<<Dang I get so confused between the guilds. I really should join but which one would be best for me. I hear about the UK Lace Guild and then International Old Lacers...what is the difference...what to join...and what is this program?>> Cearbhael, I believe you live in the US. The International Old Lacers is the US group. The Lace Guild is the English group. The website is _http://www.internationaloldlacers.org/_ (http://www.internationaloldlacers.org/) Membership in the International Old Lacers brings several benefits. There is a magazine that appears four times a year, frequently with articles written by yours truly :-) The magazine, called The Bulletin is informative about lace events, exhibits, classes, contests etc. that are occurring in the US. It also contains patterns. A directory is published and mailed to all members that would guide you to local groups and fellow lacemakers. The group maintains a rather large library of lace books from which members may borrow. You pay only the very reasonable cost of postage. I have borrowed many books this way. Some I decide to buy eventually myself, others I do not. Since I like to read things about lace history I have read a number of books otherwise very hard to obtain, for very little money. The IOLI has a yearly convention during which attendees take classes, hear lectures on lace related subjects, take trips to places of interest to lacers, see exhibits of lace, and marvel at the entries in the yearly lace contest. Some people feel the highlight of the convention is the sales room. There under a single roof is the most glorious shopping experience of the year for lacemakers, where they can see and handle books, lace equipment and thread. This year's convention is in Bethesda, MD, which is a suburb of Washington, DC. There will be trips to the Smithsonian, the Library of Congress, and the Baltimore Museum of Art where the famous lace collection of the Cone Sisters is held. It is not necessary to be a member of the International Old Lacers to join a local chapter or to attend the convention, but the Bulletin and the Directory are good sources of information about what is available. Unfortunately, the IOLI does not have an Artefact of the Month, which sounds like fun. However it has the Lace Round Table where people are encouraged to provide pictures of laces that they would like to have commented upon and discussed by the membership. Some people have submitted such laces when they did not know what they had, and have had some good consultation on them. The above website can be consulted for membership forms, a link to the convention, and other things of interest. Devon Lace Study Editor, The Bulletin IOLI Historian
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