Dear Arachnions, Whilst talking about the wonderful, but very tiring tour in the Czech Republic this summer at OIDFA 2004, the question of the length of time we spent sitting in the coaches came up. A fellow lacemaker said "did you take your support stockings with?". My reply was " of course not, it was a coach and not a 'plane". However, it was the time spent with legs in the same position that mattered. This led me to think of the time we sometimes sit at our pillows when we are concentrating. This can indeed be 2-3 hours or longer and DVT(deep vein thrombosis) is a problem that we should be aware of. Not wishing to be alarmist, doctors now suggest that we look at all situations where one sits for long periods without proper movement and exercise of the lower limbs. Again think of the courses one attends where the desire is to get as much lace done as possible while the tutor is there. The laces which we saw across the country while on the tour in the museums, schools and galleries were amazing The modern laces whether for wearing as accessories , pictures, wall hangings etc. were always eye-openers as to what one can make with only half-a-dozen pairs; the subtle use of colours and their blending again are so different to the traditional laces that we know so much more about. The Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague had a special display for the Congress. But, on the third floor were the antique laces and some coming down to modern times. These were displayed in floor cabinets, with a selection under glass on the top to whet one's appetite. There were units with drawers full of lace from all over Europe; another was filled with South Bohemian lace which went from the very simple(see below) to the more complex using the same technique of the tape doubling back on itself. The whole floor was a treasure trove. Unfortunately there were no postcards or catalogues available of the lace. The area also had displays of clothing,shoes and other accessories. The first two items one saw on entering was a matching tea gown and coat in Irish Crochet Lace. The only problem about a short visit such as we had was the fact that we were unable to spend more time looking at the various exhibitions all over the country. We also went into Slovakia (Bratislava). Here we went into the National Museum on the banks of the Danube. Many of the works were by Elena Hol�czyova. Also there were paintings that children had done in classes held in the museum. All I can say is that if you can get to see any of the places which we visited do. Most of the towns will be on the Czech Tourist Board site I would think and maybe you could do the tour at a more leisurely pace. From a still mentally exhausted Sheila in Sawbridgeworth, E.Herts. www.lace-helpandhistory.info
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