In message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, sue <[EMAIL PROTECTED]
sbt.gotadsl.co.uk> writes
> What is everyone else doing?
>>>> Is anyone at their lace pillow 'right now' - 1:15 pm PST

Working that out, it probably would have been somewhere around 9.15pm in
the UK? In which case, we were out - Weatherspoons (a pub chain) have a
Steak night on Tuesday, which is cheap and cheerful, so Phil and I went
out to eat. 

The rest of Tuesday - the weather forecast was for a dry day, so I got
the washing done, in between times reading up on costume and lace
history (ie reminding myself of various points for the talk I gave to a
local family history group tonight) - especially as I had found that in
the July issue of Ancestry magazine there is an article on the lives of
lacemakers (why, these days, are people assuming that Bucks is only
worked on a 60 degree grid?) - there are a few bits in the article I
wouldn't agree with but it isn't as bad as some have been. Also, I think
it was Tuesday that the postman arrived with my Canadian Gazette, so I
had to stop and read that, too, didn't I? 

It has been a lacy few days though. On Saturday, I had the workshop at
The Beetroot Tree in Draycott, Derbyshire - two ladies, learning from
scratch, ended up with a beaded lace pendant and a pair of spangled
bobbins to take home. Sunday afternoon I was making lace in a friend's
garden at their village Open Gardens weekend. Monday I got round to
working my beaded bracelet pattern (which I'm about to send to Bev for
the CLG) in a green linen thread made by Rowan - it is fairly thick, so
took some doing to thread the beads onto. Not sure if I like the "matt"
effect to the glittery threads, though. It matches a linen dress I have.
Tuesday was spent reading. 

Yesterday I went to Loughborough to see the Lacemakers exhibition at
Charnwood Museum. This exhibition is on till July 8, and tells the story
of John Heathcoate's machine lace workers who ended up in Australia. Not
a large exhibition, but there is another textile exhibition in another
room - a lot of embroidery and feltwork (one of two women who came into
the room after me looked at the felt, and said rather disdainfully that
it was only design work! The piece she was looking at was actually a
very nice felt hanging.) The cafe is reasonably priced, too. In
discussing the fact that lace isn't "woven around pins" as stated in one
of the display boards I ended up showing the young male on the reception
desk how lace is made - having an hour's train journey in order to get
there, I had my travel pillow with me (the petticoat edging - adapted
from one of the Retournac patterns - now has only an inch and a half of
the two and a half yards to go! - almost time to turf his lordship's
computer off the table so I can get my sewing machine out.) Later found
a craft shop, and bought some triangular and cube beads to work into a
future bracelet. (Might get a dark green choker done instead). 

Today my week of freedom came to an end, and I was back at work, but
this evening was spent giving a talk on lace so still on subject.
Tomorrow morning I'll be teaching my Tamworth class - so I can almost
say I've had a lace week for once!

The Bucks piece (follow up to the Hearts and Flowers Snowflake) is still
just over half done - it has been on the pillow a couple of years so
far, taking much longer than the first, but probably because I've made
the (loopy) gimp paths in certain places a bit too complicated! Not a
piece for doing whilst demonstrating, as the first pattern was. The
Honiton is still sitting where I left it, possibly three to five years
ago (suppose I ought to get back to it some time!). Started some Celtic
tatting as a proof reading test (the week before last) but it has
stalled - tatting isn't my favourite occupation, it is a bit too
repetitive for me. Suppose I ought to finish it.....

The rest of my time is being spent searching for my great grandmother's
birth - she is being most unco-operative on that score! (born 1844/5,
Birmingham UK, Mary Ann Walker daughter of James Walker, waiter - a case
of searching through the parish registers one by one!)


-- 
Jane Partridge

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