Blog & News

I’m sure that all of us, at one time or other, have looked through a lace pattern book and been unable to understand the text because it is in a foreign language.  Like me, you’ve probably tried Google Translate and laughed hysterically at some of the results.  Then you should read on….

 

Our good friend and lace teacher, Jean Leader, posted on Arachne that her husband, David (who is webmaster for OIDFA) has just released a facility on the OIDFA website for translating between common lace terms in different languages.  Although there are printed lace dictionaries available, the distinctive features of this facility are:

1. It is freely accessible to anyone with an internet connection
2. For each language the terms are certified by native speakers
3. Each term is accompanied by a defining image
4. Discrimination is made between rare and common words in that translations of rarer words are provided, but these words are not given as translations of terms from other languages.

The url is http://www.oidfa.com/translate.html.  Although only four languages are currently available in addition to English and French (the official OIDFA languages), anyone can contribute additional languages, without having any knowledge of lace terms in another language, merely by identifying the images.  In this way it is hoped that, for example, a Czech/Japanese translation can be achieved without requiring any individual to know lace terms in both these languages.

The number of items is currently quite small (40) but the focus is on words that appear in instruction or pattern books, and which Google Translate will not handle properly.  The use envisaged is for people reading lace books in languages other than their own (and non-English speakers with a general knowledge of English translating terms into English correctly – lazy loops anyone?)

 

Jean and David encourage any non-English lace makers whose language is not represented (Italian? Spanish? Japanese?) to contribute either on-line or by contacting them by email.  The rule is native-speakers only.

 

For technical reasons the facility doesn’t currently at all on the iPhone, or well on the iPad.  However, these problems will be addressed in due course.

 

I took a quick peak, and it looks to be a very useful tool.  Kudos to Jean and David for coming up with the idea!

 

Apologies for the long post - but it's all good stuff!  Check it out and let me know what you think!

 

Jill

In doing a search this morning, I came across a lace page with a lot of interesting pictures.  The site is
     http://blog.seniorennet.be/kantklossen/archief.php?ID=1159907
While the site is either in Flemish or Dutch (my apologies for not being able to distinguish between the two), it appear to be the blog of Gisela Altruye who has been making lace for about 35 years. There is a lot of lace here in many different styles including Binche and modern lace.  I don't know if she made all of the lace, but it is worth looking at when you have the time.

I just scrolled through the photos of the lace entries - wonderful, beautiful work! Thanks to all of you who entered and helped  make it a great exhibit at the fair.

Many thanks to NELG member, Jeri from Maine, for posting on Arachne that the Victoria and Albert Museum’s (V&A) textile and fashion collection will be re-opening on October 8, 2013 in brand new facilities at The Clothworkers’ Centre for the Study and Conservation of Textiles and Fashion. The Centre is in Olympia, London which is approximately 2 miles from the V&A’s main museum in South Kensington.

The Centre will be open by appointment (there is no charge) to individuals and groups who would like to study and research objects in the collections. While many NELG members will not have the opportunity to visit the collection in person, they can take advantage of the huge online resource that the Centre provides. The Centre’s webpage (http://www.vam.ac.uk/page/c/clothworkers-centre/) features various links, and while there is a wealth of information to look at here, if you want something more specific about lace, then select ‘Textiles’. The resulting page (http://www.vam.ac.uk/page/t/textiles/) is a good place on which to enter ‘lace’ in the search box.

Jeri states that there are 75 search results. This will undoubtedly provide enough reading and ‘eye candy’ to last a long time. Having taken a very quick look around, I noticed that a lot of the images can be downloaded, which will give the opportunity for extended examination. Hopefully those who visit the website (or are lucky to visit the collection in person) will post their comments.

Thanks again to Jeri, who I trust will forgive my paraphrasing of her original post on Arachne.

Jill

Whilst doing some online browsing today, I came across a link to this Online Books Page which features PDF versions of lots of historic books on lace and lacemaking – mostly from the On-Line Digital Archive of Documents on Weaving and Related Topics at the University of Arizona, but also from other places.  The webpage has been put together by the University of Pennsylvania and is a fantastic resource anyone who wants to look at some of the old books, and read more about the history of lace and lacemaking.  Those who own a Kindle or other e-book reader will be able to download the files on to their device.

I will post the link on our Links page so it can be easily located in future.

 

Jill

 I'm just back from the Fair ground where I picked up this year's tickets for the Volunteers and got to see our NEW showcase!  By the way - there are 18 exhibitors and 37 entries!  Thank you Everyone!

In looking at the latest issue of Vogue Knitting this morning, there is an exhibit, "Red, Yellow, and Blue" by Orly Genger that is currently at Madison Square Park in New York City.  This consists of 1.4 million feet of lobster rope that is knotted (crocheted?) by hand and then painted.  These panels are then stacked to form sculptures.  While this is near its end in NYC (last day is 8 Sept), it will move to deCordova Museum in Lincoln MA where it will open 25 October.  This is not true lace, but an interesting application of lobster rope that is being replaced for the safety of sea creatures.  Here is a link to the information on the exhibit including a video:  http://www.madisonsquarepark.org/things-to-do/calendar/mad-sq-art-orly-genger . If you are interested in the deCordova exhibit in October, their website is www.decordova.org. 

As part of "The Gathering Ireland 2013", Kenmare is holding a lace festival from October 3 to 6.  This festival will celebrate the wonderful heritage of lacemaking and design established by the Poor Clare nuns in post famine Kenmare in the 1860s.  You can find more information at the festival website:www.kenmarelacefestival.com or in the festival brochure.

If you are planning a visit to Ireland in October, you might want to include this on your itinerary. 

Jill

As I write, those of you that attended must have had an amazing time.  Classes, vendors, lace, lace and more lace.

I just read a post on Arachne that Jean Leader and her husband, David, have released an app for iPhone and iPod Touch that provides a quick reference for about 60 individual styles of lace (with photos, of course - courtesy of The Lace Guild).  More information is available at Jean's website: http://www.jeanleader.net/publications/lace-app.html

Congratulations to Jean!  I have an Android phone, so won't be able to look at the new app.  If anyone downloads the app and has comments, I would be very interested to hear about it.

Jill