---- Alice Howell <[email protected]> wrote:
Most of the time I do reverse lace to find a problem, but sometimes it's
just not worth it. If it's a gift for someone, then I make extra
fforts. ----
I had a great lace teacher. One of her sayings was that, if it's back "too
far" (and that's the tricky part), a mistake should be declared an Act of
God and just go on with the piece. If someone showed her their problem, she
would say, "If it were me...." In other words, you can do as she would have
done, or you can ignore her suggestion and do something else.
She was a perfect teacher for me. The first two lessons were specific
pattern (although even the first lesson was a choice of 3 patterns that
would teach the same techniques). After that, she brought in all sorts of
books, patterns, and samples, and we would pick whatever inspired us. Then
she would help us work it out. That's how my third project was a Skansk
(pins only at the edges) pictorial of angels and poinsettias. Boy, was that
a challenge for a beginner! But I sure learned a lot. I continued with her
for several years, until she stopped teaching. In all that time, we had one
disgruntled student who left because there was no structure to the class, no
lesson plan.
Robin P.
I was given a new pattern each time to learn one or several new techniques
for the first couple of years or so which suited me. After than she did
give me books to look through to choose which pattern I wanted to work which
is how I came to work the Rockinghorse. She appeared to have a few
patterns she got all the new starters to work but not everyone got the same
patterns. I did see one being worked by 2 lace makers and asked her not to
give me that one, right choice then but would tackle it now, <g>
There were areas of her teaching which didn't explain things well enough for
new beginners who struggled which was what set me down the path of printing
off small bits of pattern and checking the route of the working threads like
you might follow a road map. It has certainly helped me over the years.
Two of the other ladies have since given up but I continue working my lace
on my own and with all the help so generously given through the lists.
We also had the opportunity to buy secondhand books through her which had
belonged to retiring lacemakers.
Sue T, Dorset UK
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