On Oct 14, 2005, at 19:04, Faye Owers wrote:
Are we as lacemakers losing the meaning of Christmas as a time for sharing,
As an atheist, I place a bit less value on the Christmastime as sharing time than most, but I too was dismayed by the somewhat mean-spirited (Scroogy? <g>) undertones of some of the postings. The exchange isn't compulsory, so it is, I think, a given, that everyone who signs up does the best they can - and that's what counts; not what you _get_, but what you _give_.
I have a "Textile Tree" every year, where all the ornaments are lace or lacemaking tools (pretty bobbins and tatting shuttles; knitting needless aren't all that decorative <g>), or lace-related mascots (spiders and hedgehogs). The lace itself is in almost every technique and at every level of expertise; I'm striving to achieve variety, not perfection.
The tree has been growing over the years of exchanges; I started with a 2-foot one, but now need a 6 footer :) One of the - treasured - ornaments is a 2" plaited snowflake, perfect for the upper branches (and perfect for the lower ones, when the tree was smaller <g>), which was made for me by someone with something like 6 months experience of BL. There are plenty of reasonably simple - technically - patterns that beginners can make, while enjoying the spirit of sharing - Christmas is but a time-peg on which to hang the the whole thing.
For my private exchange - with Barbara Joyce, who got the Battenberg b-fly from Jane last year - I've arranged to get a knitted piece of lace, which is the only kind not yet represented on my tree. IOW, I'll be getting something I can't do myself (or not easily), same as she did from Jane, which is great. Since Barbara is no slouch in making bobbin lace (my preferred medium), I let her pick which of my designs she'd like, and now both of us feel that each has got the "better bargain".
The only reason I've been holding off on signing up for this year (and didn't sign up last year) is that I prefer ornaments to cards. I do hang some cards on my tree (thanks, Outi) especially now that it's so big but, even so, they're small-ish cards; big, lavish ones I can't hang even on the low branches without getting things off-balance visually. But I've started on Barbara's ornament today, so I'm sure that'll be finished in good time, leaving enough time for making another.
So, OK, Bev; sign me up (I'll follow this with an official request in a mo)...
What I'm offering (no choice this time <g>) is Windrose 1 (bobbin lace); I'll plunk it into/onto a card, but it'll be detach-able, to hang free on a tree. Once I'm assigned a recipient, I'll send her (or him <g>) a photo, and let her choose her colour scheme. In return, I'll accept any lace technique, any level of expertise, any colour combination, either a card or an ornament. And I promise to love whatever I get :)
PS Bev, would you please announce the exchange on the chat as well, once all the rules and regulations are all ironed out? There are a few people on that list who are not on lace, but might still be interested in participating.
-- Tamara P Duvall http://t-n-lace.net/ Lexington, Virginia, USA (Formerly of Warsaw, Poland) - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
