Re: [lace] Recommendations for beginner Binche

[Anita Hansen]

Frankly, I don't think there is a *single* suitable "beginner" book for Binche
that I could heartily recommend.  Because if it is out there then I would have
it.  In recent years we have gotten spoiled with the abundance of great lace
books that have come on the market.  Excellent diagrams, color, even color
photos!


Years ago when I was a relatively new lacemaker I opened the IOLI bulletin and
fell in love with a photo of a piece of lace that was in the convention
display room.  This was before I ever attended a convention!  Fortunately the
bulletin included the name of the design  "The Tournament".  Yup, the LAST
design in the trio of Binche Syllabus!  Meaning the MOST DIFFICULT! LOL  But
that started my quest to learn how to make this lace and someday I still plan
to do that piece!


I collected the 3 Syllabus.  I often refer to them, but they aren't what I
would consider a "beginner book".

Next, I borrowed Michael Guisiana's first Binche book.  It's okay, lots of
pictures of lace but not a lot of explanation how to actually make lace.
Being an older book , it doesn't follow today's conventional color coding and
is thus no help to learn that.  I wouldn't go out of my way to find this
book.


I also borrowed (from the IOLI library) his second book Binche II.  If I
recall, most of the book was pictures and maybe reconstructions of old Binche
lace.  I remember being disappointed that there wasn't much (if any)
discussion as to what I was looking at.  I did find helpful several pages of
basic Binche grounds.  I used some of these prickings and diagrams to being my
Binche journey by practicing Paris Ground, Flanders Ground and a bunch of
snowflake grounds (which all began to look alike so I abandoned making more!).
Now I also remember being disappointed that he didn't use any of these common
names in his book either.   E.g. Paris ground is simply #37 on page 62.  I
heartily recommend practicing some of these basic grounds!Whenever I get
to a large snowflake I know that if I have my 6 pairs all set and ready to go
I can make the snowflake without following every line in the working diagram.
(Much like in Torchon when you get set to make a spider.)


I'm sure I've seen the third Binche book by Michael but I suspect it was
mostly old lace reproductions (?) and thus why I don't have it in my library.


I also acquired Vera Cockyut's "Binche An Introduction" and "Suggestions How
to Improve Binche".  If anything these are two resources gave me the best
information on how to make Binche lace.   They would be even better if there
were color in her diagrams!  I also had the great fortune to take a Flanders
class and also a Paris class from Vera. She is an *excellent* teacher!


With even more promise, Binche Deel I & II have basic Binche information.
Written by Bep Vianen & Riet de Vries, they are not in English.  I recall
spending a lot of time with online translations and trying to rewrite her
pages in English for my personal reference.


I think that is the extent of my Binche reference library.  Oh wait, I have
also found Mary Niven's "Flanders Lace" quite helpful as well.


As I mentioned, I started my journey making some sample swatches of the
various grounds used in Binche.  I suggest Flanders, Paris and some large and
small snowflake variations.  In 2005 I was signed up for Binche with Anny
Noben-Slegers at the IOLI convention.  I decided I wanted to get a little
experience first so I wouldn't be wasting my time in class with fundamentals I
could figure out on my own and have actual questions for her.  So I put a
design on my pillow by Kumiko Nakazaki, made a copy of the colored working
diagram and went to it!  We are so lucky in Binche to have a colored working
diagram as it nearly tells you exactly what to do!  Sure, there are a few
tricks that an experienced lace maker learns (like where to add extra twists)
but mostly you follow the diagram!  What make Binche "hard" is that it rarely
has a routine rhythm when you can forgo looking at the diagram.  There are
elements that you eventually learn to identify and can help you not get lost.
(e.g. ring pairs).  Oh, and you usually have a quad-zillion bobbins in a
Binche design to manage.


I see that Sally Schoenberg now has a DVD for Binche lace!  I have her
Flanders DVD but am embarrassed to say I haven't watched it yet.  Our guild
library has Lia's DVD on Russian tape and it was EXCELLENT!!!  Stop, rewind,
rewatch, repeat!!!  I've also had a Flander's class with Sally and she was
excellent.  So I would anticipate this DVD would be a GREAT PLACE TO START!
Now if there were only a book to go with it!


I love the more modern Binche designs by Anny, Kumiko and others today.  I'm
not a big fan of the look of traditional old Binche (blobs of cloth stitch).
I like pictoral designs and especially medallions.  I heartily recommend
Kantcentrum's magazine KANT for some wonderful Binche (and other) lace
designs!


I was fortunate to finally have a class from 

Re: [lace] Recommendations for beginner Binche books

[Clay Blackwell]

Hi Debora,

I read your initial inquiry, and did not answer right away because I needed to 
think about my own path, and what worked, and what did not...

I was extremely fortunate to be "adopted" by lacemaking friends on the East 
Coast, from Maine to Pennsylvania and Maryland, and was invited to a workshop 
in PA with Michael Giusiana.  That workshop was my first exposure to Binche, 
and Michael was a fantastic teacher.  He had written his second book by then 
(the old blue and yellow cover, without Belgian Color Code was his first!).  He 
asked me for pictures of some of my work, and based on that, suggested which 
patterns I would be ready for.  

My experience leads me to say that if you can possibly find a teacher of Binche 
who is very energetic, loves the lace, and has the ability to offer various 
viewpoints when explaining specific techniques, you will be extremely 
fortunate!  Since beginning with Michael, I have also had many classes with 
Anny Noben-Slegers, and one memorable class in Brugges with Anne-Marie 
Verbeke-Billiet!

But, the bottom line is that when you begin to make Binche, you really just 
have to jump in and do in, regardless of which book you start with. Binche is a 
lace that, by necessity, needs to be done as a solo exercise, but it also needs 
a coach who can help you interpret what you're dealing with and flesh out the 
diagram with specific rules about twists, gimps, etc.  

Michael's books are excellent.  There are patterns for everyone.  The 
Kantcentrum Folios are excellent, and if you start with folio #1, you will find 
yourself building skills in an organized way.  

Nothing can substitute for good classes with very good teachers.  But your 
question demonstrates how big our world is, and how few Lacemakers there are, 
and... In fact... How many of our best teachers are retiring now.

Bottom line...  If you want to learn Binche, buy the books you can find now, 
because they won't be there tomorrow!

And, be aware that Michael, Anny, and Anne-Marie have all retired from regular 
teaching.  Kumiko Nakazaki is also a member of the Kantcentrum Master Class, 
and continues to teach.

Clay



Sent from my iPad

> On Feb 11, 2016, at 8:45 PM, Debora Lustgarten  wrote:
> 
> Hello all,
> 
> I'm thinking of trying my hand at Binche, and would love to hear your 
> recommendations for beginner's books.
> My preference is for books with line diagrams over lengthy explanations, and 
> especially like the style of Ulrike Voelcker's books.
> Thank you in advance for your suggestions and tips,
> 
> Debora Lustgarten

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