Thank you, Jean, for the greeting from Britt! She knows that I'm green with envy over her trip home to visit her family.
Britt lives in Western Australia, a five-hour plane ride away from me (I live in Sydney, on the eastern coast of Australia) so we mostly catch up via emails or the annual conference of the Australian Lace Guild, which runs for a whole week, with four days of workshops and other social functions - a really good chance for isolated Australian lacemakers to catch up with each other, and learn something at the same time. The maritime museum in Fremantle has small snippets of lace and a couple of bobbins rescued from the wreck of the Batavia, and I believe it was a West Australian bobbin maker who made the replica bobbins, which are on sale in the museum. Hopefully, there is a West Australian on Arachne who might be able to answer the question about whether any supplier sells them. I'm not aware of anyone, but West Australia is a very long way away! Did Britt show you her book? It was launched at the annual conference of the Australian Guild in Fremantle, very near Perth, last September. Ruth Budge (Sydney, Australia) -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Jean Nathan Sent: 06 June 2006 03:54 To: Lace Subject: [lace] Visit to UK by Bridget Fairchild from Australia Bridget Fairchild joined our Monday lace group this afternoon. (She said to say "Brit says Hello to Ruth Budge.") She brought examples of her lovely jewellery, some in needle lace, but most of it was coloured wire with beads - she loves beads. I particularly liked one design made in both needle lace and in wire, but in different colours. She also brought a small needlecase with an Australian flower fabric cover, and a pair of replica Batavia bobbins. Our tutor drew two names out of a hat, and one lucky lady was given the bobbins, and the other the needlecase. I asked if she knew if anyone was selling the replica bobbins, but she said that the person who turned them is very ill and is unlikely to be making more. Does anyone in Australia know if one of your suppliers is selling them? She knew or had met several Archneans (said David does wonderful knitting). It was really nice to have someone fom another country join us and tell us about lacemaking where they live, even if she is English by birth. Jean in Poole, Dorset, UK - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
