Dear Lacemakers, I have been squinting at all the many messages about thread posted in the past few days, and hoping to work up the courage to type (and proofread) with a temporary vision handicap.
About 35 years ago, I began to spend vacation money learning about the materials I was using to sew with and on, to embroider with and on, etc. The result has been so positive, that I feel compelled to encourage lacemakers to take time to learn about threads, materials to which they may be suitably attached in one form or another, and the various techniques to employ for good results. (You do know, of course, that you can take an inferior piece of lace or embroidery and present it so beautifully that it looks almost like a masterpiece?!) There was a long period of time when this was taught in schools or through apprenticeship programs that lasted for several years. Too many people today expect they can learn every aspect of textile behavior instantly. Unfortunately, when classes are offered by qualified museum-trained conservators and restorers, they are less popular than taking a class in yet another type of lace -- perhaps to add to a long list of laces you can made (no indication of how well, of course), or maybe you take a course because your best friend is taking it, or maybe because the teacher is very poplular and you've had so much fun in 5 other classes under her supervision. It is important to learn some basics about conservation and restoration, because a responsible professional will not give advice on a list like this without examining the problem. It is valuable for you to know why they do not give advice without seeing the textile. There are classes, though I have found that they are mostly offered by The Embroiderers' Guilds. There are tours of workrooms in convents and in conservation laboratories connected with museums, and there are places very famous that you can visit (such as The Royal School of Needlework in England) where professionals are trained. You can get a good idea of what goes into the decision process of how repairs should be made by peering over the shoulders of people doing this work. The next time your non-lacemaking embroidery friend is off to visit such a facility, do please say you are interested, and ask if you may go along. Remember that lace is so often combined with embroidery and fine textiles that time invested in learning about them is well-spent. One item I have not seen anyone mention in all the memos in this series is the impact environment can have on non-compatible fibers. The amount of moisture absorbed by linen, cotton, silk, wool and synthetics is different. Therefore, the fibers contract and expand at different rates. In a church linen (which started this discussion) it is extremely important that all material contract/expand together, because so many churches do not maintain even temperature/humidity levels at all times. There will always be problems, but I can think of many ways to minimize damage. The first step is to take a course where you learn how the fibers "behave". You don't have to spend the sums of money I have. (I am a silly woman who just wanted all the information that I could learn in museum-sponsored programs and was willing to invest in educational programs that let me stay behind the scenes for more than an hour.) However, I think everyone can benefit from knowing a lot more about the materials they use -- that is what an apprenticeship (of years) provided to professionals in the past. Two of the first things a small child was taught was how to make a neat mend and sew a fine seam by hand. We can all strive to do that, and then some! Please! We suffer from a shortage of people who have the ability to take care of our textile treasures. Learn a little. Learn a lot. Our international lace community needs more people with these skills. Kind regards, Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace and Embroidery Resource Center - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED]
