This is not an original pattern, but I’m not sure the origins. Mary calls it her “French Lace Pattern”. I love it. It’s beautiful without any large holes, and should wear well.
Hers was completed in size 30 cordonnet thread.
handmade
Cluny Six Petal Join Technique Pattern
To join two “Little Light of Hope” motifs together, I use the cluny six petal join technique. The join isn’t difficult but it’s rated advanced because it’s tricky to learn where the petals attach unless you’re sitting right next to someone teaching you. I’m going to write the pattern with lots of pictures detailing each step.
The join is made as you’re going around the last row, row 10. This is the pattern without any joining:
Row 10, Irish Edging– (2sc in every sp, p over gap between 4dc, ch1 group ) twice, 2sc in next sp, 1sc in next sp, ch 10, flip work and 2sc in the middle of the 4dc, ch1 group just covered with scs. Flip work again. Cover ch10 with 9sc, p, 9sc. Place one more sc in the ch 1 space before ch10 adventure began. Repeat around, close with sl.
This is the pattern for Row 10 with a Triple Cluny Six Petal Join:
Row 10, tr six petal join– (2sc in every sp, p over gap between 4dc, ch1 group) twice, 2sc in next sp, 1sc in next sp, ch 10, flip work and 2sc in the middle of the 4dc, ch1 group just covered with scs. Flip work again. Cover ch10 with 8 sc. Chain 1 for joining picot, 2sc in top of picot of new motif. 1sc across the middle of the two joined picots for strength. 8sc in remainder of ch10 loop. 2sc in each ch1 gap, ch4 picot over dtr of previous row, twice. 2sc in next sp, 1sc in next sp, ch 10, flip work and 2sc in middle of the 4dc, ch1 group just covered with scs. Flip work again. (see picture above for illustration of this step) Cover ch 10 with FOUR sc, begin triple cluny six petal join.
Six petal join– Chain 5, 3tr in top of last sc made keeping last loop of each tr on hook. Slip one loop through all four loops on hook. Beginning cluny cluster made.
For the second petal, find the fourth sc up on the left side of the next ch10 loop of previous motif (telling where to place these petals in words is what makes writing this pattern out difficult… here’s a picture) 5tr in the fourth sc of left side of ch10 loop, keeping the last loop of each tr on hook, draw one loop through all five loops, sc across the top of the petal for stability and to pull the top of the petal even closer together. 2nd cluny petal made.
Third petal placement– the petals are placed in a clockwise fashion in the gap between the two joins already made between motifs. Place third petal in the top of the picot that follows clockwise after petal two. Sc across the top of completed petal.
Fourth petal placement– count four sc up on the previous ch10 loop, place fourth petal in fourth sc up. Sc across the top of petal made.
Fifth petal– place fifth petal four sc up from the base of the second to last ch10 loop on the motif you’re currently working on. Sc across the top to secure.
Sixth petal– place sixth petal in the picot between ch10 loops of the motif you are currently working on. Sc across the top to secure.
Finishing off first petal– sc across the top of the first petal. Slip crochet hook through the tops of all the tr of that petal, sc to secure. Chain five. Slip crochet hook into the sc at the base of petal 1, yarn over, slip crochet hook behind base of petal 1, yarn over again, sc to secure. Flower complete. 4sc in ch10 loop. Picot join to second motif. Triple cluny six petal join complete.
The larger gaps between these motifs calls for a Double Triple Cluny Six Petal Join. This join makes a slightly larger flower to cover the gap.
8sc in ch10 loop to finish loop. 2sc in each ch1 gap, ch4 picot over dtr of previous row, twice. 2sc in next sp, 1sc in next sp, ch 10, flip work and 2sc in middle of the 4dc, ch1 group just covered with scs. Flip work again. Cover ch 10 with FOUR sc, begin Double Triple Cluny Six Petal Join.
First DTR petal– Chain six. Five dtr in sc just made, keeping last loop of each dtr on hook. Yarn over, pull one loop through all five loops. Beginning DTR petal made.
Second DTR petal– Six DTR in fourth sc of ch10 loop of second joining motif. Yarn over, pull one loop through all six loops. Sc across the top of the petal to secure. Second petal made.
Third DTR petal– Going clockwise, place six DTR in fourth sc of next ch10 loop of second joining motif. Yarn over, pull one loop through all six loops. Sc across the top of the petal to secure. Third petal made.
Fourth DTR petal– Going clockwise, place six DTR in fourth sc of next ch10 loop of first joining motif. Yarn over, pull one loop through all six loops. Sc across the top of the petal to secure. Fourth petal made.
Fifth DTR petal– Going clockwise, place six DTR in fourth sc of next ch10 loop of first joining motif. Yarn over, pull one loop through all six loops. Sc across the top of the petal to secure. Fifth petal made.
Sixth DTR petal– Going clockwise, place six DTR in fourth sc of next ch10 loop of the motif you are currently working on. Yarn over, pull one loop through all six loops. Sc across the top of the petal to secure. Sixth petal made.
Finishing off first DTR petal– sc across the top of the first petal. Slip crochet hook through the tops of all the dtr of that petal, sc to secure. Chain sic. Slip crochet hook into the sc at the base of petal 1, yarn over, slip crochet hook behind base of petal 1, yarn over again, sc to secure. Flower complete. 4sc in ch10 loop. Picot join to third motif. Double Triple Cluny Six Petal Join complete.
The TR and DTR six petal joins alternate. If I were to continue joining this motif to the lace fabric, I would join next with the smaller TR six petal join, followed by a DTR six petal join and finally a TR six petal join. Depending on how many motifs you are joining, you may or may not have this many petal joins to make. As you get more practice, you’ll be able to see which flower goes where in the pattern.
For additional help, my dear husband helped me film one of the cluny joins in progress:
“Use Your Best, and You’ll Always Have Your Best Left”
When I married, my mother-in-law made me a sheet set with beautiful handmade lace edgings and inserts across the sheets and pillowcases. We’ve been married 21 years, and this year, I had to finally concede that the lace wasn’t going to last another year.
For those who might say, “What? You USED real handmade lace pillowcases?” Yes they are heirlooms, and Yes. I did.
My mother-in-law told me her philosophy was given to her by her grandmother– “Use your best, and always have your best left!” She didn’t put all those hours into them to just sit in a box waiting for a moth or age spot to mar them. She wanted them used! or she’d take them back and use them herself.
And she would too.
So, yes. I did.
And now they’re too far gone to use any more. The thread wore out fairly evenly with few repairs over the years. Once they decided to go, they really went. There were little holes all through it. I’ve saved a section of the best for posterity— but it’s not much. However! These beautiful lace gifts gave us 21 marvelous years of love and memories, and it was worth it. I learned a lot from Mary about how to keep lace nice, and she’s right. Use it or lose it. Cotton wants to be used, and washed or it turns horribly yellow and loses its beauty.
Mary is currently making altar cloths, and loving it, so it’s my turn. I had my husband choose a new pattern, and we’ll see how this one holds up for the next 20-odd years or so.
Mary’s Linen Shelf– As new as if she’d made them all yesterday.
MJ Stegeby’s Snowflake Lace– Completed!
Mary Jo Stegeby is a good friend of mine, and my very first lace student. Her first altar cloth was a pattern I love, called Pondlily. This is her second. She started this altar cloth about a year ago, and it’s now complete. This is a pattern she designed and modified from a visual image on pinterest. It’s size 30 thread. It’s being given to the Monterey, Mexico Temple. So beautiful.
Janetta’s Lace for the Payson Temple, Complete!
This altar cloth was handmade by my Aunt Janetta. Crocheted with size 20 DMC Cordonnet lace thread and her grandmother’s heritage hook, it was a labor of love and took nearly two years to finish. It is beautiful! It has the clones knot from our family heritage sprinkled throughout the design. Janetta was able to finish this altar cloth just before the dedication of the Payson Temple, June 7th, 2015.
Lily’s First Lace
My daughter Lily is learning to make lace. She has made a few things with yarn in crochet, but she was new to thread. I started up a lacemaker class here locally this week, and she began attending. This is her first lace attempt, a snowflake! 
This snowflake took two tries to get right. The second time through the pattern only took an hour. She used size 10 thread and a size one Boye steel hook. When it was washed, shrunken, stretched and dry, it really looked beautiful. 
Lily wants to eventually make altar lace. She’s only 14 right now, but the amazing thing is that altar lace isn’t much different than a bunch of snowflakes, attached together. Once her stitching becomes even, she’ll be ready to make altar lace. Patterns don’t have to be complicated to be beautiful and meaningful.
Roll Stitch Snowflake
This roll-stitch snowflake is an original design and incorporates Irish clones knots between the branches. It was made in size 100 thread with a size 24 Tulip brand hook. I made this just to see if I could make the roll-stitch in this size thread, and have used it in my classes to show the skill the old lacemakers had. Size 100 thread is the smallest I’ve found. It worked! Each roll has 21 wraps. The finished snowflake is 3.5 inches across.
Sweet Scalloped Edge Pattern
This little scalloped edge is a simple classic, excellent for a beginner’s pattern.
There are three rows:
First row, chain stitch a length a few inches longer than the pillowcase you want to edge.
Second row, skip 7 chains of the row you just finished. Double crochet in the next chain. Chain two, skip two chains of the foundation row, double crochet. Repeat across to the end.
Third row, chain one, turn. Seven double crochets in the next double crochet from the previous row. Single crochet in the next double crochet, scallop made. Repeat to the end.
There is a slight difference between the scallop style of the pillowcase picture and the scallop picture above. If you prefer more of a pointed scallop, try this simple alternative:
Alternative pointed scallop for third row– three double crochets in the next double crochet from the previous row, chain two, three more double crochets in the same stitch. Single crochet in the next double crochet, scallop made. Repeat to the end.
Ebenezer Lace: Corner Re-design
It is finished! I made modifications to one of the sides and designed corners for the Ebenezer Lace. This altar lace was originally made a specific shape by the request of the temple matron in order to fit a particular altar. After four months in service, we determined that the corner cut idea wasn’t working well. The lace kept sliding out of position without corners to add stability. So I took it home and have been working on a redesign of the edges, including a fill-in for the missing corners.
I was able to continue the Linnaea blossoms as well as the radiating line theme. The corners are complimentary. I am really pleased with the result. This lace will be turned in Friday. Hopefully it will fit as beautifully on the altar as it looks in a picture.
The Spirit Is In The Details: from the Nova Scotia Temple
Halifax, Nova Scotia Temple
“A mechanical problem with the plane to be used by President Gordon B. Hinckley to travel to the Halifax Nova Scotia Temple dedication resulted in a historic first: the dedication of two temples on the same day. The Regina Saskatchewan Temple, scheduled to be dedicated by President Hinckley the next day, was instead dedicated by Elder Boyd K. Packer, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, while President Hinckley presided over the postponed dedicatory sessions for the Halifax temple. Richard Moses, second counselor in the Dartmouth Nova Scotia Stake presidency and chairman of the local temple committee, noted, “When the dedication was postponed, members showed no irritation, but inquired what they could do, like opening their homes to help offset the expense of those who would need to stay an extra night to attend the dedication.” He added, “It is impossible – there are not words – to adequately express our gratitude for this temple. No longer do we just look at a picture of a temple. Now, when my daughters look out their bedroom window, they see the softly lighted figure of the Angel Moroni standing as a beacon over the area.”
To attend the dedication, members in the Bay Roberts, Grand Falls and Corner Brook branches drove six to eight hours to a sea port where they ferried to Nova Scotia during the night, then drove four more hours to the temple. Members from Maine drove eight hours to attend. Members in New Brunswick and on Prince Edward Island also drove many hours. “These are faithful people who don’t consider attending the temple to be a sacrifice,” President Moses said.
The influence of the temple reached deep into the hearts of many non-members, continued Pres. Moses, noting the concern expressed by a reporter of the province’s largest newspaper. “After completing a tour during the open house, and obviously touched by what he was feeling, the reporter commented that there was no way he could write what he felt in the small space he would be given for the article.” On another occasion, “A man dressed in leather and sporting many tattoos came to the open house. He was quiet during the tour and sat by himself in the celestial room. Soon, tears were flowing.” A member brought his non-member mother to the open house. Sitting in the celestial room she said, “I’ve never felt closer to God.”
During construction, “we found the counsel of Elder Jay E. Jensen of the Seventy to be true: the Spirit is in the details,” said President Moses, noting how the members found joy in making the temple as perfect as possible. When several flecks of grouting were found on the bottom of the baptismal font after last-minute tile work done the day before the dedication, members were willing to drain, then re-fill the font.”
President Moses recounted an experience one evening in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, that demonstrates the love of the members for the temple. “We were taking a tour through the temple district to give a report on the progress of the temple and show them a sample of the granite stone. At one point, I asked for volunteers to crochet altar cloths. A blind sister sitting on the front row quickly volunteered. ‘I’d like to do this,’ she said, and rather forthrightly, requested a pattern. A hush fell over the others as they considered the sacrifice she was making. Then they quickly volunteered.” (Church News, 20 November 1999).
LDS Lacemaker 