Jane wrote << this is to let you know that I've just re-done my website www.lace.nildram.co.uk with details of these, including photos to whet your appetite, as well as articles about recent travels.>>
I looked at your webpage of your travels and read the report of your visit to our Lace Day here in Catalunya back at the end of April, I don't remember you taking the photo!
You spoke about the lovely patterns produced as prickings by Patrones Roka. They have a website where you can contact them and order on line, I think the only currnecies though are Euros and US Dollars.
I bought a couple of the little butterfly patterns which come complete with a little turned wooden butterfly body which has wire Antenae each with a seed bead at their end, and also included in the packet is a stick pin to turn the butterfly into a stick pin type brooch. The patterns for the butterflies are very simple ones but the one I have made so far looks very pretty in the shade of marigold yellow that I used for it. The site for Roka is http://www.patronsroka.com/ unfortunately the butterfly patterns do not appear to have been uploaded to the site as well as one or two other items. The patterns take a time to load and the fan patterns have been pulled in at the sides to fit the web page which makes the fan leaves look an odd shape but they would be normal fan shape in reality. I believe the patterns are computer generated and the card they are produced on is the best pricking card available here in this area, that I know of anyway.
You never get instructions with patterns here, they only appear with patterns in magazines.
Jane, you missed a real treat by not seeing the exhibition of lace. There were two exhibitions in the same hall. As you entered the exhibition hall there was a lot of lace made by the lacemakers of Lloret, some of the pieces were quite old pieces and included a lovely long white dress. With that dress was a photo of it being word back around 1930or so by a young woman who took part in the towns Baile de Novios, the Sweethearts dance. This is a traditional dance that takes place once a year in the towns main square and is danced by youn people chosen for the occassion, the girls wear long white dresses and carry a fan and the boys are in dark suits, as if they were brides and grooms. For weeks before this dance takes place each year there will be more than one lacemaker furiously making a fan or two for the girls taking part.
The second exhibition was the one that Jane wrote about, called Pastel Palette. This exhibition was on loan from the Association of Catalan Lace Makers in Barcelona, it had been on display at other events in other areas over the past couple of years. There were some very original pieces and my favourite was a 3D effect picture hung on the wall which depicted the pale blue sky with white fluffy clouds, the deeper blue sea with waves worked into it and white surf at it's edge lapping onto the yellow sandy beach. The beach was covered with about 15 tiny parasols in stripes of various colours all set at a tilt on the sand. Living as I do on the coast it was typical of the beach here at the height of the season when our town is packed with tourists and you can't see the sand for the parasole and bodies, as it is at the moment. The parasols had been made using the wooden sticks and ribs of those little paper parasols you get with a cocktail at times.
Another piece I liked was a picture of an artists easel with a tiny canvas placed on it with a painting begun. Beside the easel was a tiny artists palette with little dobs of paint around it and a couple of artists brushes though the thumb hole part. All in lace.
I have a photo or two that I took of the exhibition if anyone wants to see a couple please ask and I will attach and send them. I don't have a webpage to put them on and be warned I am no David Bailey when it comes to taking photos.
Regards Jenny DeAngelis Spain. - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
