Hear, hear, Jacqui, I do agree with you. And I must emphasize that when I say speed, I mean speed with style and accuracy, without mistake.
On the other hand, we each bring different things to the table, and while I am not process oriented, I understand that many are. I am not. My daughter insists on making bread and pies by hand. I use my heavy duty mixer for both. As long as the bread and pies are tasty, and there was time enough to make them, whether one wants speed or process really doesn't matter. But we won't ask Clay and others to go for speed if they don't want to, and please don't ask me to emphasize the process. I do enjoy the process, and I am learning a lot about lacemaking by making 2 yards of the same 1 inch square repeat. I relieve the boredom my listening to books, or listening to what's on the TV. And I understand about the original lacemakers a lot better. The thoughts in this discussion have been fascinating. Very helpful to me, too, with ideas that have been well thought out over time. As a group, we think. Not always the same, and that's good. Lyn in Lancaster, PA, US, (note I've always put it all, and spelled it out, because not everyone knows the abbreviations) where the air conditioning is on today because of the humidity, and for the dog, a Newfoundland, who suffers more than DH in the heat. 8 p.m. and it's 81F 24.5C. "cold" front coming. -----Original Message----- >From: [email protected] >Sent: Jun 23, 2011 6:51 AM >To: [email protected] >Subject: [lace] In defence of speed > >Clay said - "It seemed to take forever, and I vowed I would never again >work a project in which I could not enjoy the process from start to finish." >and "I do not have a burning desire to finish, just a compulsion >to make the lace as beautiful as I possibly can. So... speed is never an >issue. " > >May I be so bold as to say that these two statements are a little >contradictory? If you were able to work faster the scarf would have grown >quicker >and would not have seemed so tedious, while for more challenging and >enjoyable projects, working faster (while maintaining the same high quality) >means that you would be able to make more of the designs you are inspired by. > >It's a win win situation, surely. Also, just because you can work faster >doesn't mean you have to if you would prefer not to in any particular >situation. > >Even though you are nearly finished on a project you have loved working, >you do say that you have the next few lined up. Would you really think any >less of your finished lace because it took you six months to make instead >of eight? There would have been exactly the same amount of study needed, >the same new techniques mastered, the same number of bobbin moves, the same >number of pins placed. It also means that within the same (longer) time >frame you would be able to challenge yourself more, learn more new >techniques, make larger pieces that you might otherwise hesitate about >starting. > >Perhaps the lack of satisfaction with your more quickly produced pieces of >embroidery which didn't please you as much as the bigger projects was >simply because they didn't challenge you enough, rather than the time they >took >to make. > >Somewhere along the progession of this discussion there seems to have crept > in a slight inference that speed equals inferior work. Although perhaps >for some people working faster might mean they cut corners on the >tensioning, or leave less than excellent work because they don't want to >'waste time' >undoing, for most people who work fast, it is because they are handling >the bobbins efficiently and moving their fingers faster. They will be just >as meticulous with the quality of the finished work. > >A good example would be Pat Read; her fingers move so swiftly it is >difficult to exactly see how she moves the bobbins, but no-one would suppose >that >the quality of her lace could be improved, while the quantity she is able >to make is to be envied and appreciated by all of us who benefit from her >enormous output. > >Jacquie in Lincolnshire, who would love to be able to work faster. > >- >To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: >unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to >[email protected]. Photo site: >http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003 - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003
