Clay: your empty pillows are crying, feeling neglected and unloved. I agree with Nancy: I'd love to see more early Flemish lace.
Pottenkant? Paris lace? The forgotten sisters. I agree with Maureen: bobbin lace alone can occupy several lifetimes. Add needlelace and you have several centuries. I started out sewing (grandfather was a tailor), learned crochet and knitting in my 20s. I made a 2 piece orange crocheted dress -- you could see me coming far off. Then I learned embroidery, including pulled thread work (makes holes without removing threads). Then came bobbin lace, and lace guilds. Once the guild started I wanted to learn just enough of every kind so I could understand it, its limitations and advantages. So I added tatting, took a workshop in Battenberg. Made just one little Tenerife round thing. And I've learned needlelace and Hardanger. The only kinds I expect to continue with are bobbin and needle. But I do want to learn filet lacis, and do more sol lace. Possibly embroidered tulle. I have eyesight problems and difficulties finding an optometrist who understands what I need. So bobbin lace is becoming problematic. The various embroidered kinds can be made with a magnifier clamped to my chair, so as I get older, those may take over. I think I prefer bobbin lace above all others. But needle lace gives you such freedom to design anything, anything at all. It has no limitations. You don't have to master a large number of techniques before you can design for it. All you have to do is learn the basics, and start designing. As you learn new needle lace techniques, you just add them to your designs. Lorelei - 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/
