Dear Jean, Sue, et al,
I must side more with Sue on this. Lace is, in general, superfluous.
(Won't that get a lot of responses!) You can't put it on to make you warm,
alone it doesn't cover your nakedness, You can't use it to dry things, or use
it to cook, or in the garden, or eat it, unless you make it to sell, and then
feed yourself, and who does that in these times? It does, however, engage the
mind, creates things of beauty, satisfies the soul, create intellectual
inquiry, and helps find friends with a mind like your own. As a group,
lacemakers are a highly, highly intelligent bunch, although I say it as
shouldn't.
The only place where Jean's idea actually works, in my opinion, is in
thread, if you work only in white. One spool of Egyptian 60 lasts a long, long
time. I have a pound of Fawcett linen 40/2 that I bought in the '80's, and it
appears almost full, although I have used it a lot.
Suppliers carry things for lacemakers because they can be useful. Those
plastic things that can be used for coasters, with a place for a scrap of lace
can spur one on. I need a use for my lace, and that can be hard to find.
Books, now there's my downfall, especially egregious since lace books
usually are not cheap, and go from there to incredibly pricey. And you can't
say, well, I can get it out from the library, or borrow it from my friend.
Perhaps I should look into the lending capacities of my local group, or IOLI,
but I am an information and book junkie, and need such things on my own
shelves. I reread. That and fabric is where I am a true packrat.
A savvy supplier angles things so the teacher also has a new book, and
also carries all the other books of that author/teacher. I know such a
situation increases sales to me. A savvy supplier also keeps an eye out for
things from other disciplines that can be useful to the lace maker.
I wonder if there is a way to parlay the current revival in knitting to
recruit new lace makers?
Lyn in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, US, where it's still cool, 66F, 17C, grey,
damp, raining. A good day to sit, eat chocolate, and make lace.
-----Original Message-----
>From: Sue Duckles <[email protected]>
>Sent: Oct 14, 2011 7:25 AM
>To: Jean Nathan <[email protected]>
>Cc: Lace <[email protected]>
>Subject: Re: [lace] Demise of suppliers
>
>Haha Jean.... I love the bit about the only thing you need...
>
>Reminds me of the start of my daughters shoe fetish.... 3 years old
>and saw red leather fur lined boots in a local shop. The conversation
>went along the lines of "I want those boots"... "I want never gets..."
>says I.
>
>madam waited till Grandma came.... "Can we go to shops Grandma?", of
>course Grandma says yes... Madam shows Grandma the boots "Grandma I
>NEED those boots to keep my toes nice and warm", guess who bought the
>boots.... (BTW, Kyra is now 25 and owns around 200 pairs of boots or
>shoes...)
>
>Now are you sure you got the Need and Want the right way round???
>
>Sue in East Yorks
>On 14 Oct 2011, at 08:07, Jean Nathan wrote:
>
>> One of the problems is that once you've got your basic pillow,
>> sufficient bobbins and (usually too many) books (for you to complete
>> everything in it you want to), really the only thing you NEED is
>> thread. And that won't keep a supplier in business.
>> They rely, not only on newbies, but those of us who already have the
>> basic supplies WANTING extra pillows, patterns, books, bobbins and
>> other equipment ......
>>
>> The there's the question are there sufficient young people taking up
>> the craft and buying the supplies to replace those of us in our
>> dotage who will eventually give up because we can no longer cope or
>> go to join other lacemakers on a cloud.
>>
>> Jean in Poole, Dorset, UK
>> -
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