The Banquet was nice, food good for a crowd of some 100 people. You'll need to ask attendees about the Cat in the Hat! As it was the Hats off to Lace as a theme. This rookie didn't 'get it' about the theme. Hmmm there should be a rookie in's and out's for these types of events.
The after dinner program was by Nicky Howener-Townsend and she spoke on the Suffolk Lace and the Lacemakers of Eye. The passion she has for this lace was amazing. She has spent great efforts to track down the origins of the lace and finding the old bobbins that have been and are still being unearthed!
Of course they had a 'tea cup' type auction and lots and lots of items were donated. This time I didn't get a prize! Though that antique bolster pillow would go along with my Christina.
My class on Sunday was a continuation of what we did on Saturday afternoon. We went from using a #20 cotton to a 36/2 cotton on the second piece. What a great comparison - using the same stitches. A good item for the beginners. I must say, our teacher, Jean, did a wonderful job as the teacher. Hat's off to her. The students in this class were amazing; according to Jean - this was a remarkable group of students.
I stayed and took the optional Monday class. We made yet another item using only the half stitch and footsides. It was a circle and it allowed the students to see how to use a back stitch to keep the circle from collapsing. We also added beads all the way around.
Let's say it was an enjoyable weekend. Wish I could have taken a class to further my own lace skills, though widening my knowledge to begin the necessary work for teachers is truly rewarding in its own right.
It was a long drive back - thank goodness for audio books. Stay tuned - I'll have some more news on teach the teacher in the coming months.
Back from Ithaca - love your lace,
Patty
