Hi All Just though I'd give you all an insight into the lace which I've found here in the south of Spain. Having moved here permanently in Sept I spent several months in a 'lace wilderness' apart from finding a local (English speaking) sewing group. There I swiftly found willing pupils and now have 6 new ladies making lace. I've had to redraft all my beginners patterns to suit thread that we can buy locally (good practice as I've reworked all the samples as well).
A chance remark by an English holiday maker just before Xmas sent me off to a souvenier shop where she'd spotted a lacemaker. Once there, no lacemaker - but lady behind counter said that "Yes, she was learning to make lace" Further enquiries, in my limited Spanish, eventually managed to elicit the information that there is a group of ladies who meet on a Wednesday afternoon in the local 'Day Centre". The week before Xmas saw me lurking outside the Day Centre waiting for signs of lacemakers - at last 2 ladies bearing tall 'sausage' pilows. I followed them in and said that I was an English lacemaker - could I join them? OK (or words to that effect) - what are you making. I opened the cloths on my pillow to reveal the large piece of bucks which I'd been working on, on and off, for over a year. Amazement was shown at the fineness of the thread, the number of bobbins (over 200) and the bobbins themselves. They produced their own work and I could only marvel at these ladies who seem to produce 'miles' of perfect torchon lace. How they keep their bobbins under control when they are falling straight down is just beyond me. Conversation with another lady revealed that there shouldn't have been a meeting that day as it was too near to Xmas, but they decided they didn't care and we all carried on making lace for a couple of hours. Conversation was 'stilted' on my part - but hey, what better way to improve my Spanish! Xmas and New Year passed in a haze of so many 'festas' that it was a relief to get back to 'normal' (whatever that is). I ventured back to the Spanish lacemakers, hoping the the rest of the group would be as welcoming. I was not disappointed! Lots of lovely lace, all torchon, and 8 lovely ladies welcoming me to their group. The group is 'self help' and several ladies seem to be relative beginners, though there obviously a couple of very good experienced lacemakers. This week I took one of my 'beginners' with me. She loved mixing with the ladies and we were in for a real treat. About halfway through the afternoon one lady pulled out a small black bundle. She opened it out to reveal the most magnificent mantilla. It must have measured about 4ft x 8ft. It was embroidered on net (not sure of the technique, but she said she used a needle to embroider into the net) to a depth of about 8 inches all round. There were floral spriggs in the centre and the whole thing was edged with the most minute buttohole stitches (edge was scalloped into the bargain) imaginable. The mind just boggled at the work involved - how she ever had time to make lace as well............... I asked the obvious - how long? Answer was a shrug of the shoulders and ''3 years".!!!!!!!!!!!! Conversation (well sort of) continued with one lady asking if she could have the pricking for the little sampler my student was working. I expressed concern as it was a real basic (rosegound and fan in a liitle square), no, she was adamant, all the prickings they use are from books/magazines and tend to be large. To have a small, complete pricking was unheard of! Reading between the lines, I guess that none of the ladies draft their own patterns and they all use 'handed down' traditional patterns and new variations which they have found in magazines. 2 and a half hours passed in a flash, I can't wait to meet them again next week - who knows what treasures they will produce. I am trying to organise myself so that some of us can get to the fantastic laceday near Barcelona that Carolina has told us about. I must ask the Spanish ladies if they go, could be interesting if we coiuld join them. Sorry to waffle on so long. Pam Mattioli In Vera Playa, Costa Almeria, where it hasn't rained since 10th Dec, and the spring flowers are everywhere. - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
