Re: [lace] What is the best way to start bobbin lace?
In my zeal to promote lacemaking, I admit that I did not address the question of whether you can pick up and put down bobbin lace with this questioner. I do agree that it is not the easiest thing to pick up and put down. In fact, one of the things I like about it is the intense concentration that you often feel when you are tackling a difficult pattern, a sort of neurological buzz that you get when you are "in the zone". Readers of the IOLI Bulletin may recall my article about my struggle with lacemaking addiction in which I make lace to excess, neglecting important tasks. I confess that I seem to be in one of those states now, especially as the weather is in the single digits. I find I am starting my morning with a little lacemaking "eye opener" which often extends into the afternoon. I am now shooting through recorded books as though there is no tomorrow. In normal times, I often don't even start because I know I can't stop. So, perhaps it was wrong of me to encourage a young mother to take it up, or rather not to discourage her. Devon - 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/
Re: [lace] What is the best way to start bobbin lace?
Other parts of Devonâs meassage have already been addresses. This part: âIs this hobby something easy to pack away (so my kids canât get their hands in it) and something I can pick up and leave as my free time permits? I have some experience in crocheting but beginners level.â Honestly, my answer would be ânoâ. Yes, you might be able to pack it up and put it away out of reach of 2 toddlers, but is it as easy as packing up crochet? No. But more importantly, if her free time is so very limited and sporatic then I seriously question that she has the time to devote to the early stages of learning bobbin lace. In my experience a beginner needs to devote a fair amount of âconsistentâ attention to learning lace, and if not you will easily find yourself a few weeks later asking âwhat is a cross?â Maybe after she gets comfortable and familiar with the basics THEN someone might be able to âpick up and leaveâ, but this doesnât happen with most beginners for quite some time. Of course there are always those that pick ut up right away, but then she has only âsome experience in crocheting at a beginner level.â I would suggest that she continue to pursue that hobby as it is more easily picked up and put away. My personal story my first lace class was with Betty Aldeson of Snowgoose at a stitching conference. It was on a Saturday outside Chicago. My husband, 10y daughter and 21mo son came along. While I was in class DH took the kids to the zoo. After I got home, I made one more bookmark. As a working mom, everything got âpacked up and out of the wayâ. It didnât come back down for 3 years when I found a local community college and the Doris Southard Lace guild. Still was a working mom. Didnât devote much more time to lace until I left my job and my son was in school. So the reality is, that just because you want to make beautiful lace NOW, it doesnât mean it wonât happen later. I also do understant the desire to find a fulfilling hobby for your prescious free time! Anita Hansen In cold but sunny Iowa! - 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/
Re: [lace] What is the best way to start bobbin lace?
As a millennial I will just chime in to say that today’s young people are not as divided in taste as perhaps they were in the past. You might be surprised to find that many girls like dinosaurs & trucks, and many boys like pink & flowers. The easiest way is just to offer everyone the same range of choices and let them decide! If you want to attract young people and children to lacemaking, which Brooklyn Lace Guild has been successful in doing, an updated approach might help. :) Also I agree with the suggestions of the Bobbin lacemakers Facebook group! There are lots of beginners in there, and people to help them. Hope everyone is staying warm today! Best, Elena - 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 is the best way to start bobbin lace?
The Facebook groups Lacemaking and Bobbin Lacemaking are excellent groups to join for beginners and experienced lacemakers. Highly recommended. Ann UK - 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/
RE: [lace] What is the best way to start bobbin lace?
Many years ago Elizabeth Kurella designed some dinosaur patterns, very simple, but just the thing to entice a boy. I don't know if the patterns were ever published or where one could find them. I would love to see them readily available. Lorelei -Original Message-Subject: Re: [lace] What is the best way to start bobbin lace? I think the biggest problem is what they are to make, as that usually is slanted toward female lace makers.Flowers are not going to work for a boy of that age. Thus I think the most difficult bit of this admirable plan is to find things in lace that boys would want to make. - 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/
Re: [lace] What is the best way to start bobbin lace?
Does the mother want to learn herself or teach her sons? As an educator, I feel 2 years is too young to start lace, they need to have developed a working memory that allows them to hold quite a bit of information and they need good fine motor skills. The four year old may be just ready. Is the mother basically saying I want a hobby how do I start. If it is the latter question I would say suggest U tube BUT also put her in touch with a local group she may just need time out from the munchkins or talk to real adults. She may be socially isolated and may simply need to get out with people. Also invite her to arachne as well Anna in a wet Sydney - 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/
Re: [lace] What is the best way to start bobbin lace?
I started to learn lace when my son was 10 months old - so it is possible to combine with a young child. However I hope she has a less absent-minded partner than my husband. He was supposed to be looking after my son while I cooked. Instead I heard an interesting pinging sound coming from the dining room, where it turned out that my son had discovered that if you pulled each bobbin carefully the thread would snap. He managed to break about 17 threads before I found out - on the corner of a piece of Bucks lace. I ordered them both out of the house before I did something I'd regret to the older one of them!! Sue suebabbs...@gmail.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/
Re: [lace] What is the best way to start bobbin lace?
Lyn, I guess I didn't make myself clear. It is the mother who wants to learn. I mentioned the children because it occurred to me that it wouldn't be that easy for her to leave the house. Also, I left out another part of the message. The entire message said, "I have two young boys. Two and 4 years old. They keep me busy most of the time. But I’m wanting to start a hobby so bad for the little free time that I have. Is this hobby something easy to pack away (so my kids can’t get their hands in it) and something I can pick up and leave as my free time permits? I have some experience in crocheting but beginners level. What’s the best way for me to start this hobby? I’d love to make beautiful lace." I am not sure what to say about the matter of whether it is easy to pack away and pick up. Devon - 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 is the best way to start bobbin lace?
I taught myself from the Doris Southard book until I found a group about 40 miles away. From there, I found suppliers. This was before I used the Internet much. Found Arachne which helped.  Nowadays I am on Bobbin Lace Makers on Facebook and try to help with suggestions for people new to lace.  If they are in the US, I look in the IOLI handbook to see if I can spot a lacemaker in their city and if so, suggest they go to the IOLI website to contact the area rep. I also encourage them too join so they can borrow books and videos just for postage costs. It is wonderful to see so many new lacemakers online and is a useful reply to the "Dying Art" response when demonstrating.  That drives me nuts, especially if we are working with children. Janice Blair Murrieta, CA, jblace.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/
Re: [lace] What is the best way to start bobbin lace?
"My email sends out an automatic message. Arachne members, please ignore it. I read your emails."Dear Devon, et al, I am assuming this mother lives in the US, so we have this situation. A mother, experienced in bobbin lacemaking, with two young sons and she wants them to learn bobbin lace. So, we have a teacher, two young boys, no likelihood of nearby schools, and how to teach them. First of all, she has plenty of time to actually teach them, especially the younger, and figure out how that is done. Teaching the basic steps doesn't have many significant variations. The 'bandage' is the usual beginning. I think the biggest problem is what they are to make, as that usually is slanted toward female lace makers. From my courses preparing me for a teaching certificate in another life, I learned that this could be quite important, as around the age of six, children are learning about what it is that makes them a boy or a girl. It's the only age when all little girls, virtually, want pink, for example. Flowers are not going to work for a boy of that age. I am away from my books, so I can'! t refer to them except by memory. I think the best book, off the top of my head, is the one made by the Lace Museum in California. Also the rather expensive German looseleaf book designed for teachers of young lacemakers. Tapelace can make all sorts of trucks and bulldozers, items usually cherished by boys. I have two sons, I remember. The other possibility is 3d modern lace. Le Puy en Velay has a school for youngsters, as does Kant Centrum in Bruges, and the lace place in Brioude, France. Writing to them and finding out how they teach this could be useful. I know that one motif used in Bruges for teaching youngsters is a half stitch fish in multicolored crochet cotton. Thus I think the most difficult bit of this admirable plan is to find things in lace that boys would want to make. Lyn from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA, presently in the Arizona desert, enjoying sunshine and warmth. About to break out the shorts. "My email sends out an automatic message. Arachne members, please ignore it. I read your emails." I have received a >question to the page from a woman who has two young sons, 2 and 4. She >asks "What is the best way to start this hobby?" ... >I am now contemplating whether it might be easier in this day and age >for someone to teach themselves lacemaking than to locate and attend a >class. As we know, classes are few, meet rarely, and tend to be so >spread out that distance becomes a problem. I think this might be >especially the case for a young mother. >What answer should I give this questioner about the best way to start the >hobby? >Devon > - 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 is the best way to start bobbin lace?
As you may know, I am the IOLI facebook editor. I have received a question to the page from a woman who has two young sons, 2 and 4. She asks "What is the best way to start this hobby?" Ordinarily I would say that she should get in touch with a local lace group that would tell her where lessons are available. My experience, learning in the 1970s was that I could never have learned from the books available then. Also, sourcing the materials was very challenging in pre-internet days. I have not had the experience of trying to learn bobbin lace recently. I was quite struck when I put together Lace, not Lace, to see that many of the younger contributors had taught themselves. One had been a student at the Maryland Art Institute and taught herself from a library book. Another, Brooklyn based, had taught herself from youtubes and books. Penny Nickels, the needle lacer who made the Jersey Devil had taught herself from books on the University of Arizona site. It was actually overwhelming to realize that all the efforts of local groups to give books to libraries, and of Tess and the Professor to post them on the site had actually borne fruit in the form of artists learning from these resources. I am now contemplating whether it might be easier in this day and age for someone to teach themselves lacemaking than to locate and attend a class. As we know, classes are few, meet rarely, and tend to be so spread out that distance becomes a problem. I think this might be especially the case for a young mother. What answer should I give this questioner about the best way to start the hobby? Devon - 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/
