Four of us, members of L.A.C.E., Doris O'Neill, Mary Judge, Susie Johnson and myself, were lucky enough to visit the IOLI Convention in Rockford, IL on Wednesday, the open to the public day. We were like kids in a candy store with all the lovely items 30 vendors had displayed. Anything you could possibly want for tatting, bobbin lace, knitted shawls [gorgeous!!], old lace for collectors, Chinese knotted necklaces with beautiful stones [made by Kathleen, member of L.A.C.E.] and shirts pronouncing you are a lacemaker. In the reception room there was the table of raffle items and the convention bobbins one could purchase. Another vendor was in that room displaying needlecraft kits of quilt squares done on needlepoint canvas. There were chairs for the demonstrators but we especially appreciated seeing the lacemakers scattered here and there in the hotel lobby, the display room as well as the sale room. We all had told ourselves we were not going to be carried away and purchase mountains of things we Were going to stick to our budgets!! I believe one of us did; the rest of us came home with way too many things but we love them all and are having a good time going through the books and planning on using all the new items very soon. The display room was filled with the works of teachers, students and contest participants. We certainly had a wonderful time looking at all the items if all the ooos and aaahs were any indication. Trying to pick out which contest entry was most likely to be a winner was not easy so we declared them all winners. There were a few I personally hope make their way into the IOLI Bulletin! The hotel was easily found, parking was available without difficulty and all was on the ground floor so no steps had to be negotiated to find the display and vendor rooms. We did meet e-mail friends as well as others we havent seen for a very long time. We were guilty of forming little chat circles other people had to go around but it was so great to have the chance to visit. Note to Mark Tatman should have e-mailed us you were heading that way and we could have given you directions that would have by-passed the construction and gotten you to the hotel an hour earlier. Thanks to one of our guild members having negotiated that way earlier in the week, she passed on other directions. Jane O'Connor [EMAIL PROTECTED] New Lenox, IL USA
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