Lyn, what fabulous ideas! Thanks for sharing your lace making not only with us but a larger and more diverse group. Enjoy Mardi Gras! Dona in Havre de Grace, MD where we had a wonderful "spring" day today with a forecast of the coldest temps in the last 2 years due to arrive next week. Just a week ago I was sitting and looking out on one of the largest snows to blanket Jerusalem. My next month long stay there will include a lace pillow. There just wasn't enough room in the suitcases this time.
On Sat, Jan 19, 2013 at 5:35 PM, Lyn Bailey <[email protected]>wrote: > Dear Arachnids, > > I have discovered a novel approach to exposing at least part of the > public to lace making. I am sure it could be used in other venues as well. > We just finished a weeklong cruise in the Caribbean. Nothing that > special, Royal Caribbean, on sale. Left from New Orleans, so there were a > lot of Southerners on board. I brought my travel pillow, with 20 pairs, a > Bucks edging from Alex Stillwell's book on Geometric Bucks. I only have > the pillow, as I am making yardage. No extra pins, no tools, a streamlined > operation. I like to make lace in the early morning with my coffee, so the > first morning, when we were at sea, I took my pillow to the cafeteria place > in the rear on the 11th deck. After eating, I started making lace. About > a dozen women, not all at once, husbands in tow, stopped to inquire what I > was doing. When one woman came over, a few others would join. Some were > more interested than others, as you would expect. I think a couple may > look into it more thoroughly once they get home. But many had never seen > lace being made. And I got enjoyment because the women who were interested > in lace were also interesting to talk to. The second day I did the same > thing, but this time in the coffee shop. Now, I must admit, this was a > strategically excellent locale, as everyone picks up coffee in the morning. > Again, quite a response. I want to emphasize that all I had was a pillow > about the size of a laptop. No other equipment. If I were to go to a mall > and do this, I'd need my small stand and a folding stool or chair if there > were not one there. This is minimalist equipment, but then, you're not > taking a class, where who knows what you'll need, bring it all. Just the > travel pillow, or small cookie pillow, with the pins that are in the lace. > Not even a pin cushion. I was making yardage, so the pins from the back > come to the front. I made lace almost every morning, depending on plans. > This did several nice things. I could make lace in the morning with my > coffee, which I enjoy doing at home; I met a number of people I wouldn't > have otherwise; and I exposed some of the general public to bobbin lace. > If the talk had gotten to be too much, retreating to a more private place > would probably have done the job. I didn't have my jacket with the lace > hankie hanging out of the chest pocket because it was too warm. But I am > planning a T-shirt with a Flanders panel that says, "This is bobbin lace." > It seems to me that with such a simple operation, streamlined > equipment, no signs, no extra pillow, not much space being taken, something > like this could be done by one person in the mall, at least our mall in > Lancaster, PA, where there is a seating area in the middle, and at various > places along the promenades. I look so distressingly respectable that I > might not even ask security. If there were a few of us, however, I think I > would, but I expect they would say yes. As long as we didn't impede > shopping or the flow of traffic, I doubt there would be a problem. And if > you don't ask, you'll never find out the answer. Then there are parks in > cities in the nice weather, where people pass, especially during lunch. > Maybe your minimalist stand will not be allowed, but you won't know until > you try it. Vacations are a good time for this, as other people on > vacation have time to stop and chat. They are primed to look around, and > if you are there, making lace, maybe that's what they will look at. > > Lyn from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA, presently in New Orleans, > Louisiana, USA, where the weather is very comfortable, and we are going to > see a Mardi Gras parade this evening. Wonder what it will be like. Doubt > there will be lace. Beads, maybe. > > > - > To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: > unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to > [email protected]. Photo site: > http://www.flickr.com/photos/**lacemaker/sets/<http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/> > - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
