All Bobbin Lace requires a firm surface to work on. Pins are used to hold the lace in place as the bobbins are woven and twisted in a pattern across the surface of the pillow. In order for the pins to stay in place, the pillow needs to be pliable enough for the pins to enter and firm enough to hold them in place. Other than that all bets are off .
Pillows can be any shape or size.
Traditionally the pillows were stuffed with abundant local materials. This frequently took the form of straw. It was hammered and beaten with a mallet or stick to break up the fibers and make it easier to insert the pins. The whole thing was covered with a canvas material in a shape determined by local tradition and what worked best for the type of lace made. Cookie Lace Pillows - also known as mushroom pillow is one of the most common contemporary pillows.