Here’s a thought for the too-busy beginner: read! A large part of
learning lace is learning about lace. You don’t have to steep yourself in the
fashionable laces of the 19th century—there’s a tremendous amount of
contemporary work being done today, easily found on YouTube, not to mention
checking books out of your local library. A great deal of the ‘show and tell’
at our lace meetings is sharing what we have found on line or in books, and a
very valuable lesson for all lacemakers old or new is to try to analyze where
the threads are going in photos of lace, or the real thing if you have it.
Any craft—woodwork, silversmithing, glass blowing, writing, music—takes
long hours of practice, and lacemaking is no different. Sadly, people today
haven’t been introduced to the long hours of trial and error that were common
to children of my generation, and grownups just “don’t have the time or
patience for that.” (How often have you heard that when you were demonstrating?)
Still, there are those of us, sometimes considered “talented” or even a
bit “odd”, who are driven to use our minds and hands to make lace. It is up to
us to us to encourage the seekers and beginners by meeting them where they each
are and to lead them gently into the world of craftsmanship.
So good hunting to all those with little children or other
time-consuming obligations. Keep on looking and reading (Arachne is a good
start) and asking questions. We are here to help and encourage you to look
forward to the day when you will have your very own lace corner. Good luck!
Tess in wintery Maine—cold, snow, and lots of indoor time for making
lace!
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