouveau look appealed to me.

This pricking came from Torchon Lace Patterns by Henk Hardeman. This book is full of full size lace prickings on card stock, ready for you to work, complete with colored working diagrams. I worked this pattern in 100/2 linen thread. If I were to work it again, I'd use a little finer thread, so the lace wouldn't be quite so dense.

This pattern uses half stitch trails as a ground. This can be confusing when you first start working them. It's very important to leave your pins in for quite a distance when working in half stitch, so that the weight of your bobbins won't pull the lace.