Jane has told you part of the tale, here is my part.
The trip was great! Driving down was also quite interesting. I got to go thru NJ, where I had not been before. Our route took us over the Tappan Zee bridge, a marvel in itself. It was quite surprising to find myself only 20 miles from NYC. I'm sure those 20 miles would take a long time, not like the 20 miles at home would be. It was quite strange to exit a 4 lane divided highway onto another multi lane divided highway. Bumper to bumper traffic, barely moving, not moving at times. Not at all what I'm used to!
There were over 200 lace makers at the conference. All kinds of classes, many different types of lace. People from all over the world. Lots and lots of vendors, more arrived thursday and friday. Books, threads, patterns, tools. Everything a lacemaker could need. It was so great to meet the lacemakers who write to the lists and be able to put a face to the name.
I took tatting classes with Judith Connors from Australia. One class was about inverted tatting, a new technique for me. Now I will be able to do the patterns from 'New Dimensions in Tatting', a book I have had for a number of years. I've looked at it and put it back on the shelf many times, wondering, how does she do that? It is great to have that mystery solved. The other class I took was called Pearl Tatting in Fancy Dress. I have lots of ideas for the pearl tatting. I'd done a little of that before, and can now see many uses for it.
The IOLI meeting and the regional meetings were very interesting. It was good to find out more about the organization, aside from the lovely magazine. As the bylaws where having some changes made, I was careful to read thru them all. The group does important work in keeping lace valued as a process and a product. The new competency and mastery programs lool interesting. Some day I hope to participate in these programs.
To see so many vendors in one place was amazing! All the books and patterns that I could look at and drool over. I got the Manuela Beck butterfly book I've been waiting for, and several tatting books. I discovered Cathy Bellville's chrysanthemum jewelry and Jana Novak's jewelry patterns, these will be so fun to do! I've gotten so many ideas of things to do that I will be busy for a looong time!
Now I am hard at work on my entry for the Craft Adventure at Eastern States in Springfield, MA; a tatted Lighthouse. Can't wait to see if it comes out like I can see it in my head, this is my first attempt at designing!
Sumac in soggy southern Vermont
Susan G. MacLeod Dummerston, VT USA NATA #69
new! www.sumac.us
www.sover.net/~sumac
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