>>>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Does one have to master a certain kind of lace before beeing allowed to start with another? There was the question of "Paris before Binche" some digests ago.<<<
That is the basic question, and there are two aspects to the answer. The first aspect has to do with "process" people versus "product" people. Some people are product-oriented. They care about mastering a technique in order to produce the best possible X. Anything that does not lead to a complete X is not of interest to them. They do not understand trying a technique if it won't lead to a finished object. They do not enjoy solving puzzles, like crossword puzzles, because all you have at the end is a filled-in puzzle. Nothing useful. My father, for example, made jewelry (and cabinetry before that) until all family members had something from him. Then there wasn't any reason for him to make more jewelry or furniture. There was no need for any finished product, so he had no interest in pursuing the activity. I, on the other hand, am a process-oriented person. I do my hobbies because I love the doing. I don't care if I finish (unless an item is meant for a present). In lacemaking, I love figuring out how a piece is constructed. It's like a puzzle to be solved, and I don't need to make a useable length in order to solve the puzzle. My father is just as good at solving problems as I am, but has no interest in doing something just to solve the puzzle. My friends have crowned me Queen of the Unfinished Projects (I have the T-shirt to prove it!), because I flit from craft to craft, from technique to technique. The other aspect of this question is mastery versus exploration. Some people approach something like lacemaking from the point of view of becoming a master at it. They will pick a style and devote themselves to that style. These people tend to take a book and work every (or most) patterns from the beginning (no matter how boring and ugly) to the end. Only then do they feel they've "learned" that style. To become a master, one should serve an apprenticeship. You should work a long time at small, simple jobs before you are "good enough" to tackle the fun stuff. *Extreme* members of this view become lace police, the ones who scold, "you can't use a Cluny trail crossing in that Beds pattern," or, "you aren't good enough to take a workshop yet," or, "you can't do this Milanese pattern unless you've done at least one yard of each of the braids." I am an explorer, with no interest in mastery. For people like me, a workshop or a new book is for exposure to new ideas and new techniques. I may or may not choose to pursue that subject any further, once I've had the exposure. I have enough ability and talent to grasp the essentials from working one of the middle patterns in the book--I don't need to start with pattern 1--so why should I waste all that time working dull patterns before tackling something inspiring? I will never be a Master at a technique, but I have no interest in being important. I make lace to *learn*, not to be an expert. Again, it's the process (learning) that interests me, not the product (being an acknowledged Master). Many (NOT all) product people and many (NOT all) who do things to become masters do not understand process people and explorers. They look down their noses at them, because process people may not complete the project and explorers don't ever become masters. This is the part *I* don't understand. Process people and explorers generally understand the mentality of the others but choose to go their own way. Why can't the others understand them? I was very lucky. The lace teacher I found nurtured us in whatever direction we wanted to go. Even the first lesson was a choice of 3 patterns (all three were all-CTCT, but in different patterns). The second lesson was a sampler (torchon ground with an assortment of diamonds of CT, CTC, CTCT, etc). After that, she brought in many designs of varying styles and varying difficulty, and we each chose what appealed to us. She lost one student who needed a more structured lesson plan, but her style was perfect for me. just my 15 cents (much too long to be just 2 cents), Robin P. [EMAIL PROTECTED] Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA http://www.pittsburghlace.8m.com - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
