Hi Debora, I read your initial inquiry, and did not answer right away because I needed to think about my own path, and what worked, and what did not...
I was extremely fortunate to be "adopted" by lacemaking friends on the East Coast, from Maine to Pennsylvania and Maryland, and was invited to a workshop in PA with Michael Giusiana. That workshop was my first exposure to Binche, and Michael was a fantastic teacher. He had written his second book by then (the old blue and yellow cover, without Belgian Color Code was his first!). He asked me for pictures of some of my work, and based on that, suggested which patterns I would be ready for. My experience leads me to say that if you can possibly find a teacher of Binche who is very energetic, loves the lace, and has the ability to offer various viewpoints when explaining specific techniques, you will be extremely fortunate! Since beginning with Michael, I have also had many classes with Anny Noben-Slegers, and one memorable class in Brugges with Anne-Marie Verbeke-Billiet! But, the bottom line is that when you begin to make Binche, you really just have to jump in and do in, regardless of which book you start with. Binche is a lace that, by necessity, needs to be done as a solo exercise, but it also needs a coach who can help you interpret what you're dealing with and flesh out the diagram with specific rules about twists, gimps, etc. Michael's books are excellent. There are patterns for everyone. The Kantcentrum Folios are excellent, and if you start with folio #1, you will find yourself building skills in an organized way. Nothing can substitute for good classes with very good teachers. But your question demonstrates how big our world is, and how few Lacemakers there are, and... In fact... How many of our best teachers are retiring now. Bottom line... If you want to learn Binche, buy the books you can find now, because they won't be there tomorrow! And, be aware that Michael, Anny, and Anne-Marie have all retired from regular teaching. Kumiko Nakazaki is also a member of the Kantcentrum Master Class, and continues to teach. Clay Sent from my iPad > On Feb 11, 2016, at 8:45 PM, Debora Lustgarten <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hello all, > > I'm thinking of trying my hand at Binche, and would love to hear your > recommendations for beginner's books. > My preference is for books with line diagrams over lengthy explanations, and > especially like the style of Ulrike Voelcker's books. > Thank you in advance for your suggestions and tips, > > Debora Lustgarten - 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/
