What are your Lace beginnings?

Top 2. Jun 2, 1999 8:11 AM

» Sherry_Graham - How the lace bug bit me

I was at a show called In-Stitches to check out all the sewing products and there was a large display by the Atlanta Chapter of International Old Lacers. I was blown away by their display and demonstrations. Bobbin lace looked too overwhelming so I started with tatting. I joined their guild and they got me started. I called my mother up to tell her all about it, and she nonchalantly said, "Oh yes, I used to tat. So did your grandmother and great-grandmother." Imagine my surprise to discover I was a fourth generation tatter!

A year later, I got up the nerve to try bobbin lace and I have been hooked since!

-- posted by Sherry_Graham

Top 3. Apr 3, 2000 2:11 AM

» romdomi - hooked on bobbin lace

i first tried bobbin lace in Nottingham (england) during an exhibition and with 3 or 4 bobbins. i loved it and when i found out there were lessons in paris i applied and that was four years ago.
i am now learning cluny lace after doing torchon and russian. i do appreciate russian lace although it takes such a long time.
My favourite is chantilly lace but that's the hardest one to learn and i am far from ready .

i have my own pillows at home and found out it was very important to make lace at home too and not only during the lesson ( a 3 hour lesson once a week.)

i joined suite101 thanks to you. i read about sewdoll first then followed the links.
i hope you won't mind if i print your articles and show them to my fellow lacemakers as they don't have computers. the one about the many different lace pillows was their favourite but i think it is in part because they can't read english fluently and kinda look at the pictures... :-)))

please go on writing Lori, i'll go on reading ..and admiring the photos.
congratulations

-- posted by romdomi

Top 4. May 26, 2000 10:07 PM

» Anachan - Well . . .

I guess I could say my lace beginnings actually happened when I taught myself to knit in high school. (And wore out a piece of yarn knitting it and reknitting it in different patterns.) It impressed me that a lot of my friends thought knitting was tremendously difficult, but I found it really easy.

Some years later I heard about bobbin lace, but I wasn't ready at the time for a new craft. This year, I decided to go for it. And I'm finding the satisfactions similar to those I received when I was knitting in high school. Everyone stares in amazement when I tell them I'm learning to make lace and noone believes me when I tell them it's really not as hard as they think it is. (Of course, I'm still only in Torchon . . .) I'm really enthusiastic about developing my skills, and I think I would like to learn Bucks Point lace after I've had more practice. (much more!)

Anneliese

-- posted by Anachan

Top 5. Oct 10, 2000 8:13 AM

» ladylace - Lace Beginnings

On my first visit to London England about 20 years ago, I picked up a brass bobbin as a souvenir, understanding only, that it had something to do with making lace. Many years later when my husband took a company move from Canada to England I met a woman who said she would teach me the basic principles of bobbin lace and then take me to lace workshops and lacedays if I promised to teach at least one other person, as it was a dying art. Eileen gave me the basics of torchon: cloth stitch, half stitch,spiders, fans etc. Then I went to my first lace workshop at Bradwell Abbey with Barbara Underwood, learned the magic of picots, plaits, tallies and was on my way....I love Beds-maltese lace. I've since tried Bucks, but love the freedom of the Beds. lace. Before returning to Canada I was challenged by Margaret Turner to complete 5 of the patterns in her (at the time)newly released 'Bedfordshire Lace Patterns'. I did those, and taught my daughter to make lace too. I've got my first class set up, due to interest created by my wearing or showing my lace (mostly handkerchief edging). It will include 2 English ladies, who had seen it being made while they lived in the UK but didn't have the time or interest in their youth. I think I've paid my debt Eileen!!
Debby

-- posted by ladylace

Top 6. Nov 21, 2000 11:39 AM

» sewdoll - Re: Lace Beginnings

In response to message posted by ladylace:

Thanks for your letter at suite101.com Lace Topic. I was glad to find someone else who was not a "Bucks" fan. It seams like almost everyone in into Bucks and I feel alone. I too like Beds and my other favorite is Bruges & Duchesse. I like flowing lines and Beds is to geometric for my taste.

I noticed your name(LaceLady) was the same as one who has written a number of articles at The Vines network. Is it the same person??

-- posted by sewdoll

Top 7. Feb 21, 2001 7:33 AM

» MarieElla - Re: How, where any why you began you love of lace?

Having been born in the island of MALTA, i have always been surrounded by what we call 'Maltese Lace' (bizzilla in our language). The urge to learn this craft has long been with me but it was only this year that i managed to find the time to start a three year course in bobbin lace. It is fulfilling my wildest dreams about the satisfaction one can derive from it. It is not as difficult as it looks and it enables me to relax my mind in a world where information technology is making life so hectic...having said that, i still love searching for all the information relating to this subject on the net...such as this site...Thanks for your service!!!

-- posted by MarieElla