Blog & News

We received a wonderful thank you from Sr. Claire for all the stars and snowflakes that were sent for their 2013 holiday display.  I have just posted some photos on the Lace Projects webpage, together with a list of all the lacemakers who took part.

OK.  So far winter has not been too wonderful.  But start thinking ahead to May!  It is not too soon to start setting aside items for the Silent Auction -- always one of our most popular activities!  All items related to lace or fiber are eagerly sought.  Give to me, or Clare Settle in CT. 

Also the Lace Challenge ATC packets are ready.  They will be available at the Jan. meeting or I will mail you a packet upon request.  Submit your original design ATC for judging at Retreat by your peers and the teachers.  There are prizes!  Again, a lot of fun and no pressure.

More info will be in the Feb. newsletter.   Just think sunshine, warm breezes, unlimited lace time...it's coming!

Happy lacing!

I hope everyone has made it through our long holiday season so far.  Mine has been a bit hectic with a wedding in early December in Maryland including a return trip that was a bit challenging due to snow.  That was followed by Sunday Lace the next week that was moved to Saturday to work around yet another snowstorm. 

The next week was NELG.  Given how close it was to Christmas, having six people attend, bring food, have a gift exchange, and actually stay for a while just to converse was really a pleasant break.  The commute home was interesting since I seemed to share the road with a ton of electric crews headed to Northern New England to be ready for the bad ice storm that even now has people waiting for the lights to return.  This may be the lot of life for linemen, but given the holidays, I suspect a number of them would have preferred to be at home with family and friends.

We are almost at the end of the holiday season with New Year's Day on Wednesday.  If you are someone who makes New Year's resolutions, here are some lace suggestions:

1. If you have unfinished projects, pick out one to finish and do it.  It will free up some equipment and space as well as give a sense of accomplishment.
2. Please remember that the Big E comes again next summer.  This is our biggest display of the year, and it won't happen without our members contributing.  All lace is welcome, and your contribution is important.  Getting the pieces planned early so they can be finished ahead of time will make it a lot easier.
3. Volunteer for something.  NELG always has plenty of opportunities.  If you have something that would make a good program at a meeting, please let us know.  If you are planning on going to the retreat, we could use another co-chair for the silent auction.
   
4. Pass your knowledge along to others.  You don't have to run a formal lace class to teach someone.  If you can help someone with their lace, you are passing along your knowledge.  Local lace meetings are great places for this to happen.
5. Attend a demo.  This is one way that we spread the word that handmade lace still exists and is a great activity to learn.

I hope this list gives you some ideas. 

Wishing you the best for the New Year,
Sharon

This was recently shared with me by Lorraine W:

We had a wonderful workshop with Rita at the NELG meeting on 11/16.  There is a certain knack that must be acquired to perfect the netting knot -- sort of like learning to "flip" that tatting knot.  And although most of us had difficulty trying to keep the thread wrapped around the correct fingers, some of us actually made a little progress!  Rita has agreed to come back to our January meeting, which is devoted to UFOs among other things, and help us further with the bag project if wanted.  So keep on netting!  I think she said it's a little like tallies -- it takes a 100 or a 1000....

And be sure to check out Jeri's report in the post below.

Netting Artist, Stephanie Crossman
 
On November 2, 2013, I discovered Stephanie Crossman, of Vinalhaven, Maine  www.mainenetbags.com at a Maine Crafts Guild museum show located in the large entrance lobby of the Maine State Museum.  When I exclaimed that some of her Netting was like lace art, and introduced myself, she asked if I knew Lauran Sundin.  It was then that we knew we could "talk lace".
 
This artist has a web site that features a limited selection of her creations.  I suggest you look at each tab:
 
Pocket bags, Shopping bags, Shawls and Scarves are what you would expect, though each is unique.  But the one you really must view is Sculpture.
 
These items are made with very fine threads, using old hand-made tools inherited from a great grandmother, not standard-size netting needles.  All these small thread sculptures were presented in protective shadow boxes, none much more that 8" in height.  The featured item is a Jelly Fish, and it was the first that caught my eye.  It is shaped to puff out from the surface, somewhat like a child's balloon.  Then, position your screen arrow over the Sand Dollar, Lady's Slipper, Bird. and Fish to enlarge other images.  All are 3-D.
 
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For research and instruction, there are chapters in books devoted to Netting, but fully-dedicated-to-the-subject books may be hard to find.  IOLI has some, listed with Needle Lace books:
 
http://www.internationalorganizationoflace.org/iolilibrarylist.pdf
 
N-065 Art of Netting from the Kliots - 112 p. reprint
N-084 Beautiful Netting, by Rita Bartholomew - 66 p. for 2001 IOLI Class
N-057 Harper's Bazar (sic) Netting Patterns - 26 p. of articles & patterns
N-034 Knotting & Netting, by Lisa Melen - 88 p. hardback
N-082 Make Nets, Here's How, by H.T. Ludgate - 72 p.
N-066 Priscilla Netting Book - 40 p.
 
My lace library inventory contains over 1,000 book titles and I had been looking for one on Netting for a long time.  At the Caen OIDFA Congress, a German book dealer offered "Knotting and Netting - The Art of Filet Work - Designs, Materials, Techniques", originally published in Sweden in 1971, and re-published in the U.S. by Van Nostrand Reinhold in 1972.  Library of Congress # 72-1857 and ISBN # 0-442-29958-3.  I looked at the Netting section, illustrated with pictures, before buying.  It would be worthwhile to try to borrow from InterLibrary Loan.
 
New England magazines (like Yankee and Downeast Maine) often contain articles about local crafts and historic homes, some of which have pictured Netted bed canopies.  The 2-volume set "The Treasury of Early American Homes" by Dorothy and Richard Platt (republished frequently since 1946) shows Netted bed canopies at Gore Place and Whipple House.  A woven fabric canopy is shown at the Nathan Hale house.  Attached at the edges is a Netted trim that looks to be about 8" wide.
 
These may all have been replaced with reproductions, since my books are over 50 years of age.  I am guessing this, because the nets were stretched tautly, which may have weakened them over time.  Sharing these resources, in the event photos are needed for anyone's research files.
 
Information is the way I can share with the NELG, since I no longer make lace.
 
Jeri Ames in Maine USA
Lace and Embroidery Resource Center
 
 

The following sad news was just posted on Arachne:

Much thanks to GAIL MACLEAN, DORIS SCHICK, RITA BARTHOLOMEW, and JEANNE GOODWIN for volunteering at the 

I think I often get a bit complacent when looking at the NELG website if there is nothing new for a while.  Today for some reason I went to the Member's Lace page.  Jim Martin has added a lovely Bucks sampler bookmark that he made.  It is lovely!  We will have to remind him next summer that he needs to enter Creative Arts in the Big E since we know that he has at least one piece that is well worth entering. 

Participation is important to NELG.  Please post pictures of your lace when you have finished it.  People love to look at lace examples.  And do remember that it is never to early to start planning for the Big E.  If you are working on a large project, don't you need an occasional break to make something small to say you accomplished something?

Catherine Barley is a teacher of international renown, and has been teaching bobbin lace, needlelace and stumpwork both in the UK and abroad for over 40 years. Her book ‘Needlelace Designs and Techniques Classic & Contemporary’ first published in 1993 by BT Batsford and re-printed four times is now sadly out of print and it is prohibitively expensive to have another re-print.

 

Catherine has been looking into the possibility of ‘print on demand’ for this book, largely prompted by the outrageous prices being asked by second-hand booksellers.  I checked today and Amazon.com is currently selling it at $250, but I found other sites (in the UK) where they are asking up to $1,000!

 

Catherine needs to get a quote from a ‘print on demand’ company, but they will want some idea of the number of copies.  Therefore, she is asking that if you might be interested in a copy, to email her so she has some idea of how many copies to get a quote for.  She is not asking for a firm commitment, but if you would be seriously interested, she would like an indication of intent.  Catherine can be reached at catherinebarley@btinternet.com.

 

If you have friends belonging to embroidery groups or other lace groups, perhaps you would forward this information on to them.   More information about Catherine and her work can be found on her website; there is a link on the ‘Links page’.

 

Thanks in advance,

Jill