Yes, Jean the important question is young people taking up the craft –
where are they? 
We had a successful lace demo on 9/25/2011, where 21 lace
“fish” where made by community members attending a Fall Fest.    Boys,
girls and adults lined up to make their own lace “fish”.  Used colored
threads, let them choose their own bead color for the eye, most finished in
15-20 minutes.   Siblings stood and watched and then made their own.  
After watching their sibling do their fish, the next sibling was quicker.  We
have new lacers coming in November for beginning lessons – ages will vary. 
One person is a middle school teacher who plans on teaching bobbin lace to
students during “study hall” because the kids are asking to learn a hand
craft.  As she laced her own fish, she felt that it was a craft to enhance
math skills.  So instead of crocheting or knitting, she wants to learn bobbin
lace to teach to her students.   So I will help her out with this
endeavor.   
This teacher stated that “Home Education” is coming back to
the schools……why….kids do not know how to cook which may be a reason
behind our obesity levels due to fast food.   So the schools are looking at
“Home Economics” again as a “life skill class”.   I do not have kids
so I was not aware that “Home Ec” is coming back.   The home education
teachers are LOOKING for a HAND CRAFT to teach the students during
the section on sewing.   So maybe we can approach teachers to ask what their
needs are.   Maybe we can teach some teachers our craft to share with
students and then once exposed, these students will join our groups and
purchase those supplies.     Also, I was approached by a community college
teacher stating that she was looking for a hand craft to teach as part of a
back to basics for relaxation to counter the high tech world that students
have these days.    
I started lace making after seeing 8 bobbin lace
pillows with 8 different types of lace in progress on the pillows at a
“Fiber & Arts” exhibit at a community college (1982).   My lace teacher
found a community college arts teacher that became interested in her lace
making techniques and invited her to exhibit during the 3 day show.   
Maybe
we can reach out and expose school and community college teachers to our
“Hand Craft”?
 Chris.....in Cleveland, Ohio area where it is a very windy
fall day!
 
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 ......
>
> Then 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
Chris Brill-Packard

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