----Original message from Devon Subject : RE: [lace] contemporary needle lace
I have been fortunate to convince Ros Hills to loan to the exhibit two works. One is I am woman, which can be seen on p. 120 of the book Merehurst Embroidery Skills Needlelace, by Pat Earnshaw. Devon Dear Spiders I should like to dispel any misconception that some might have about my aversion to coloured Contemporary needlelace, as opposed to fine white Traditional needelace. If you have a copy of my book 'Needlelce Designs & Techniques Classic & CONTEMPORARY' on your bookshelves or can borrow one from somewhere, the very first piece of my work you will see is the COLOURED 3-D strawberries on the front cover, which was designed and worked by me in 1989, not a piece of fine white Traditional needlelace. These strawberries also appear in Jill Nordford Clark's book 'Needlelace Techniques & Inspiration published a decade later in 1999. Then there are the 3-D Pea Pods with admittedly a fine white 3-D butterfly on page 143 - also in the same book by Pat Earnshaw, as Ros Hills' 'I Am Woman' pub by Merehurst as part of their EMBROIDERY SKILLS series. Ros herself says and I quote 'The actual working of the needlace fabric I find tedious and exacting, but to take a single thread and create with it a fabric, will always fascinate me ..........' She does not describe this work as LACE but uses the word FABRIC twice in her description. In that very same book on page 109 you will see 'Garden Gate' by Nenia Lovesey (whch I am the proud owner of), page 110 'Pea Pods' by Catherine Barley, 'Brighton Pavilion' by Ann Collier, page 114 'Samurai Two' by Barbara Hirst, and page 120 'I Am Woman' by Ros Hills and all are worked using needlelace techniques but I would not classify them as 'LACE' in the strict sense of the word as I understand - I include myself of course in my observations, but would describe them as being worked in a Contemporary STYLE rather than a Traditional LACE. On page 59 of Virginia Churchill Bath's book 'LACE' is the wonderful 'Judgement of Solomon' panel from the V & A - now that is needlelace in all it's glory! I saw this panel at the V & A way back in the early 80's when one didn't need to make an appointment for a 1 hour slot and inform them of the pieces you would like to see, but in the days w! here all the lace was in a separate section with doors that could be locked when necessary and open every day of the week, to browse through the pull out panels at leisure and stay as long as one liked, just drooling over all the wonderful laces. Going back to my own book you will see on pages 114/115 the stumpwork wedding scene where all the clothing is worked in coloured needlelace, but of course the bride's dress, as one would expect, is fine white 'lacey' needlelace, all worked in 1989. Page 27 shows an adaptation of a Dover design, worked in Venetian Gros Point techniques, and this was worked in 1983 - 35years ago! I too took some criticism for having dared to introduce a small amount of pink coloured silk thread into my interpretation! If you go to my website and scroll down to 'Venetian Gros Point' you will see a black chiffon jacket with COLOURED needlelace petals (beads too!) applied to the painted flowers on the fabric, also an evening bag worked in various shades of pink/ecru, again worked over 30 years ago in the 1980's. Take a look also at the stumpwork 3-D section where you will see quite a few projects worked in coloured thread and solid corded Brussels. Move on to the bobbin Lace section and see the 3-D Bobbin lace detachable pockets worked in gold metallic thread and worked in the late 1970's - almost 40 years ago, when I knew absolutely nothing about Needlelce! I think I hardly fit the description of 'living in the past'! When commissioned by Batsford to write my book, I gave a great deal of thought as to it's content and didn't want it to be full of the work of others, but something different. Some may feel that Venetian Gros Point would be far too difficult as a first project, but corded Brussels is by far the easiest/most simple stitch to work, as it has a cord to support it, whereas the more open 'lacey' stitches are far more difficult to control, as no doubt many of you will have discovered for yourselves. This book is progressive with each new project reinforcing techniques mastered in the previous one, whilst progressing to a new technique in addition. Finally, having learnt the traditional techniques with the TWISTED buttonhole stitch in Hollie Point, then the more open filling stiches and grid fillings in Point de Gaze, the book moves on to the CONTEMPORARY projects that utilise the TRADITIONAL techniques learnt previously. I am open minded and very receptive to Contemporary Needlelace but equally concerned that the Traditional techniques are being overlooked by many and in great danger of disappearing into obscurity. I think my question 'Is there anyone out there who teaches/works fine white traditional needlelace?' has now been answered and that are a small handful as opposed to many who make/teach the coloured contemporary lace. The few who make/teach the fine white traditional needlelaces all seem to come from overseas but none from the UK have been brought to my attention. Catherine Barley Catherine Barley Needlelace www.catherinebarley.com - 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/
