Finished! I’ll show you how I stiffen, block, and frame the piece.

You’ll need white glue, water, an old bowl, stirring device, pins, blocking surface (more on that later), and a small towel.

Mix up some glue in the water. I used about a tablespoon? There should be much more water than glue. It’s not an exact science, go with your gut.

Here’s my finished elephant! It’s pretty wavy/wrinkly. Make sure your piece will fit on your towel.

Fold gently and give it a bath! Be gentle, this is lace after all. Let is soak for a few minutes and smoosh it a bit with your spoon/device/tiny-whisk-you-got-at-a-wedding.

Remove it from the water (you’re done with that now) and carefully lay it flat on the towel. It helps a lot to kind of tug it into the shape you want.

Carefully fold the towel over the piece, be sure to keep the piece flat so it doesn’t fold over on itself. The roll up the towel and squeeeeeze it! I sit on it or kneel on it. You’re trying to get excess water out of it.

This next part takes a while and patience so get comfy!

Lay your piece where you want it. Grab your pins tin and have a seat. Place your piece where you want it and start sliding pins under the lace. I went in at an angle, usually in a picot. Use a flat, rigid whatever to push them in all the way. I used a multi-tool. It will save your fingers from getting sore/hurt.

Once it’s in place (use all! the! pins! there is no shortage of pins!) assemble your shadow box and display it proudly!

OK, yes, I said I’d add a howdah/saddle but I had too much trouble with it! I forgot to attach picots in a couple places and then the dang thread broke. Nope! No howdah!

The little elephant is from my uncle. He got it in Tibet. It’s hard to see from here but it is carve in one piece, with a tiny elephant inside the mesh.

Whelp. Cross one off the WIP list! More to come! I have a plan to get more finished up this year…