I am going to put my two cents worth in here.
I am a fairly new lace maker having only started a year and a half ago.
I am 47. I first heard about lace from a book back in secondary school
but didn't have the time to pursue it then. I discovered it again when
I came across an ad for Lace at Sweet Briar in VA, two years ago. I
contacted Clay and she sent me the broshure. I managed to talk my
mother ( 69 at the time) into going with me since she was looking for a
new craft. Imagine my surprise to learn while in those classes that
there was a lace guild right there in town. I had lived there 15 years
and never heard of it. I think part of the problem is the way we are
advertising ourselves. The newer generations are looking for it to be
online or on billboards/flyers they can see easily. They don't look
things up at libraries anymore or any of the older methods. And don't
count out the older generation; like my mother, they may be tired of
their old crafts and want to try something new.
The group has been great and we do have several ladies newer to lace
than me. I mainly teach the next generation (my son) lace and our guild
has changed the by laws to include children his age (10). With the
younger children I think you need to approach the scouts or schools to
gain an entry becasue so many kids are over scheduled that if it isn't
spnsored by one of those groups, they don't hear about it. Also, with
my son, he wants to do patterns that apeal to him. He likes the snakes,
and I have made him spider and dragon patterns to do but he will not be
caught doing a butterfly or flower. Maybe we need a book tailored for
boys as I have not seen any out there. I have decided to take Katelyn's
approach and make him patterns from his cartoons and action games.
These interest him more even though they are only motifs, and have
caught the attention of some of his friends. I think it is more a
progression of lacemaking than anything else. If we draw them in with
stuff like this, they will become interested in the older designs as an
extention. I think it is the only way to increase our numbers and keep
out suppliers.
Amber L
Forest, VA
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