>>>From: Jean Nathan [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] I don't know the best way of publicising, because 'lacemaking' doesn't only cover bobbin lace. People need to know that (bobbin lace at least - I'll never master tatting) is accessible to all at different levels from a simple braid to complex work like "that mat", it's not as difficult as it looks, it's soothing, it exercises the brain, is gives a sense of achievement, you can work from pre-prepared patterns or be original and artistically creative, you meet a whole load of nice helpful people, you make friends all over the world, it gets you out of doing the housework .<<<
That's where demonstrating comes in. I show people, "Look, there's cross and there's twist. That's all." Then I show them on my pattern, "cross, twist, put in a pin, cross twist" or whatever it is I'm working on. This is also the time to pull out a "try it" pillow. We have one with us whenever we demonstrate, and it just has 5 or 6 pairs and we have them doing cloth or half or double stitch "ribbon". We tell them emphatically that there's nothing to mess up--"it's just a piece of nothing-in-particular for people like you to try". Granted, few of those go on to learn lace, but at least we've gotten them past the "I couldn't do that". 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]
