Blog & News

Sadly, we received the news that Jeannet van Oord passed away yesterday, 9 November 2019.  She was a prominent lace teacher for NELG for many years.  I have met so many people who have learned from her over the years, myself included.  She will be missed, but in many ways her legacy lives on.  Even today, I was mentioning to some people that when someone says they use a 7-2 picot I usually find Jeannet somewhere in their backgrounds.

Jeannet once mentioned to me that she had started out as a general craft teacher.  Once she discovered bobbin lace, that was the craft for her.  I learned Binche from her as well as Withof.  She was special.

So for her family, I send my deepest sympathies.  While their grief is no doubt huge, there are also many of us who are also so sad at this time.

Lenka of Lenka's Wire Lace sent me a postcard announcing her "3rd Lace heart art International Challenge and Online Exhibition of Handmade Bobbin Lace in Colour".

Entering the challenge seems very doable and there are prizes.

https:lenkas.com/laceartheart/

Have fun and good luck!

Last Saturday, NELG's annual "road trip" was a visit to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston MA.  I had been there several times before, so I was not expecting an exceptional visit.  After all, this is a museum that has restricted its collection due to the will of Mrs. Gardner. 

I really appreciated our tour.  Our guide focused on a few of the paintings as well as the lace collection.  What was interesting to me was that it wasn't a one way passing of information.  Our group was able to pass information to the guide, so it was a conversation.

The last time I was there was before the new addition was added.  It was also a time when the lace collection was not displayed for some reason.  The lace is  available to see now, although it is not brightly lit for conservation reasons.  Having learned a thing or two about lace over time, it is a wonderful collection of lace.  My guess is 18th century or earlier for most of it.  Gorgeous Mechlin and Binche are there.  When you look at it, you should remember that someone spun those spider-web weight linen threads by hand, as well as that someone in a blacksmith shop produced the pins by hand.  Needless to say, we cannot reproduce them now.

So thank you Gardner Museum.  I really enjoyed the visit.

I will blame this one on Judy since she is very interested in fans as can be seen by her lovely little fan that did so nicely in the Big E. 

For those of us who get serious about lace, we tend to collect resources over the years, no matter what type of lace it is.  Often we buy lace books for access to the patterns even if we know we can't make them until we learn more than we know.  I know I am guilty of that many times over.  We can get overwhelmed by books after a while.  Typically, I will flip though a book to see if it should be added, but just a typically, I also set it aside once purchased since there are other distractions in my life.  I do like to look at the pictures, but often reading the text goes on a "to do" list.  But Judy's fan has reminded me that I have yet to read Claudette and Michel Bouvot's book entitled "Eventails" ("Fans").  Oh my,  the pictures are great, but there is so much history there.  I will enjoy reading it.

You can now register your entries for the Big E.  Registrations will be accept through 15 August.  Here are the relevant links:

For information on the Department and Division go to https://d38trduahtodj3.cloudfront.net/files.ashx?t=fg&rid=TheBigE&f=2_Lace.pdf.  Please note that if you have participated in the Big E before, the department number has changed, so please read this document. 

Information on the competition rules, how to mail an entry, and a link to the online entry form are on https://www.thebige.com/p/competitions/creative-arts.  This page will also let you access the paper entry form if you choose to manually enter, as well as the entry labels.  Please note that we will have people in both CT and MA who will be bringing in entries and retrieving them after the Big E is finished, so you may not need to mail your entry.

NELG will still be coordinating demonstrators.  While in past years it has been a little less formal (yes, a group of us have made the decision to demonstrate based on no one else showing up on the next day), this year's rules will require preregistration by every demonstrator.  You will be signing up on the NELG event calendar, but this needs to be done by 1 August.

I hope to see your entry in the display case.  Please note that registering your entry is not the same as having a complete entry.  The entries need to be completed before 3 September which is the day that they must be at the Big E.  Yes, I have a couple of my entries started, but one has not gone beyond the design stage.  I will get them done!

While the Big E is not quite ready for entries yet (they promise to have that part of the website active later this month), I hope that everyone is making plans for entering.  Lace projects are not usually started and completed in one day.  You can have up to three entries for the Big E.  Entries are not limited to complicated laces.  Beginners are welcome and even have their own category.  I will update this blog as necessary, but please consider entering something.  This is a great way to let people know that there are lacemakers out there.

I watched a video on Idrija lace this morning.  This is a video from UNESCO.  there are a lot of short interviews with lace makers, both women and men, as well as designers.  The lace patterns they are using are beautiful.  While Idrija uses few bobbins and coarser thread than the continental laces, it is a beautiful lace.  Here is the link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NjYtxBLocTU

Enjoy!

With the NELG Retreat rapidly approaching, I would like to mention to anyone out there who would like to start learning bobbin lace that we will be having a beginner's class this year.  This is open to anyone who would like to learn, not just NELG members.  If you are interested, follow the links to the retreat details on the NELG home page. The retreat will be held in North Andover MA from May 16 - 19 2019.  Registration ends on April 15.

I noticed this piece on NPR this morning (https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/02/02/660636686/senegals-stunning-gold-jewelry-and-the-controversial-women-who-wore-it), and while it is not technically lace, it certainly reminds me of lace.  This is about gold jewelry from Senegal that is worked with filigree.  There is more information and pictures on the Smithsonian's website (https://africa.si.edu/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/good-as-gold-fashioning-senegalese-women/).  Perhaps it will inspire lacemakers, particularly those who like to make wire lace.

Just heard about this brand new event that is taking place in Lowell MA. If you're in the area, why don't you check it out?

http://millno5.com/event/mill-no-5-fiber-fest-2019/