Dear Lacers:

I took part in the OSV 'Redcoats and Rebels' reenactment this past weekend and camped the weekend with the Stow Minute Men.  I set up as a lacemaker on both Saturday & Sunday and passed out approx. 50 NELG brochures and even more Stow MM brochures.  I had an "apprentice" sit with me for an entire day and she started learning to make lace:  whole stitch, half stitch, variations by twisting the passives and weavers, and a few inches of Torchon ground.  She was really thrilled.  I'm hoping that this might also grow our membership as well.

Additionally, I think you should know that over the weekend, we had 6500 visitors to OSV and that we had such a visible location, that it seemed as though everyone visited our site.  We were, in spite of the horrible heat/humidity, straight out with questions, pictures, trying to make lace, examining lace that I brought.  And now, there is a budding lacemaker who will be moving back to MI in a couple of days.  So I'm going to get some contacts for her.

Pictures that were taken by a more professional photographer 2 weeks ago at the OLD MANSE in Concord are going to be made available.  Linda Lane and I were the 2 lacers.  I strong encourage the lacemakers to even just day-trip it to demo lace.

We also were visited by an older man who has his Eastern-block lace collection handed down to him by parents & grandparents, all the more dear to him because he lost relatives to the concentration camps.

This upcoming weekend is the Bolton Fair in MA and the following weekend is the Deerfield Valley Fair in Wilmington, VT.  I'm going to each.  I hope someone joins me.

Linda Sheff