In a message dated 28/08/2004 02:32:39 GMT Standard Time, Tamara writes: > "Rendition" might be better? I usually put "interpretation" on mine, > but that's because I tend to twiddle, however minutely, with the > existing patterns (even my own <g>).
Now why doesn't it surprise me that Tamara twiddles with even her own patterns - we are lace makers we just can't help fiddling around with patterns, it's what we do - I'm trying to explain to the Aussie that just because it looks like that on the photograph does not mean it will come out anything like it! Here is another thought - when I first started making lace and knew no better, I was given a pricking from someone else's pattern - it was something someone had bought in Brussels and then said I could have a copy by pricking through the pattern (an old fashioned way of taking a copy). Then a few months later I was making the lace at a re-enactment and this woman came up and started talking to me and asked me 5 or 6 times if she could have a copy of the pattern and actually started to write out her address for me to send it too. I was young and foolish and sent her a copy. But I know now that whilst I was wrong to accept the copy myself in the first place I was very wrong to give in to this woman. And she wasn't just wrong but RUDE to insist on hassling me until I gave in. Now, with many of the books I want out of print (and costing the earth second hand) and the new ones coming in at high prices I am protecting copyrights out of sheer meanness. I feel that if I've paid all that money for a pattern why on earth should I give it to someone else for, essentially free. If they really wanted it as much as they are windging on about then they should go and buy it. Arguements like - oh I only wanted the one pattern from that book and it's 25 pounds are stupid - get it out of the library then, you are allowed to copy the one pattern - but they even windge about paying the 20p to photocopy it - you could just quickly scan that in for me. Actually, one of the reasons I don't have a flat bed scanner (mine is part of my printer / fax machine which takes single pages only and not books) is that I can't just scan it in for anyone and I still trog off to the photocopying machine in the library with my books and pay my 5p per copy, so I can't just do one copy. I have a simple rule when I start a pattern - I make two copies. I put the original away for safe keeping as a master. I destroy one when I make a pricking out of it and the other I scribble all over with notes. I turned up at a lesson once with my copies in order to scribble on them whilst my students were busy (I do sometimes get lessons when they actually don't need to ask too many questions and we can chat whilst we all get on with our lace!!) and one of my students had the gall to actually say 'Oh, you've got more than one copy - give me one' I explained that one was for making the pricking and one was for writing on and she told me to give her one and make another copy for myself. It was the start of the end of a friendship! Yes, I know that money is often tight - I'm lucky at this time that I can go to a lace fair and buy pretty much what I want but it wasn't always that way - so I used to save up for the fairs and allocate so much to each type of thing I wanted and if I couldn't afford it I didn't buy it. What I did was make a wish list of things I wanted and could afford and then my mum, aunt and grandmother would give me money before the lace fair to buy things off the list for birthdays and Xmas. Now, every book and pricking that I own has a link to a fair, a present and a person. Mum used to take my list to the local discount book store and see if there were any books there I wanted or simply didn't have - she got me over 15 that way over a period of 10 years and I treasure every one as my mum has no idea what she was buying or if it was relevant but as I've progressed in my lacemaking I've needed the books (the first she bought me was on Withof Lace about 3 months after I started making lace, then Binche!, then Honiton - boy am I grateful for them now!) I also found that if I really wanted a pattern, or actually, supply even, then I could ask a supplier to put one aside for me for a month or two and buy it when I could afford it or to save on postage - pick it up at a fair. Most single patterns are no more than a couple of pounds - is that really so expensive - I've just looked on the Biggins site and most of Vivienne's pattern are about £1.85. There are patterns I've wanted but can't get now but I'll live. But I know now, I won't be pressurised again into giving a copy to a complete stranger because they are making a scene infront of me. I also wonder if she ever made that lace of was one of those people who just has to have a pattern because no one else she knew had it. A bit like that woman I taught who just wanted to look clever (wear glasses for heaven's sake that'll work better) Regards Liz in London I'm back blogging my latest lace piece - have a look by clicking on the link or going to http://journals.aol.com/thelacebee/thelacebee - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
