DECORATING WITH LACE

Several years ago, I wrote about how you can dip lace into slip (miscellaneous decorating tips). The lace burns out, leaving behind the slip with the lace patterns. I had done this with some very open weave lace, somehow thinking that the open weave would be required in order for the lace pattern to really show. In my case, I was creating abstract patterns on sculptures, and it worked really well for that.

Recently a customer, Charlotte Gust, sent us photos showing us how she uses very fine lace dipped in slip to make lace dresses for porcelain dolls. It really amazed us how much the result looked like a fine lace dress. It seems like the possibilities are endless for this type of technique, whether you're making dolls or looking for some unique textures on your pieces.

For those who are interested in the lace doll-making process, Charlotte has generously written up her whole technique. Read the Detailed Directions for Making a Doll. (Thanks Charlotte)

The dress on this doll is made with slip soaked lace that was fired in a kiln. Whether you enjoy doing this type of ceramic work yourself or not, you have to admit that the results are absolutely amazing.