Blog & News

To all, the deadline for the less expensive entries is quickly approaching.  If you get your entries in by Friday of next week, the price is $5 per entry.  I hope you all will be able to enter something.

As for myself, I promised myself that I would only enter things with finished lace.  Oh,  dear!  I broke that promise.  I have entered a piece that is only a pattern at this point.  It is a small Duchesse bell.  We will see if it makes it to the Big E.  It is a small piece that will give me some practice, so there is a good chance that it will make it.

For those of you who do not see the Arachne posts, Jean Leader mentioned that a couple of years ago she put together a booklet (42 pages) about identifying hand-made lace that was used for a series of workshops for textile curators organized by the Dress and Textile Specialists in partnership with the V&A.  This booklet includes useful information about the conservation, display, and storage of lace.  It is online at

http://www.dressandtextilespecialists.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Identifying-Handmade-lace.pdf

Thanks to Jean for posting this.  And yes, I used a good deal of her text description here.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB113988355753173114

Since many of our members like to go to the Ithaca Lace days, I have received the registration form in the mail.  More information can be found through Holly's website (www.vansciverbobbinlace.com).   The registration form hasn't been posted yet, but given the past history, it should show up soon.  If you really need a form sooner, please contact me and I will get one to you.

Is anyone going to the IOLI Convention this year?  If so, I would like to ask a favor -- it involves a vendor.  Please contact me (email) if it might be possible.  I would be ever so grateful!  Thanks!  -- Bryce

The Big E has made some changes to their website, so the navigation is new and a little unfamiliar.  I hope everyone is planning on entering.  Here is a link to the page with the rules, forms, etc. 

http://www.thebige.com/competitions/creative-arts/creative-arts-catalog/

You will find the link for electronic entries also on this page.  Entries before 1 August are $5.  There is a $10 penalty for later entries with the final date of 15 August.  Note that there is no requirement that the project be finished when you enter, so consider entering an unfinished project as motivation to get it finished.

There is also information about mailing entries.  Some NELG members will be taking entries directly to the Big E.  If your entry "needs a ride", please contact us and we will try to arrange something.

I admit that most of you already know the results of the election at the June meeting, but to be official, I will be president for another 2 years and Kate Moore has been elected to the Member-at-Large position.  Thanks to all who showed up to the meeting to vote as well as those who voted absentee ballots including two who voted electronically via e-mail. 

Technically, the e-mail ballots could have been disregarded since the bylaws only mention mail-in ballots, but we did not reject them.  We did vote to specifically mention electronic balloting in the latest revisions to the bylaws.  I expect that we will see more ballots cast electronically in the future.  The revised bylaws will be posted in the next day or so.

The annual NELG retreat was held last weekend, and it was a great time.  I'd like to thank the retreat committee, Jill and Winann, for handling the logistics.  The popup thread containers from Rosalie were a pleasant surprise.  Mary once again provided ambiance with her sea shore themed center pieces.  Allie and Holly expanded our lace knowledge with their classes while Gerry and Tom manned the vendor tables.  Sr. Claire manages the retreat center well despite the challenges of an old building.  Jim's ATC competition went well with 9 entries this year.  It was great to see so many entries.  Bryce managed the silent auction which is one of the highlights of the event.  Susan transported most of our library to the event.  We had a lot of activity in the library.  Thanks to you all!

I would also like to point out that Carolyn Purcell made a very generous donation of books to NELG.  Some of these books were sold in the silent auction.  We will be adding a number of them into the NELG library which will expand the coverage of bobbin lace in particular.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

And, of course, to everyone who attended, whether they were there full time, commuted to class, or just came to shop, your participation is appreciated.

Reported earlier today, the Smithsonian American History Museum collection  has launched on-line the first group of 37 war laces.  

Read more about and you can see the  WW1 Lace at the Smithsonian

NELG's Facebook page received a 'Like' this week from Greg Cook in Boston, MA who quoted Linda Lane “In lace, there is a whole world of technique in just getting around a corner."  

Greg also included a link to the 'Keepers of Tradition' blog where Linda is featured as one of artists who are hand crafting textiles in the 21st century. Read more about it here: http://blog.massfolkarts.org/index.php/2015/04/hand-crafting-textiles-in-the-21st-century/

Enjoy!

Jill