[lace] What is the best way to begin making lace
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! - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] New postings on the “Arizona” site
We are all very grateful to Susanne Thompson for giving us permission to include her two books on Honiton lacemaking on the âArizonaâ web site. As you know, the majority of the material on the site started so long ago by Ralph Griswold, contains mostly out of copyright material, published before 1923. We do have a few books donated by contemporary authors and are very grateful for their donations. Perhaps others might also like to join Rosemary in allowing us to post more. For those who have not yet explored this site, maintained by the University of Arizona and managed by John Cropper [john.p.crop...@gmail.com], the most direct way to the lace section is by entering http://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/lace.html. Click on Books at the top then scroll down to Thompson, Susanne, and you will find an Introduction to Honiton Lace and Further Steps in Honiton Lace, both beautifully composed and illustrated books suitable for anyone interested in learning about Honiton. You will see that the books have been separated into sections to make the downloading a bit easier. They are all PDFs and free to any and all to use and enjoy. It is not always easy to find readily available copies of books to scan, but I have been very fortunate to live fairly near Jeri Ames, and she has most generously made her very large library available to me, so I was able to borrow and scan these two books for the site. If other new books are donated to us for posting, I am sure that Jeri will continue to share her books with me, thus avoiding the past difficulties I had in finding the old pre-1923 books. If you have any questions, please donât hesitate to email me at tess1...@aol.com. It will be a pleasure to hear from you. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] The Arizona site
Every once in a while a concern is raised about the âArizonaâ site and how to be sure that it will remain available to us all. I have just written to John Cropper, who has managed the site ever since Ralph Griswold died, and here is his response: âââ- âThe Computer Science department has not indicated any desire to remove the archive and users of the archive can always contact me via the email address posted on the website (weav...@cs.arizona.edu).â âââ If anyone wants to add to the collection the only requirement is an email from the author granting permission. Here, again, is Johnâs reply to that: âââ- âAs far as the website - if an author wishes to submit a PDF of their book for inclusion and sends me an email with their permission notice then I am happy to include the manuscript and from now on will put a link to a copy of their email as part of the listing so that anyone can click on the link and see the "permission slip" associated with the document.â âââ- I hope that this clears up a few questions and that anyone who might like to have a book or other material posted on the Arizona site will feel free to add to the amazing collection already there. I will be glad to forward any questions or comments to John Cropper. He is very helpful and prompt to answer. Tess Parrish (in Maine, USA, where a lovely Maine summer is in full swing) - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Machine lace and its manufacture
Felkin, William. A History of the Machine-Wrought Hosiery and Lace Manufacturers, Burt Franklin, New York, 1967, 608 pages. Posted April 18, 2007. SAMPLE PAGE. REVIEW. Part 1: File size 10.1 MB PDF. Part 2: File size 12.5 MB PDF. Part 3: File size 11.9 MB PDF. This can be found on the âArizonaâ site:(http://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/lace.html) under Lace and Books. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Wedding veil
This from my lacemaking friend who tats and does tambour work: âActually it was done on a Cornely machine ( like a sewing machine that only does chain stitch). Then the pieces were cut out and embroidered on the veil with additional embroidery stitches. â I guess no professionals do handwork any more whether for embroidery or lace, and even making a veil for a princess requires a machine. Sigh... Tess (tess1...@aol.com) still always the amateur with needle or bobbin in hand. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Lacemaking and music
I was immediately drawn to Amy Mills' comment about lace and music: "... to make a relatively simple analogy - the pattern could easily be considered a score, and the various stitches required to make the various parts of the lace compared to the different values of notes, the number of stitches a form of subdivision?" Anyone who has read or has access to Alfred von Henneberg's book The Art and Craft of Old Lace will find on pp 30-31 his analysis of lace construction, likening it to musical composition, and a bit later on in the book he gives excellent examples in color describing what he means. He was an engineer who apparently found some laces in his aunts' attic and was fascinated with their construction. A reprint of the original 1931 volume was recently made and is available through one of Amazon's second-hand sellers. Not only does it contain the above analysis of lacemaking, but there are pages and pages of excellent photographs of the finest laces of the period. The book is written in several languages. This is a classic, and worthy of being in any good lace library. Tess Parrish (tess1...@aol.com <mailto:tess1...@aol.com>) in Maine USA, where today we had our first day of summer weather: heavenly! - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] The English lace school
Recent mention of the English lace school sent me to one of my early notebooks where I found the record of my visit to Tiverton in July of 1980. It was my first introduction to lace, having been an embroiderer since early childhood, and I still have the brochure that Susan Cox handed out to our group. It is an excellent review of all the various laces, about 23 pages long. At that time, the school was doing very well, and for me it began what has been my ongoing passion for the past almost forty years. It was lovely to go back in time and remember... Tess Parrish (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine USA, where spring has finally arrived. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Mounting lace for display
Thank to Joepieâs kind efforts, I was finallyâafter a lot of searchingâable to find the âWhite Coated Metal Ring For Craftsâ20cm/Metal Wire & Craft Hoopsâ. They can be found through Amazonâbut in Britain only! If you want them in the US, you can find them, but instead of costing 1.90 you will have to pay over $40 for the same thing. The suggestion that one might use lampshade rings is unfortunately not a useful one, as they are made of a lighter wire than is used in these rings. It is easy to find brass ones of the correct size (3mm thickness of wire) but Lynâs idea that they could be painted wouldnât work for me. I have no idea where I got my first three ringsâin a set of 3â, 5â, and 8â diametersâbut it may well have been at one of the congresses where suppliers display so many delightful treasures. In any case, perhaps a supplier on Arachne might be able to check for availability in the US and perhaps elsewhere. Thanks again to all who wrote with suggestions. Best, Tess - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Mounting lace for display
Does anyone know where I can find white enameled metal rings 5-8” in diameter in which to mount laces to make hanging window decorations? Metal, white, but not silver or gold. I have looked through the internet without success. Thanks for any suggestions. Tess (tess1...@aol.com in sunny but still cool Maine USA) - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Vintage pattern books
DMC is pretty tricky about finding dates. The one for the Dentelles aux Fuseaux I found on the first page, âPart 1: File size 16.6 MB PDFâ at the bottom of the page over on the right. It shows the numbers 1124. This means November 1924. My little Encyclopedia has its numbers on the page opposite the title page: 755, which means July 1955. And another one, Le Macraméâtitle pageâ612. It may also depend on the dates of publication or style of folder. I have several DMC folders with no dates on them anywhere that I could find. They were all published around 1905 or certainly before WW1. (I know the dates of the owners.) So the trick is to look wherever you can for the three or perhaps four little numbers hiding somewhere in the front or the back of the book. Where that might be, and even the dating or not, may very well depend on when it was published. I also suggest you take a look at the web page http://www.antiquepatternlibrary.org/html/warm/catalog.htm which seems to have a lot of dates on the DMC books. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Mme Goubaud
I am happy to think that the recent thread on Madame Goubaud may have introduced new lacemakers and researchers to what we all call "the Arizona site." It was a wonderful project, keeping me busy for several years during which I learned a lot. However, I must respond to Jenny's kind words: In a message dated 6/11/2017 2:24:35 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, je...@brandis.com.au writes: It was only when I was comparing the 2 sites work that I really appreciated just how much work Tess Parrish had done removing all the background colour from the scans, thus making it much more readable. To see what I mean, compare these 2 copies of the same scan https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/books/archive_003.pdf http://archive.org/stream/priscillabattenb00brow#page/n5/mode/2up Jenny, none of this would have been possible without the patient tutelage of Ralph Griswold. It was he who took the scans and turned them into the readable, downloadable books and other documents that we all enjoy today. All I did was to follow his directions and he then worked his computer magic to finish the job. So we all have Ralph Griswold to thank for all that he has left behind as his legacy to weavers and lacemakers everywhere. The University of Arizona recognizes this treasure, and Ralph's good friend John Cropper is still monitoring the site. Anyone wanting to add to it with their own contemporary work (Brian Lemin has done so, among others)can reach John at john.p.crop...@gmail.com. The rule Ralph adhered to in respect to copyright was that nothing could be used that was published after 1922, but of course with the author's permission that restriction doesn't apply. So I do hope that we see more contemporary work on the site as time goes on. Tess Parrish (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine, USA, where the thermometer hit a record 92'F yesterday--unbelievable! - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Elisa Ricci books
I thought I had sent this a couple of days ago, but apparently without success: The two volumes of Elisa Ricci's Old Itallian Laces have been sent off to the Museum of Folk Art in Santa Fe. (http://www.internationalfolkart.org/exhibitions/exhibition-details?eventID=2 833). It is very gratifying to have found a home for these two beautiful books which now will be available to anyone to see. They show quite a few lace books in their catalogue, and are apparently interested in adding to their collection. Just to back up a bit: I found these two beautiful books at a local used-book store in Portland, Maine, and the librarian at the Portland Public Library did a fine job of restoring them to perfect condition. And as a suggestion to all who might want to donate lace books to a library or museum who might want them, it is possible to place a value on them and use that as a tax deduction. An interesting adventure with a very satisfying conclusion! - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Old Italian Lace
I have the two-pair set of Elisa Ricci's Old Italian Lace (1913) which I would like to sell to an individual or to donate to a library. I only want to recover my original investment, not to make a profit, so the cost including postage will be reasonable for this valuable addition to any lacemaker's library. They are in very good condition, having just had the covering of the spines repaired but otherwise only showing the expected occasional foxing of some of the pages. If interested, please email me privately. These books are very heavy, so international mailing is pretty much out of the question. Tess Parrish (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine USA - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Lace in Rauma
I suppose that because the Congress in Turku, Finland 1996, was the first OIDFA Congress I attended, it has always remained fresh in my mind, a happy experience to say the least. Added to that is the fact that one of the teachers at the Rauma workshop has been my Christmas correspondent over all these years. She was the translator for the teacher, a great help to us all, and I remember with gratitude all that they taught us. I have all my prickings and class examples along with my notes and finished pieces. I also have the complete folder of patterns collected from lacemakers from everywhere, always included by OIDFA for attenders. I have been to almost every OIDFA Congress since then, but Turku and Rauma still will always remain my favorite. Tess (in Maine, USA, where I found my first crocus yesterday. Ahhh, spring!) - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Contemporary lace
For any interested in what a contemporary bobbin lace artist can do, Google "Pierre Fouchet bobbin lace." Amazing! Tess (in Maine USA, where winter is still trying to arrive. No snow or ice yet, very unusual, but makes for good walking weather,) - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Lace book on project Gutenberg
This book was scanned on "Arizona" in 2002. Can't believe it was that long ago! Anyway, just go to http://www.cs.arizona.edu, click on "lace" then "books" then scroll down to Goldenberg. Might be easier than through Project Gutenburg. Good luck! - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Boat
A recent posting on Pinterest has come to my attention, and I would like to be able to give the lacemaker her proper due. See: http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/1200x/7a/18/02/7a1802d66f98faedffb4aa5d21e8d5a3.jpg It is a little sailboat with one of the most inspiring and original treatment of ocean water that I have ever seen. If anyone knows who made it, I'm sure we would all want to thank her for it. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine where more snow is predicted for tomorrow--3 ft. deep already, the problem being where to put it all after shoveling and plowing! - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Lace curtains
Thanks to Clay and Sue, the mysteries of putting something into Flickr seem to have been overcome. They have just posted the picture I took of the pair of curtains I have finally finished after months of intense effort. The pattern I used is a variation of Ulrike's design on pages 54-4 to 6 in the second section of her masterful work on Torchon. I lengthened the pricking to fit the windows and made a couple of other changes which seemed to work out all right. (I hope Ulrike has forgiven me and won't look too closely at all my mistakes!). I used Fresia 30/3 to make the curtains sturdy enough to hang well and enlarged the scale by about 140%. In the book it calls for 66 pairs of bobbins, but when I finished it looks as though I used well over 100 pairs! Managing so many was difficult, but as with many of the challenges of this project I learned a lot. It was a long time in the planning and making, but the resulting satisfaction is well worth it. My workroom is now cozy and quite elegant! Thanks first of all to Ulrike and then to Clay and Sue for helping me to share this venture. I hope everyone can access the Flickr.com site and see what marvels so many lace makers have accomplished. Tess (tess1...@aol.com). In Maine USA, where winter fast approaches. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] One day workshop
Thank you so much, Alice, for the detailed report on the workshop. I know how tired you must have been after it was all over, but I'm sure it was certainly worth the effort for both students and teacher. I have one little suggestion, which might save a sore back from the long bending over other people's pillows. When I spent several days at the Kant Cantrum I noticed that the set up for both students and teacher was as I have never seen it elsewhere: Three chairs were set up along the wall. The teacher sat in the middle one, and a first student took the chair on her right, followed by a second student on her left. The teacher turned to the first student and helped her with her problem, then turned to the second one and took care of her. Meanwhile, a third student took the place of the first, and so it continued all afternoon. This might not work as well at the beginning of a group introduction, but as the afternoon wore on it might have saved the teacher's back and give the students a welcome change of position now and then. Most of the time the setup for lace classes, as I've experienced it in the US, is just as Alice described it, with poor light, inadequate tables, and miserable seating. But for me anyway, I love to introduce people to lacemaking and always welcome the opportunity to do so even under adverse conditions. We seem to be getting more requests for demonstration up here in Maine USA which is very encouraging. And interestingly, the most eager to figure it all out are the men and boys! Tess - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] What style of bobbins?
I use continental bobbins. When I first started making lace (can it really be thirty years ago?) my bobbins rolled, too. I found that if I put a terry cloth wash cloth or small towel underneath them it helped. But the real trick is to keep the pillow flat. It is the slope, so commonly used with beaded bobbins, that is the problem. For me, anyway. I use completely flat block pillows and never have a rolling bobbin. Also, I flick my bobbins as I work, which I can't seem to do with the beaded bobbins. Concerning the mail problems, which really sound quite dreadful, I hope those who lose their mail can find the solution soon. I use my iPad, MacBook Pro, AOL, Safari, and have all outgoing mail copied to myself when I send it out, and have never had the troubles afflicting so many. I wonder if knowing this will help solve the trouble: I hope so. Good luck! Tess (tess1...@aol.com) happy in summertime Maine USA, where the weather is gorgeous! - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Looking for thread
Thanks to all who wrote with suggestions as to where to find Fresia 30/3. I have been able to place my order and can continue making my curtain knowing that i will not run out of thread. Arachne is the lacemaker's best friend! Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine USA where I saw a forsythia in bloom yesterday. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Need thread
I have looked everywhere but can't seem to find the thread I need to continue my present project. I hope someone can help me find it: Freesia linen, 30/3, off white, on the 500 meter cone. I will probably need two cones, maybe three. Thanks so much. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Arizona archives
There has been some minor confusion corresponding with John Cropper, who is the good friend who volunteers to keep the Arizona archives going. But it is all straightened out now. Brian had sent him some bobbin-related work and wasn't sure that it had arrived. So I wrote John at his new address (john.p.crop...@gmail.com) and got a nice response which should reassure everyone as to the status of the site. John wrote, Brian did send email with new bobbin-related material attached to the 'weaving@cs' email address and it arrived. I have acknowledged its receipt but have not posted the information to the site yet. Once I have brushed off the cobwebs from my memory I should be able to post Brian's and also new articles that are sent as PDF's or Word documents (not set up to do any scanning conversions any more). Please note that John will work only with PDF or Word documents. If you do scan documents be sure they are saved as John wants them. It is wonderful that Ralph Griswold's site http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/lace.html is still up and running for us all. Thanks, John. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine, USA, where spring is making a hesitant attempt to arrive. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] The Arizona site
Thanks to a note received this morning asking about a web site which sells the full line of CDs of Ralph Griswold's lace reference collection and which contains all the original downloadable files, I have contacted Kris Bruland, and here is his most encouraging reply: -- On Mar 24, 2014, at 9:13 AM, Kris Bruland wrote: Hi Tess, Ralph's digital archive has been part of Handweaving.net for quite a while and we do not charge for people to use any of the website. Shortly before he passed away, Ralph provided a complete copy of the archive for Handweaving.net to include. He did this because he was concerned that the university where he had worked would discontinue the archive's site and wanted to make sure that it remained available. Ever since then, we have made the archive available on Handweaving.net to everyone at no charge. We try to cover the cost of this by selling CDs of the material that Ralph provided for this purpose. During many months it costs us more to host the website than we receive through CD sales. Thanks, Kris Bruland kbrul...@handweaving.net -- I hope that this will comfort all those who have been worried about the original site. I also know that while the University of Arizona has every intention of keeping it active, you will find that Kris, whom I have known for a long time, is easy to contact and quick to respond. He took over the sale of the CDs early in the game and has the complete original collection on his site, as always free of charge to all, as Ralph Griswold intended it should be. This means that while the original address http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/lace.html Is still functioning perfectly, you might find it easier to go onto Kris' site Handweaving.net or even write him directly at kbrul...@handweaving.net I hope this helps. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] A 4 ring binders
Bev and anyone else, I got my A4 binder from Staples, on line but no problem. It has four rings which match the holes in Ulrike's folders quite perfectly. I ordered the three-inch size, which holds all three of the folders plus a bit extra for all the stuff I added to it, like prickings and notes. Tess - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Looking for pattern information
I have a pricking of a pattern by Riet de Vries dated 1991. It is an imaginary face done in what looks to me like Russian techniques, though I could be wrong about that. I seem to have scribbled a few notes in French on the back of the pricking, but otherwise I have no idea where I got it. It measures about 9/24cm square and is delightfully ornate. It is probably something from one of the lace magazines I subscribed to at that time or later, but that's just a guess. If anyone has an idea of where I might have gotten it I would really appreciate the information, as I would like to have a few clues as to work it. I can easily send a picture of it if contacted privately. Thanks so much. Tess ( tess1...@aol.com) in Maine. USA - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Looking for a pattern
Arachne is remarkable! Not only did I get several emails from helpful friends, but one of them had actually made the lace and had won a prize with it! She told me that it was published in La Dentelle, hence my notes in French, and also in Lace Express. Thanks to all who wrote me and all the rest who are on Arachne and always ready to help all of us. Now to get to work and make it at last. It has been sitting on my drawer since 1994! Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine, USA - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Paris auction
My daughter has just sent me this: http://www.thierrydemaigret.com/html/index.jsp?id=17477lng=frnpp=1 It is the complete listing with photos which can be enlarged if you click on a picture and give your permission to connect to the site. There are too many items to look at in just a minate, so I am saving them onto a CD for my own future reference. Most of these seem to be fairly usual laces, but the prices were interesting to see, especially the results. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine USA where we have just had our first frost, quite late for the season. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] More on French auctions
My French son in law sent me the following this morning. I had no idea that there was so many interesting lace connections available. I hope this will not force you to spend so much on your computers that you stop making lace--which for me is the most interesting part of this passion we all love. -- If you want to have any news and pictures about lace sales in France, you can do the following : Type the web site adress : www.interencheres.com then on the upper left side, before Rechercher, type dentelles and then you will have all the next sales with descriptions and pictures. Enjoy !! -- Tess (tess1...@aol.com) - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Bookmarks
I am particularly interested in the technique used in one of the bookmarks. It's the blue one, fourth one in, from Sharon Morrison/Kathy Hensel. It says a pattern is available, but I don't know how to get it. There are others of interest as well, so it might be helpful to know how this is done. Thanks. Tess (tess1...@aol.com). In Maine USA, where summer is at its best. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] pictures on Flickr
Thanks to Clay and Sue Babbs, I have posted a few pictures onto Flickr. The name of the set is Tess Parrish. The first two pictures, which I will delete in a few days, are of what I think is an ivory needle case which my sister found in my mother's work basket. Clay put it there in order to set up a set under my name but also in case anyone would like to take a look, perhaps to come up with a different use for this little object. Today I have been trying to learn how to work Flickr and have posted a few of my laces. None of them is original, and they show some beginner mistakes for those sharp-eyed lacemakers who love to search out such interesting bits. If there are duplicates, please be patient with me. I am learning how to delete as well as to post, and Clay and Sue are standing by to help me as needed. Thanks to them both and to all the lacemakers around the world who have given me such pleasure and guidance over the years. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine, USA, where the dreadful heat has finally subsided and we are back to good old comfortable Maine summer weather. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Lace camp
My granddaughter in law in Ottawa just sent me information about this. It is too late to do anything about it this year, but it certainly gives us ideas for the next. It also shows that lace gatherings don't have to be held in luxury hotels, so far beyond the reach of most of us. Enjoy and dream! See http://www.jliu.org/Lacecamp/2001lace-history.htm Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine USA, where glorious summer has finally settled in. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Sight reading and memory
Liz-- Thanks so much for your input on Arachne. You have explained a lot about my tricky memory. When I sight read music I know exactly where the muscles of my voice should be and silently make the sounds (hope that makes sense). When I have to memorize words, or remember names, I don't have anything to hold onto, like muscle movements of throat or fingers, so I can't seem to remember them. Lace patterns--rose ground, for instance--seem to relate in my mind to the action of placing the pins, and if I don't stick to the same order of the motions I tend to get mixed up. That seems to relate to the combination of eyes and hand motions. And back to sight reading music, the same process seems to be the case in being able to follow diagrams but not word-written directions. So thanks for explaining the mystery of my memory. Had I known all this in first grade, arithmetic might have made sense to what is basically a mathematically inclined mind. I can now rest easy in my 84th year, realizing that it is not a failing condition of my brain but a well explained way of learning. Tess - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Math vs arithmetic
It was my brother the mathematician who pointed out that math is one thing, calculation another. So those who consider themselves mathematically challenged may only suffer from problems with numbers, and in my case I am convinced that this started for me in first or second grade with poor teaching in arithmetic class. However, I am musical, love to solve problems, tend toward logical thinking--in effect, with the same family genetics as that brother of mine. I grasp at finding the poetry and music in mathematics, which he has spent his life knowing. As for boys and lacemaking, my experience is that they take to it more readily than do girls, at first anyway. There are lots of reasons for that, but among them might be their immediately logical way of thinking and their ability to focus more single-mindedly. (Generalizing as usual, my besetting sin...) I am always interested when demonstrating at lace events to see that a women might look and comment and pass on by, while a man will often stand there quietly observing, nod his head, and say Yes, that makes sense before going on his way. This discussion has gone on for a while, which shows how much we are trying to understand why we make lace. It is for me the most interesting and challenging of the textile crafts. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) who awoke this morning at thunder and rain, breaking the terrible heat of the last week or more. We in Maine USA are not used to this and hope it won't come back. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Elizabeth Kurella
Thanks to Jeri's posting, I have been in touch with Elizabeth Kurella. (Check out her website: she is just getting it set up and it looks quite promising. http://www.lacecurator.info) She plans to sign up for Arachne, but in the meantime I told her that I would post her request about her upcoming trip to Belgium. Please answer her privately at lacecura...@gmail.com so she can hear from you before she leaves. It might be nice to post on Arachne as well in case there are others who are looking for the same information. Anyway, it is lovely to see her new web site and I hope that when she gets back from Belgium she will be on Arachne. Here is what she wrote me: I will be in Belgium for a few days in September (from about 22-27) and have not been there for decades. Any suggestions of museums to visit, and especially people to meet with? Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine, USA, where summer is trying to arrive. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Exhibition
I was lucky to get Sof's posting about that remarkable exhibition and was even more pleased to get the two links posted later here on Arachne. I am so often distressed at contemporary work (in many media) where the design and the technique don't suit each other. In the work of these two artist/ craftsmen, the union seems complete. Thanks so much to Sof for opening our eyes to what can really be done with lace. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine USA where it has warmed up to 8'F from an early morning low of -4'F! - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Luring the public to lace
One thing to consider might be to start with curators who think that museums are only for paint and paper and such. Many are young women these days, and they knit and wear machine made lace; they just haven't connected their personal interests with their professional ones. So here's what is happening in Portland, Maine. First, I asked if they had any lace in their collections. My request went through several people until one found that yes, a collection of lace had been donated years ago by a prominent citizen. But it hadn't been properly indexed (or whatever they do in museums) so they didn't think there was much of interest. I suggested that there was an active lace group in the area, and could we please set up a day to view some of the collection? It took several months for the idea to jell, and they finally photographed all the lace collection, sent it to me by email, and finally chose eighteen pieces to view. The woman who showed it to us was one of the behind the scenes staff, not a fancy curator. But it continues. Now my idea is to expand the research I have been asked to do on one portrait into first the information on that portrait, and then--how about a gallery talk on lace in costume? That should open a few eyes! The point is, you start with where the people are, and then expand on that. Draping lamp posts in lace just brings temporary laughs. On the other hand, whoever it was in Portland who wove a block-long chain link fence with bright blue plastic tape really did make a statement! Probably an art-school student, says my daughter. Aha! Have you thought of your local art school? Much to consider... Tess Parrish (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine USA, where we are about to have an early January thaw. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Future of the Arizona Archives website
I have received inquiries off and on over the years about the future of the Arizona Archives website. http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/lace.html John Cropper has been a faithful and devoted guardian of the site ever since Ralph Griswold (The Professor) died, and although there hasn't been much activity recently, the site is still there as useful as ever for any who are doing research or who are interested in lace. I have been pleased to meet lacemakers all over the world who use the information collected for so long by so many people, and it is very gratifying to know that it will stay active as long as it is needed. Tess Parrish (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine, USA Here is John Cropper's reassuring answer to the question: Hi Tess The Archive was never really officially part of the CS department or the University and was a personal project for Ralph that I got involved in as a friend. That being said - the Archive is being reported as part of the CS department outreach and as such has some 'brownie point' value for them. I left the department on good terms and continue to be in contact with them. So, unless I am hit by lightning or there is a major change in attitude in the CS department I do not see any need to worry about the site going off-line for a few years. With these concerns in mind I shall make a backup copy of the site and put it out on another webserver as a just in case scenario. Thus the short answer is that the site should continue for quite a while at its current location :) John Cropper jcrop...@cs.arizona.edu - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Fwd: Greek finger lace, etc
Slight correction. First, the book on Greek finger lace by Despina Koutsikas is on the Arizona site (http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/lace.html). Marji has taught a macrame class based on this, as many people know. What she is working on now is Margaretenspitzen, a fascinating development on Cavendoli. Both of these can be found on the web and are well worth taking a look at. Tess(tess1...@aol.com) in MAine USA, ablaze with autumn color - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003/albums/most-recent
[lace] Oops!
Sorry, it's spelled Cavandoli. I always get it wrong! Tess (tess1929) - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003/albums/most-recent
[lace] help with Swedish directions
Once again, Arachne has proved its worth! Thanks to all those who took the time and trouble to help me with the Swedish directions. It was a simple design, but not being able to read the instructions I missed the key phrase which was the clue. All is well, and I'm on my way to finishing the little square today. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine, USA, where we are in the midst of a lovely spell of September weather - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003/albums/most-recent
[lace] need help with Swedish
Is there anyone out there who would be willing to translate a paragraph or two from Swedish to English? The are the directions for a small square, and I'm sure it is all very simple, but I can't figure out the hanging-in directions from the picture or the diagram, which is how I usually sort out beginnings. I tried my Swedish to English dictionary and a couple of online translation sites, but of course they were useless with lace directions. Thanks so much. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine USA where summer is easing gently into fall, a lovely time of the year - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003/albums/most-recent
Re: [lace] Date requirements for posting
When we first did all this scanning and posting, I was told that the pre-1923 date applied internationally, no matter what the US wants. There are ways and ways of finding out whether copyrights have been renewed or not in the US, but we go by the original truly safe date. It gets very complicated if you try to search out the finer points. Thanks for your question, though. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) On Aug 19, 2012, at 10:51 AM, Cynce Williams wrote: Wouldn't Pene's publication come under Estonian copyright law? I think the 1923 rule is for US publications. Cynthia - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003/albums/most-recent
[lace] Cottier
Just a note: the Cottier book is on the Arizona website. It was posted in August of this year. Just put Cottier in the search block and it will come right up. Enjoy! Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Philadelphia for a bit, enjoying old friends, my mother lace group, and all that a large city offers. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003
[lace] new old books on Arizona
If you go to this month on the Arizona web site, you will see that John has been busy! There are six or more new books, all from archive.org, and more will be coming as I send them to him and he does the hard work of putting them up on the site for all of us to see. Thanks, John! Tess (tess1...@aol.com) - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003
[lace] a very old lace book
I have been downloading lace books from Archive.org, all of which will eventually find their way onto the Arizona archives, and I came upon one today which I think will interest all those who are looking for the very oldest books. This one, apparently a collection by more than one scribe, is dated 1604. To download a PDF copy, go to http://ia600304.us.archive.org/26/items/bookonlace00bertrich/bookonlace00bertrich.pdf The other books I am downloading at the moment date from about 1870 to as late as 1920. I was surprised at how many of the books on this website have already appeared on Arizona, and being able to take advantage of these old books this way is saving us a lot of work. Stay tuned... Tess (tess1...@aol.com) visiting in Philadelphia PA off and on all this winter, a real treat. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003
[lace] starting lace with Torchon
Yes, torchon can be boring--but not to a beginner! There are so many things to learn when one is first starting and torchon does make it simple. On the other hand, I found myself quite mixed up when I started, because everything was white, passives and workers alike. When I found Lisiane Brulet's series of books, in which she start out with a red worker over the white rest of the beginner strip, it all fell into place and the rest is history! However, when I start a beginner off in bobbin lace I often startle her by suggesting that she take a blank pillow, a few pins, some threads of any kind or color, and just go at it with no pattern or pre- conceived notion at all as to where this is going to lead her. This doesn't work with everyone, and I choose my eager lacemaker carefully, but for a few people with a certain tendency sometimes very well hidden inside, the creative spark is unleashed and I am always astounded at what is released. Anyone who has ever attended any of Betty MacDonald's classes will know what I am talking about. http://pittsburghlacegroup.org/2003/07/plg-newsletter-summer-2003/ has a good article on her and how she teaches. Just scroll down until you find Betty MacDonald workshop notes. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine, USA, where summer is just gorgeous! - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003
[lace] lace and music
I sent this a couple of days ago, but Jeri tells me that she hasn't seen it, nor have I. So I am sending it again because I think that some people might be interested: Alfred Von Henneberg's book The Art and Craft of Old Lace likens the analysis of lace construction to that of musical composition. For those who have this amazing book, see pages 30-31. If anyone is interested in buying the fairly new reproduction it is available at a nicely reduced price from Amazon. An excellent review can be found at pa...@madsamplarbooks.com. It is one of the most appreciated books in my personal library. Enjoy! Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine, USA, where yesterday the weather was so beautiful that our lace group met with great pleasure outside in my little garden. Summer is finally here! - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003
[lace] good things are happening lacewise in Maine, USA
This is the time of year when many people in the eastern United States take their vacations in Maine. So I am inviting any lacemakers who are coming up here to let us know if they would like to meet any of the newly forming group of active lacemakers in the state, no matter where these summer visitors might be staying. The state of Maine is very large, like most of the United States, so it has been hard for all of us to get together on any kind of regular basis, but it is finally happening and we have been meeting monthly for several months now. . Our members come from as far north as New Brunswick, Canada, and down into seacoast New Hampshire. Not all of us can be at every gathering, so we move around the state as much as we can to make it easier for all no matter where they live. The group is still small and widely spaced, but the will is there and we keep in constant touch by email. Arachne is where we all check in every day to learn new things and to solve problems, and for a little far-flung group like ours it is a godsend. So please, if you are vacationing here this summer, or if you live permanently in our area, we hope that you will contact us and say hello. Summertime in Maine is the best for lacemaking, especially outdoors! Tess Parrish (tess1...@aol.com) in Falmouth, Maine, just north of Portland. Jeri Ames (jeria...@aol.com), in Winthrop, Maine, very near Augusta. Johanna Hildebrand (hildb...@nbnet.nb.ca) in Frederickton, New Brunswick, Canada. And others in between! - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003
[lace] need help with an old pattern
A long time ago I made a little oval mat, and I would like to make it again. However, this was so long ago that I have forgotten some of the suggestions and directions, having neglected to write them down on the back of the old pricking I intend to use. The pattern was printed in Die Spitze, Vol. 1 2003. Does anyone still have that copy? I don't need the pricking itself, but if there are directions or special instructions it would be very helpful to have them to refer to. My German is not good at all, so if someone who has the magazine and can help with translation, that would be helpful as well. I know I am asking a lot, but Arachne never fails, so I am sure that someone out there can help. Thank you very much in advance. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine, USA, where summer has arrived at last. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003
[lace] news brief
My Canadian granddaughter in law has just sent me an article which appeared in CAmagazine about Louise Senecal, who as many of you know is now the president of OIDFA after years with the Association des Dentellieres du Quebec. Here is the link, which I think you will find interesting: http://www.camagazine.com/archives/print-edition/2011/january-february/upfront/camagazine44986.aspx Tess (tess1...@aol.com) - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003
[lace] Jeri's lace research
I have just received a telephone call from Jeri, who it seems is doing some research for various Arachnids. Her computer has betrayed her and it is off to the repair man. She doesn't know when it will be back, considering that over the Memorial Day weekend things may not be ready as soon as usual. This is the message she asks me to deliver: For those awaiting research: Jeri's computer is in the hospital. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003
[lace] Le Pompe on Arizona
Thanks for your kind words, Leonard, and for Susan's pointing us to the Arizona Archives. I feel I need to remind people that the scans on Arizona were only made from books out of copyright, i.e. published before 1923 (or in a few very generous cases from contemporary authors who were willing to share their modern work). Also, if as Leonard points out, Part 1 or 2 is missing, that is simply because I had to deal with what I could find on interlibrary loan or through the generosity of those who lent me copies from their private collections. I tried to compare the Levey/Payne version of Le Pompe 1559 to the scan I made and I think I found that this Viennese one (1879) seems to have more designs, although many are the same as the L/P book. If I could read the German I think I would find that very interesting, but I can't so will have to leave it up to Ilske or other German-speaking Arachnids to tell us if there is anything we should know. However, the Levey/Payne book gives us some superb directions and diagrams, which the German one doesn't. I haven't seen the Rosemary Shepherd book on the subject, so can't compare. All I can say is how lucky we are these days to have the excellent and careful diagrams and directions that modern authors provide us with. I for one would be stumped if I had to work from the 1879 book, not knowing where to begin. Many thanks to all of these hard-working teachers. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine USA, where it hit 67' this afternoon, the warmest we have had since last summer! - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003
[lace] thread equivalent
Can someone please take a look at the thread equivalent chart and tell me how I can replace Filata per Tombola du Cantu #30 with a comparable linen size? I have suddenly acquired three new lacemakers in the area (Maine, USA) and I think that one of them must have my chart. It is quicker to ask Arachne than to trace it down, so I hope you don't mind. Thanks so much. Would it be better to send an answer privately, so that the list won't be overwhelmed with suggestions? Thanks again. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine, where we have just had the most glorious couple of days of almost 50'F weather, soon to go back to cold and snow, but it was lovely while it lasted. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003
[lace] many thanks to Brian
The very best postings to the Arizona Archives have come from generous people who have posted their own material, like Brian, or from all those who lent me their precious books to scan. This is still an ongoing project and thanks to John Cropper it will continue to grow as people send us things. Brian, please don't worry about typos. We all make them. If you have read your Arachne carefully, you have seen plenty of them yourself. It is the spirit behind the words that counts, and your generosity in sharing so much with all of us is the best Christmas present we could get! Thanks so much. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com
[lace] lace stocking fronts
Yes, there has been some confusion here. I sent a photo of the lace stocking fronts I have to Alex, but she couldn't open what I sent her. I have sent it to her again, but haven't heard whether she was successful this second time. But to explain: I have a pair of lace stocking fronts from the collection I have made at my daughter's place in France. They are boat shaped, as Jeri says, and are quite fine. The white silk stockings to which they were attached are gone, but they were obviously cut away because there are remnants of the silk knitting still evident. People who can identify lace better than I will be able to determine exactly what period they were made and where, but I suspect that they were simply from a pair of very fancy silk stockings made between perhaps 1880 and WWI. My problem is that I don't know how to post pictures so that they can be seen by those of us who are on Arachne. If someone can help me with this, I will be happy to send my photo to whoever it might be so that everyone can see them. They are really quite nice. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com
[lace] stocking fronts
I have had good luck! Antje has offered to put my pictures of the stocking fronts onto her blog site, and the pictures have come out very clearly with good detail. Go to http://mi-pequeno-taller-eng.blogspot.com/2010/11/lace-stocking-fronts.html Now I hope to hear from everyone who knows about such things what technique is used, the probable date, and anything else you can think of! Thanks to any and all. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com
[lace] Fwd: stocking fronts
This with many thanks from Marianne. Tess Begin forwarded message: From: Marianne Stang marianne.st...@t-online.de Date: November 24, 2010 10:49:00 AM EST To: tess1...@aol.com Subject: stocking fronts Dear Tess, your stocking inserts are in white Chantilly and they were really in use in the middle of the 19th century. In my collection there are several of such inserts in black Chantilly. With best wishes Marianne Stang from Germany - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com
[lace] the lacemakers of Artois
Even if you don't understand French, please go through this whole film: http://videos.tf1.fr/jt-13h/les-travaux-d-aiguille-les-dentellieres-de-l-artois-6143696.html It will look very familiar to all of us! The beginning lacemakers talk about their trials and errors, and the more experienced ones help the new ones. There is even a husband who says that he makes lace twenty=three hours a day (!) and his wife gives him a friendly little pat on the arm. They are mostly working on familiar torchon examples, but they have posted some others which many of us have made. This is from a daily broadcast where the announcer visits the crafts of France with examples of all sorts of things, like farmers making cheese, raising ducks for the market, building walls, and so on and so on. It comes on every day on French television at the midday news hour and is a favorite of mine. My daughter just happened to catch this one, which I think is really well done. It will be followed by embroidery, knitting, and so on, and I think it is all this week. For the ones among us who speak French, I know you will enjoy this. For the rest, just have a good time joining a typical French lace group at work. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com
[lace] Irish lace
Thanks to John Cropper and the helpful people at the University of Arizona, this email has just arrived to me, concerning Irish lace. I am hoping that there will be people on the list who will write Sorcha with encouragement and information. Two subsequent emails from her have let me know that she may be planning a lace exhibit in the near future from the holdings at the university of Kansas, and I have suggested that she scan and send me some examples of what seems to be a nice collection of laces there. I went through the library holdings and found a couple of books that I haven't scanned, so am hoping to find them somewhere and to add them to the Archives. Sorcha sounds like a lovely lively young woman and I hope she discovers for herself not only the history of lace in Ireland, but the fun of giving it a try! Thanks to any and all for your help. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine USA, where all the pretty leaves have fallen and been raked up. A new season begins! --- Good Afternoon University of Arizona, I found this PDF file online, with your name and Computer Science department associated with it in the url: http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/books/cas_ilce.pdf I am an Irish Citizen, from a part of Ireland referenced in this article, currently researching the origins of a large quantity of unidentified lace objects in University of Kansas' Spencer Museum of Art collection. I am, without being an expert, quite confident a sample of the lace comes from New Ross, County Wexford, Ireland. I would like to enquire about where the above PDF was scanned from, or what the origins of this document may be. It looks like it was published in a book, in which case I am curious to know if you could send me any information on the title, author, publisher etc? It could help me (as it contains photographs of Irish lace) identify or eliminate where this lace is from. I am also in the process of curating a small installation, where I hope to feature some of this lace - and ideally another copy of this book, or with permission, this PDF file to accompany the lace display. The exhibition focuses primarily on Irish literature and art, but the lace would be a great addition - especially if I can validate its origins, or even pose a possible origin. Any information you are willing to share, or if you have a standard protocol for sharing texts such as this one, I would like to hear more. Thank you in advance for any assistance - or forwarding contact information - you can provide. Sincerely, Sorcha Hyland (Youth Family Outreach Coordinator, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS). - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com
[lace] Irish lace--addendum
Sorry, I forgot to include Sorcha's email address when I wrote suggesting that some people might like to write her about Irish lace. It is hyland.sor...@gmail.com and she is in Kansas, USA. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com
[lace] looking for thread
Can Goldschild thread be found in the US? I have started a torchon mat and am afraid that the one spool of 50/3 1/2 white is not going to be quite enough. I know it can be bought in Germany--that's probably where I got it--but couldn't seem to find any listed here. I would appreciate any ideas, probably privately, as I'm sure this one request is not of interest to the whole list. Thanks so much for any tips you might suggest. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine, USA, where the last brightly colored leaves are still clinging to the trees despite our first nice frosty nights. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com
[lace] Hackle pliers
The hackle pliers that I have seen in fishing supply stores don't fill the bill for me as neatly and inexpensively as the Mini Test Clip Adapters that can be bought at Radio Shack (in the U S and perhaps elsewhere at electronic supply houses). They come two to a package for about $3.50. The part number is 270-334. You can see them on line at radioshack.com and enter the name or the part number in the search bar. They are over two and a half inches long and about the same diameter as a bobbin. I manage mine as is, but an extension is easily added be inserting a short dowel in the non- working end. Tess (tess1...@aol.com)in Maine USA, where we are promised our first frost of the season tonight. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com
[lace] size of gimp
I am about to begin a length of simple torchon, using 35/2 linen. The design includes using gimp. Do you have any suggestions as to what to use for the gimp? #5 DMC perle? stranded DMC cotton? or, what size linen? Any and all suggestions will be gratefully received. Many thanks. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine USA, where my daughter and two French grandchildren have just arrived to spend their annual summer visit with me. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] new posting on Archives
Two little books have just been posted on the professor's Archives. See http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/this-month.html They are very small and may only be of interest to those who are researching lacemakers in the US. One of them lists all the names that the author could find for lacemakers in about 1917, before the Needle and Bobbin Club was founded. The other book, from the same period, is a pamphlet put out by the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in 1910 which includes several pages of their lace holdings. What is most interesting about these two little books is that they seem to have belonged to Gertrude Whiting, whom many will know for her books and lace-related fame. For those who haven't heard her name before, I suggest a quick trip to Google. Thanks to Clay who sent them to me, and to John for his swift and helpful posting. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in lovely summertime Maine USA - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] little Dutch books newly posted
I was very happy to have a note from Jo correcting the Dutch that was in the listing for one of the little books newly posted on the Archives site. If anyone else has any corrections to make, we would would very much appreciate hearing from you. John says that at this point corrections are easy to make. If we wait too long, it would be much harder for him. Thanks for all those who spot these errors: we are only human, but we want to get things rightly done! Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in rainy Maine, USA - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] four new books on the Arizona Archives
Good news! The four little Dutch books that came from the collection of the mother of the lovely old man I met in New Brunswick the last time I was there have finally found their way onto the Arizona Archives site. They are beginner books, and have nice prickings and diagrams. It is not necessary to be able to read Dutch--I don't--as everything is very clear. Two of them are from a series of books put out by a women's publication, and the other two are separate from them and from each other but equally good. For those who haven't yet explored the Arizona Archives, the direct access to these books can be found at http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/this-month.html . You can check out the Sample Page to see what it's all about, and I suggest that you also look at Review, where I have tried to say a little about each book. And also for those who haven't yet tried the Archives, be sure to stay on that page and check out some of the items listed on the left. All of the material in this collection, along with a few very much appreciated modern donations from their authors, are out of copyright and available without charge to anyone who wants to download them. We are grateful for all the contributions that people have made over the years. If you know of anything that we might be able to add to the site, please let me know. Also, if you find errors in our work, please let me know. John Cropper is our editor and does a marvelous job of getting things up onto the web. CDs of the collection are also available for purchase. I'll be glad to help: tess1...@aol.com On another note, new lacemakers are popping up here and there. I have a lovely new friend who live nearby, and we are exploring the intricacies of Torchon at the moment, and having a lovely time. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine, USA, where a nice showery day is making all the flowers very happy and giving me an excuse to stay inside and fling bobbins around! - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] lace in the news
For those who are interested in the revival of lace as fashion for today (Devon!) take a look at this: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100528/ap_on_re_eu/eu_france_venus_fashion_statement Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in cool, sunny Maine USA - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] mail warning
Leonard has just sent me an email telling me that my address book has been compromised, so if you get spam email under my name it is because Arachne is one of the addresses on the list of names that Leonard sent me. I will try to erase everything, change my password, and so on. I hope this hasn't inconvenienced anyone. If anyone has any good advice for me, I'll appreciate it. I have a Mac, by the way, not a PC, so this came as a great surprise. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine USA, where we are looking forward to a springlike weekend. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] mail warning
To all who wrote with good advice and comforting messages: many, many thanks! I hope that the problem is now over for any of you who might have been struck by this odd message from me. It wasn't, and you have helped me understand a lot more about how the world of computers, email, and the internet work. And now, back to making lace! Tess (tess1...@aol.com) - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] Teneriffe book and Google
I have just received an email from Alex Stillwell about her concerns re Google's attempt to scan and perhaps restrict access to the books of the world, and specifically hers on Teneriffe, which she so generously gave to the Archives website. (see http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/wtopic_lace.html ) Here is what she wrote me: Hi Tess I have thought of a way of stopping Google gobbling up my Teneriffe book. I am currently scanning and revising the layout of my torchon book so I can print and comb bind it myself. I doubt if I shall get many sales but if I get a new ISBN and am selling it then Google cannot get their sticky paws on it. I am happy with, wish to continue with and have no plans to change the current current arrangements regarding my Teneriffe book, but I am concerned about Google. If I get a new ISBN I am prepared to print and comb bind it if anyone wishes to pay for it then Google cannot get their paws on it. I would like you to let the Arachnids know that this will in no way affect my arrangement with the Arizona free download library and it will continue to be freely available there. If you are happy with this arrangement please may I have permission to use the pages you scanned. I think this should solve the Google problem and also help anyone who has no access to the free download. Kindest regards Alex - For those who are not familiar with the Archives site, this is a collection of books and many other materials relating to weaving and lace, along with embroidery and other things textile-related. The collection has depended on a great deal of scanning of books available in libraries and so on, but a great number have come from lacemakers who have lent us their precious books. And in some very special cases, like Alexandra Stillwell's teneriffe book,they have been donated to the web site from the authors themselves. We are all so grateful to everyone who has contributed! There has been a concern, however, that the Archives site might disappear now that Ralph Griswold has died. John Cropper is manning the fort, and there is no change in the status of the site: it is still going strong. There are CDs of all the holdings available to anyone for a reasonable price, and there is even a web site Gallery where people are posting their work. For any further information, please feel free to write me privately: tess1...@aol.com So thanks again, Alex, for your generosity and concern, and I'm glad you figured out a way to slay the Google dragon before he swallows up your work. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine, USA, where everyone here wants to know why all that lovely snow went south of us. We're the ones who want it! - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] bakery table
Some time ago, perhaps years, the Dutch group LOKK presented a bakery table, a table full of lacemade cakes and cupcakes and other goodies. It may have been as far back as the OIDFA Congress in Ghent. I think I may have seen pictures of it on line. Does anyone remember this? Do I have my facts right? Can anyone set me straight and tell me where to find the booklet on the exhibit that was for sale at the time? Many thanks. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine USA, where our third straight day of snow is piling it up most satisfactorily for the happy skiers. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] the lace gallery
A little while ago people were asking about posting things on Kris Bruland's web site, namely in the lace gallery. I wasn't too sure how to do this myself, so I wrote Kris and this is his reply: For the gallery I don't have a direct upload...I've been asking visitors to mail one or more photos and a short description of their work to gall...@handweaving.net, and then I post them. In case newbies aren't sure who Kris Bruland is, he is the one who took over the sales of all the CDs. You can go to his site http://www.handweaving.net/Store.aspx and see everything that he has. He explains how to order CDs and gives discounts for quantity. The first part of the page lists the weaving CDs; scroll down for the lace CDs. Clicking on the name of the CD will give you the complete list of what is on it. Once again, for those who may have missed it, I won't be making any more CDs. This means that the complete collection contains a total of eight CDs. I am still scanning if new material comes in, and John Cropper still posts it on the Archives web site http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/ , but there isn't as much out of copyright material available (pre-1923) any more, so we are limited. It takes a long time to assemble enough books and such to fill one CD, and this is why we are not planning any more CDs. So I hope that people will begin to post their laces on Kris' site. There isn't much there at present, and we need to begin to fill it up! Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine, USA, where our first killing frost is due tonight. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] finding books etc in the Archives
Sorry some people have had trouble finding things easily and quickly in the Archives. I must admit that I too have to scratch my head occasionally when I am looking for something. However, by now I think that Avital and Alex, plus others, have covered the problem quite well, certainly where it concerns Alex's teneriffe book. http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/books.html#S is pretty direct, although it means searching by author. If the book is recently posted, go to This Month, or earlier months. If you are looking for lace, go to http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/lace.html Or Languages, if you are looking for something in another language. Or Topics, if you are specifically looking for some technique. Be warned, though, that this list is not foolproof. And yes, sometimes it takes a long time even with a high speed connection to complete a download. Be patient--there's a lot of stuff in these books. I have often thought there was a problem, only to find out that I hadn't given it enough time to do its thing. A note about the CDs. They are really are the best if you have a slow connection to the internet. You can go to http://www.handweaving.net/Store.aspx and buy them there. You can search the contents of each CD by clicking on the title of the CD: the contents are listed there. A good point was raised about the CDs: on this site they are always available. However, we are not publishing any more CDs after Number 8. It takes a long time to collect enough books to fill one CD, and the out of copyright sources have been drying up. So from now on, what we scan will go directly to the Archives site and be saved there, but not on a CD. Again, let me thank Alex for donating the Teneriffe book to the Archives. It is impossible for us to use new books because of the copyright restrictions, and it is only through the generosity of authors like her who give us written pemission to use their books that we can read them on the site. I know that we are all very grateful for this. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine, USA, where the trees are putting on their party dresses. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] saving videos
It happened to me too, and I wondered why. After some experimenting, I found that you can go to the right hand side of the Youtube page where the black/blank video is and click on the name of the person who made the video (in blue) and the video will come up. I clicked on lacesinger for David's and on eldohill to get mine. Then I went to File + Save on Safari and it was saved to my computer. It opened perfectly from there so I could put it in my Tallies folder. I dug a little deeper and found that the problem wasn't us, it was YouTube who apparently have just changed something about how they manage the site. I thought at first it was because I have a Mac, but for once that was not the reason. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) grateful to all the tally postings, which I really needed - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] need help with colors
Has anyone ever done the design by--I'm pretty sure--Jana Novak of the Tree and the Snake (presumably in Garden of Eden)? I worked it a few years ago but all in one color, and now I am making it again and I hope this time to put in the colors. I have the tree and the snake all finished, but I can't remember the colors for the apple at the bottom or for what may be blossoms in the tree. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? This is a very typical example of having a UFO which has been lurking in my closet for over a year now. I have looked through all the books on my shelf, but can't find it anywhere. However, I have complete faith in the wonders of Arachne and know that there must be someone out there who knows the design and can take a look at the color picture in the book. And no, I can't remember the name of the book. Oh dear! Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine, USA, quite frustrated - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] needed help with colors
Arachne comes through again! I am happy to find out what and where the colors go in Jana Novak's Tree and Snake. Thanks so much for your help. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] box folders for the last time, yes really!
Success! Thanks to the help from lace friends and neighbors, the elusive box folders have been found in the US. If anyone is interested, I will be glad to send the information on where to find them and how much they cost. Tess (tess1...@aol.com), very relieved - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] saving a video to a Mac
Thanks to Margot for looking up the directions for saving a video to a Mac if you have Safari. Open the video (in this case it was Jean's video, but it worked with the YouTube one as well), go to File and click on Save As, tell it where you want it to go, and there it is! Now for David's...and anyone else? Also, I really liked Susan's idea of putting it on a portable little flash drive. Thanks to Arachne, one and all. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in cooling-off Maine USA. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] making a leaf tally
Last weekend a good lace friend came to visit, bringing her husband with her. Not content to sit around and mope, he busied himself repairing all sorts of little glitches around the house, and then he brought out his fancy movie camera and took pictures of me making a leaf tally the way I learned to do it in Brioude. After they left they posted the movie on YouTube, so it is now available to all who might like to take a look. I'm not all that good at impromptu lecturing, and you will find errors, for which I crave your indulgence. I notice that I have said twist when I meant cross and that a thread goes under when I should have said over. But you are all very kind and patient and I am sure that you will forgive my mistakes. I also notice that I made much of the difference in ease of working tallies this way with continental bobbins as opposed to midlands bobbins. This was because my friend, something of a beginner at lacemaking, had been having trouble making tallies with her midlands bobbins, which are all she has. It is not meant to be a slur on one kind of bobbin over the other (I started out with midlands myself), but to suggest that she might find it easier to try bobbins without spangles. Anyway, what's done is done, and I hope that this will clear up some of the confusion which inevitably occurs when one is trying to explain a process without visual aids. The link to YouTube is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPezWMox5-M I hope you find it useful. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine USA on a lovely day. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] box files
For all those who are sick of the subject, I promise that the thread is over! Thanks to all who wrote. I will answer each one privately, but I do want especially to thank our friends from England: Of course they knew exactly what I was talking about, and now I have the names of at least three good sources over there. This has been a perfect way to see how Arachne helps us find things, and I promise that this is eminently lace related. I have finally gotten very serious about cleaning out all the shelves, drawers, closets, and other hiding places to find out where all those books, photocopies, lace samples, prickings, and even old letters from other lacemakers have gone, and finding holders, binders, and files to sort them all out and store them so they can be found is what this is all about. It is amazing how much can be collected--and lost--over twenty years! Thanks to you all for your help and patience with my quest. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) on a lovely day, when I should be out in the sunshine, not looking for elasticized box folders! - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] box folders
Does anyone know of a source in the US for box folders? They are so easily found in Europe, but I can't seem to find them anywhere over here. For those who don't know quite what I am talking about, a box folder is a flat box (about 9.5 by 13 by 1.5 thick) the full top flap of which is held in place by elastic bands which hook around the two corners. I have a few of them, a couple probably bought in Europe and a couple from good friends who sent me papers and such, and I find them invaluable for storing loose papers on a bookshelf. But I don't know who carries them in the US. Any ideas? Thanks. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine USA, where we are at last getting beautiful weather, so long in coming this year. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] Swedish translation
A great big thanks to Ann-Marie Anderson for translating the Swedish pattern for me. It amazes me how we can all communicate with each other all over the world thanks to Arachne. The pattern is for a vest, done in thin wool, and is made of squares all joined together afterwards by stitching or crochet, with a crocheted border. It is not at all what we as lacemakers are used to. I suspect that it was some sort of beginner pattern perhaps taken from a crocheted design. Now that I have the official translation, I can proceed to turn it into lace, with proper joinings and perhaps a lace-made border instead of clumsy crochet. Thanks again to Ann-Marie and to Arachne who makes it all possible. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] need help for Swedish translation
I hope that there is someone out there who might be willing to translate some Swedish directions for me. It is for a vest, and the basic motif is easy enough to follow from the pricking. But I can't understand the directions for the border. Would anyone be willing? Thanks. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine, USA - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] Romanian Point lace
I have just recently had the good fortune to meet a lovely Romanian woman who lives in Portland, Maine, and in the course of our conversation I found that she had a small collection of Romanian point laces made by her mother and mother in law in the 1970s. She was kind enough to photograph them for me, and to write a short article explaining them. This is the first opportunity we have had to post anything in Romanian on the Archives web site, so if anyone out there would like to read the article in this language, we were thinking of you. For the rest of us, she made a nice translation into English. What I like about this collection is that it is the work of ordinary housewives, at home, using traditional patterns exchanged and varied as desired between neighbors and friends. We all know Angela Thompson's extensive exploration into the subject, and I was able to show my copy of Romanian Point Lace to Marina, who was quite amazed to think that something that she considers so ordinary to be of such interest to lacemakers around the world. See http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/webdocs/sm_2009.pdf Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Falmouth, Maine, USA, where it has been raining for at least two weeks. Today it is so dark that I have had to turn on the lights in the house at ten in the morning to see my way around! - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] de dillmont
Thanks so much for your recent posting on Arachne. My copy of Encyclopédie des Ouvrages de Dames shows 129 (Jan 1929) and parait en langues francaise, anglaise, italienne, espagnole et allemand; il en été tiré jusqu'à présent 1.190,000 exemplaires. Very helpful information, indeed. Tess Parrish Falmouth, Maine, USA= - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] Book search/Archives/a new book
It always makes me so happy when someone, Sister Claire in this case, introduces the Archives to someone who hasn't heard about them. Although we are no longer adding to number of CDs, eight in all, we are always ready to scan and post any books or other out of copyright (before 1923 or with the permission of the author if newer) and hope to keep on doing so as long as they can be found. And so, the great news for today is that Alex Stillwell has given us permission to include her marvellous book The Technique of Teneriffe Lace. It has been scanned and posted, and can be found at http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/ Scroll over to This Month and you will find it there, ready to read or copy. We don't have many copies of contemporary books, which is of course understandable, but we are extremely grateful to the authors for the few that we have been allowed to scan and post. This is a completely volunteer site and we check everything for copyright. Our only request is that anyone downloading books or other materials use them for their own purposes and not for any commercial gain. We also have requirements for the quality of the scans we are able to make, and look for originals that are in good shape. For instance, photocopies don't scan well, and we can rarely use them, sadly. I am always happy to be contacted by anyone who thinks that something she/ he has found would be a good addition. In the case of this book, I have to thank Alex first of all, because without her generosity we would none of us be able to read and use it. But I must also thank Jeri Ames, who pulled it down from the shelves of her enormous embroidery and lace library here in Maine and who was kind enough to drive an hour to bring it to me. And not least of all, we must all be grateful to John Cropper in Arizona who takes my scans, reviews them for errors, turns them into PDFs, and posts them on the site for all of us to enjoy. These make up the team which has brought The Technique of Teneriffe Lace to us all. We are grateful to them all. Now, go take a look! Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine USA, where yesterday all records were broken with a temperature of 93F' (33.9C')! - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] broomstick lace
Try looking up hairpin lace. I imagine the word broomstick was invented in the seventies when knitting, crochet, macrame, and other such handwork became so terribly coarse. The references I have in the older books--and the way it was referred to in my youth--were to hairpin. I have a tool from the old days, not much bigger than a lady's large hairpin, and I imagine that with fine thread and the small pin the work could look quite lovely. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine USA where spring is in full, glorious bloom! - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
Re: [lace] broomstick lace
I stand corrected. Thanks so much for clearing that up for me. I guess I never did real broomstick lace, jumping impulsively (as usual) to something I remembered. Going back to my old books, I don't find broomstick mentioned anywhere. It will be interesting to see what others may find. Tess On May 17, 2009, at 2:15 PM, Clive Betty Rice wrote: Nope, hairpin lace and broomstick crochet are different techniques. Hairpin lace alludes to the u-shape of the old fashioned hairpins which were used before the invention of the modern hairpin forms. Broomstick lace alludes to the broomstick before the invention of the large sized knitting needle and one needle is all that is needed. Stitches are cast on a needle (or broomstick) just as one would do to knit, then the stitches are crocheted off the needle. I have a size 60 American needle. I haven't done any broomstick or hairpin lace for ages. I learned when I was ill for a year as a teenager. There was no TV and my Mother was a needlewoman so I was kept quite busy, I can tell you! Leaving now to search out my Hairpin ladder and Broomstick needle Betty Ann in Roanoke, Virginia USA May 17, 2009 11:05:41 AM, tess1...@aol.com wrote: Try looking up hairpin lace. I imagine the word broomstick was invented in the seventies when knitting, crochet, macrame, and other such handwork became so terribly coarse. The references I have in the older books--and the way it was referred to in my youth--were to hairpin. I have a tool from the old days, not much bigger than a lady's large hairpin, and I imagine that with fine thread and the small pin the work could look quite lovely. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] on cleaning lace
This is for Jeri, after her long and very interesting post on the subject: Do you have an opinion on the soap called Orvus? It is used for washing wool and for that it can't be beat. I'm not sure whether this can be found outside the US, but it is carried here by feed stores because it is used to wash sheep and other animals. It is supposed to be the purest soap that exists and contains no phosphates or other nasty things. I would value an opinion on this where it concerns cleaning lace. Thanks, Jeri. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) also in Maine, reveling in our newest 12 accumulation of fluffy snow. The skiiers are going mad! - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] needle lace pillow dimensions
Delores asked me for the dimensions of the pillow I made: The pillow I made was as close to the ones I saw in Venice as I could get after coming home and scrounging what I could find. The diameter of the pillow needs to raise the work to convenient hand level when it is placed on the lap. Thus, mine has a diameter of 6 and is 12 long. The dowel that I had at had happens to be 2 in diameter, although I suspect that the Italian ones might have been closer to closet pole size (1). Not less than that, though, because it is what you use to free both hands for working and you need space to be comfortable. Its diameter is added to the height of the pillow on your lap. I made my dowel a little longer than the pillow itself, perhaps because that was the length of the piece of wood that I had, or maybe to make it easier to slip out when necessary. The main thing is to make it personal. It needs to fit you, not some set of rules. The ones the Italian lacemakers were using were all different, probably most of them home made. Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in Maine USA, where the predicted cold snap is just beginning to arrive: +2 degrees fahrenheit at 10 pm and will get lower overnight. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] needle lace pillow
I can't resist: go to http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/illustrations/pt_nlp.pdf and you will see the needle lace pillow I made after visiting the lacemaking group in Venice a few years ago. This should give you an idea of what it looks like and from that how to put it all together. It sits on your lap while you work. Also, I have just been scanning the Italian version of the DMC needle lace book. It will appear on the site under This Month, but wait a bit: it is still being processed by John Cropper, our loyal computer expert. You can find other copies of the same book in French and English as well. Go to: www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/books/dmc_lace_1.pdf (English) http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/books/dmc_ldal-1.pdf (French) For those newbies who may not know about the Archives site, go to http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/ and be prepared for a feast! You can search for something specific, check out the newest additions, and find a wealth of old books (pre-1923) that have been scanned and posted on the site. Topics will give you an idea of the subjects covered, and there are probably more perhaps not listed that way. This collection is in large part due to the many people who have lent their own precious books and documents and allowed them to be scanned and thus saved for posterity. If you have any that should be in the collection and which you want to lend for the site, we would be happy to hear from you. Enjoy! Tess (tess1...@aol.com) in snowy Maine USA - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] Macrame book
I am trying to find a DMC book called Le Macrame. It is not the encyclopedia that often pops up when one is looking for something DMC, but comes in two forms: a green cover which I think might be the original, or a whiteish cover with macrame on it which I think is a reprint. If anyone has this book and would be willing to lend it to me to scan, I would very much appreciate it. Or perhaps someone has already scanned it? I think I have found it for sale on line, but as you know I try to borrow it first if possible. I am also trying interlibrary loan, but that takes a while and I'm not sure I'll be lucky. Thanks so much. Tess ([EMAIL PROTECTED])who never stops working on the Archives site! - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[lace] Retournac
I am not sure what the rules are about mentioning a commercial venture on Arachne, but i have just received an email from the museum at Retournac asking me to post their latest information to those on Arachne who might be interested to know that they are now publishing in english. The URL for the newsletter in English is: http://www.ville- retournac.fr/musee/anglais/actualites/2008/news5/newsletter.html I visited the museum some years ago when they were just getting started, and even then it was a remarkable place, well worth the effort of getting there and staying for a bit to see all they have to offer. I know others have been there as well and enjoyed it as much as I did, so I hope it is all right to post this message. Obviously, I have no interest in this other than that of any lacemaker: it is nice to see a museum able to succeed as well as they seem to be doing. Tess ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) in Maine USA, where autumn is upon us with cooler temperatures and leaves all fallen. I was surprised to receive photos of my French grandchildren playing in the recent snowfall that they had there. I certainly thought we would get snow before they did! - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[lace] Alan Brown
For those many people who know Sheila Brown, she has just emailed me with the sad news that her husband Alan has just died after quite a siege with cancer. Some of you may already know this, but I thought others might not. Tess ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[lace] Bruges
Dear Alice, Your description of the Kantcentrum reminds me of the happy week I spent there some years ago. I was taking a three-day class with Martine Bruggeman, but since that didn't take all my time while in Bruges I signed up for the Open Classes. This put me into the large workroom, where you saw all the non-English-speaking women making lace. I was told by my son not to speak French, apparently thinking that the Flemish locals would not want to hear that language, so I kept pretty quiet. (Those who know me well will laugh at that!) I learned that the Open Classes were a sort of local club, sponsored on by the Kantcentrum for a very low fee, at which people could come simply to make lace. The only instruction--and I think this is a super way to handle large classes--was from the teacher sitting in the middle of three chairs along one wall. If you had a question you sat to one side of her and waited until she had finished with the person on her other side, then she answered your question carefully and fully while the next person waited in line. I didn't know it then, but the two teachers that covered the week I was there were the very ones that American (and other) lacemakers travel for miles to meet. And there were there for us, virtually free! It was a great way for the Kantcentrum to have a body of working lacemakers for the traveling public to see at work. As it turned out, I was the only one in the room who spoke English, so although my lacemaking was pretty basic, I had a constant stream of visitors at my pillow! And once I got to know the other lacemakers in the room they didn't worry about my only speaking French not Flemish, and I had one of the best times in my life. I got to know the local women a bit and got the sense of who lives in Bruges. Plus, I polished a few lacemaking skills. Thanks for the memories. Tess - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[lace] questionnaire from Retournac/web site info
I have just received a questionnaire from Marion Chastaing at the museum at Retournac. They are apparently trying to reach previous visitors to the museum (I was there in 2001) to compile information that would be useful for area tourism. I wonder if anyone else has heard from them? Also, this is a reminder that the scanning still goes on. See http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/ and scroll to the bottom of the page to find recent months' postings. For those who are collecting them, there are now eight CDs, all available at http://www.handweaving.net/Store.aspx There will be no more CDs, I'm afraid, because it takes so long to fill them up, but I have just finished another set of little scans thanks to Karen Thompson, and I'm waiting for some stuff from Sheila and possibly Sister Claire. So the work continues, if a bit more slowly than in the frantic days when the Professor was alive. I hope that the above isn't considered a sales pitch. I just hear from so many people who want to know about the web site that I try to post the information now and then for the newbies. Tess ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) in Maine, full of flowers and lovely weather. - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[lace] leaves and tallies
A refinement on the leaves as described by Tamara: The most important thing about getting them regular and smooth is tension. And this means constant tension on the two outside threads. When Tamara says that she had difficulty with this (needed the services of a chiropractor...), I know exactly what she means! I learned how to make the leaves as taught at Brioude, and those women have rubber hands! But there is a way to cheat a little bit which makes it possible for the rest of us. Line up the bobbins as Tamara says, with the worker bobbin in position number three. Then, if you hold bobbins one and four firmly in between the last two fingers in each hand, you can keep the all- important tension steady. The trick is to hold bobbins one and four way out on each side while you flip the crossover in the middle. (Yes, that's possible.) Now for the hard part--which the lacemakers in Brioude can do without a hitch: When you are ready to make the double twist on the right, you turn your right hand over, still holding those outer bobbins firmly between those outer fingers, pick up the right hand bobbin between your second and third fingers and flip the double twist. What they do in Brioude is to pick up that right bobbin with thumb and forefinger. This is impossible, if you ask me, but they can do it. The left side, for some reason, is much easier to do. It's that right hand that just doesn't bend that far. Clear as mud? Ulrich Lohr (Kloppeln--Handbuch mit 350 Tricks und Kniffen, pp 51-53) is the only pictorial resource I have found for this. However, I notice that she is not holding the outside bobbins between the two outer fingers on each hand, and for me that is the trick to good tension. And yes, it takes practice, a lot of practice, but once you have the basic motions down pat, your leaves will really be easy and quite automatic to make. I guess you have to see it done. If I knew of someone who could make a movie of it, I'd be glad to be the model. Though I can't guarantee that my tallies really stand up to the perfection of the French lacemakers in Brioude. Maybe they should make the movie... Tess ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) in Maine USA where we are full in the middle of a glorious flowering spring! - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[lace] Quebec trip in June
I will be in Quebec City for a family gathering over the weekend of June 21st. Can anyone tell me if there is anything lace/costume/ textile/etc going on then? I will have my own car and a willing driver, my sister, who is interested in everything I like, so we are game for whatever we can see or visit. We are also interested in (old) churches and their contents (textiles, woodcarvings, history) if any are available. We plan to drive directly from Portland, Maine to Quebec, but if there are places we should see on the way we could certainly build in the time. Or, if there are places out in the country in Quebec east of the big city that might be nice, too. We will have plenty of time. Thanks. Tess ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) where I just looked out the window and saw SNOW falling--again! Oof! - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[lace] currency conversion
Having just returned from checking out the family lace collection in France, I was trying to figure out what a couple of the pieces that had been marked with their purchase prices in 1895 might be worth in the euros of today. Here are two currency conversion URLs which might be of interest to those trying to make similar comparisons: http://www.histoire-genealogie.com/article.php3?id_article=398 http://erwan.gil.free.fr/index.php?mod=freepagespageid=109 These sites are in French, but should not be too hard to understand for those whose French is somewhat limited. Tess ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) back home in Maine, where the snow still stubbornly remains unmelted. - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
