Two things.
First, I have come up with an idea for demonstrating. It may be personal
only to me, but it may be useful for someone else to build on.
When we were in Sweden, 2004, I chanced upon Vadstena, sort of between
Stockholm and Goteborg. Two stationary lace supplies stores. One store is
the national association store, and they sell prickings. I mean, how cool is
that. (they are also online) One of the things they sell is prickings
suitable for church use. So I bought one. At the time, it looked difficult,
now, 7 years later, it doesnât look that bad. Heck, Iâm now learning
Binche, so a 6 foot or so edging in 40/2 linen, with Torchon ground is not
going to be insurmountable. Just need to take measurements of the altar.
This is an Episcopal church, and that always means coffee hour. Making the
lace that goes on the altar during coffee hour on Sundays should certainly go
a long ways toward at least raising the consciousness of the church concerning
lace making. Who knows, it may result in a place for lacemaking meetings!
You have to remember, you non-Americans, that most people do not know what
bobbin lace is, they have never seen it done, and they usually donât know
anyone who does it. They have no grandmother or great aunt who did it. Most
have never even seen, consciously, hand made lace of any sort in person.
Recruiting from that lot is a long row to hoe. The lady in England who had
seen lace demonstrated several times before she gathered the admirable courage
to have a go is not a common circumstance in the US.
Second,
On those few times I have demonstrated, I have handed out a half sheet of
8 1/2 x 11 paper with lists of the local IOLI chartered groups, IOLI url, a
few suppliersâ websites, a beginner book I like. I direct them to the next
step. It thus behooves ALL chapters to have a website, if at all humanly
possible, as that is the most likely way to make contact, AND to keep the
website current. Knowing what was going on 2 years ago does not inspire
confidence in the existence of a lively, vibrant group. I believe it is much
easier to email to a link with a question, than to make a phone call. And the
more information you put on the website about the availability of meetings,
lessons, demonstrations, along with pictures of membersâ completed works,
the more likely you are to attract new people.
Lyn in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, US, where I can finally air out my sleeping
bag and the good down comforter that kept me so warm in my tent in Ithaca, New
York last weekend, where one morning it was 34F, 1C. But I had much more
money for books.
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