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One of the ladies here knows Holly {van sciver}.  The lace lady next to me has shared 5 patterns with me which I intend to share when I return home.  She was delighted to think a pattern of hers would be done in the USA. She's using her grandmothers bobbins.

The lace makers and visitors seemed to be genuinely happy and surprised over the interest in the USA of something to do with  Belgian lace, interesting!

One day I went to a small lace art exhibition.  Again have pictures of lace done in rope, telephone wires, and ribbon. These are Kantcentrum teachers who turn lace into art, very creative and original - quite cool. Some have paintings behind them, like the ocean an then two are done in LCD with copper line, like gimp.

I started lace class yesterday. It is a 1/2 hour walk each way.  Jammed on my way home, no one at the fast food wifi cafe in the morning.  The walk is formidable as the french say meaning wonderful.  The walk home is like the indy500 avoiding or not the tourists. Perhaps the best pictures I took were the ones of the empty streets in the morning and same street at 5pm!

The lace class is in Flanders and there are 15 people.  There are  5 Dutch, 1 Chinese German, 1 HongKong Chinese, 2 French, 5 Flemish and 1 American sister hmmmmm{sitting with her lace pillow in a pear tree. - I couldn't resist}. Only the teacher speaks English and the French ladies are not too friendly. I nearly cried today but one of the teachers that I had met at the exposition came by and smiled and said "...courage it will come". Well I was not so sure. Fighting both the language and the lace barrier was a little serious.  I'm happier now at the end of the day. I'm definitely the slowest but I am getting there! Tomorrow, spittle and brutes and my search for ancient thread.

Ciao & doors close at 6:30 pm!
Love and lace blessings to all,
Sr M.

Thank you to all that have entered into the Craft Adventure / BIG E this year so far.  Yesterday I recieved an email from Jane, at the fair grounds, and she reports that we have 44 entries of Lace!  Yahoo! While it is a few short of last year's record of 52 entries, it is still a great showing for members of NELG and lacemakers.

You can still enter by faxing the entry to fax number 413-205-5104 or sending the form via email to cadventure@thebige.com.   You then need to mail your entry fee in ASAP.

This is the only way to enter.  The On-Line entry form method is now DISabled.

Thank you all!  Any questions - please email us at nelginfo@gmail.com

Dear Friends:

I demonstrated lacemaking at the Bolton Fair one week ago (Saturday only) with the Stow MM.  We had quite a bit of foot traffic, including some people who recognized us from Sturbridge OSV and another couple who would recognize us again in VT at Deerfield.

I have been passing out the NELG "cards" with the website on them and drumming up interest.  We've had a couple of truly interested lace-followers who have really sat down and tried lacemaking for a couple of hours.  I hope they will contact NELG.

Linda Sheff

Dear lacing friends:

I took part in this again this year, both Sat & Sun, this past weekend.  We had a lot of interest and I passed out lots of NELG "cards" with our website information.  We really didn't have a lot of child interest, but had quite a bit of adult interest.  So I gave some lessons to someone who had brought in her "lacis bobbin lace kit".  So I parted with one of my Piet pillows and a spool of lace thread to get her started.  Cherry is a spinner, knitter, felter and cook.  Again, we had a lot of interest.  The only thing that would have made it nicer would have been some other lacers.  I recommended Evelyn Gant & Fletcher Farms as well but honestly don't know if she is still teaching there.  I also met a couple of crafters who were really interested and are from MA and could go to the Sturbridge meeting without any problem.  I came back with some ideas for Sat programs as well.

Linda Sheff

Thanks to Clare Settle for sending me this link. 

Now on Saturday, there are losts of  vendors in the street and lacemakers demonstrating.  It is very festive and lots of beer.

There are not a lot of places for supplies or books and I think Holly's selection is very complete; truly holly does well by us.  Now the lace makers traditionally guard their patterns closely like family secrets although none are sharing now.

This group from Antwerp at my beguinsge were very fun and friendly and I did lace with them in the garden. Could not speak a word of flemish but we laughed a lot.  The teacher with them invited me to demonstrate with her. Patty, will have to log my hour demo time! The teacher does creative lace harlequin's dancers etc.  Her theme was musicians and music wow! !

I as there two days doing lace and many people stopped and I talked some language French, English, or pigeon Flemish.   As I was doing my tonder from Sweet Briar. they would say "ahh ahh fine tone" pronounced 'feen feen'! !

There were several lacegroups from around demonstrating from places I could not pronounce. I even met two teachers from Kantcentrum, they were demonstrating. It is a small lace culture like the USA.

Must go home to dinner, our big meal is in the middle of day. A guest there invited me for mussels today, a Belgian specialty and of course beer.

Ciao, until tomorrow,

Sr. Madeleine

The lace shop lady told me of two lace Expositions. Now armed with this info I knew my timing was perfect. I took tons of pictures.  The exposition was on the second floor of a famous brewery just around the corner from me! Beer with every meal, even in convent is cheaper and better than water!!!!

Back to exposition I went once and took all pictures and then went back to see it with my eyes!!! All on block pillows and BIG patterns with hundred of bobbins.  The pieces were all advanced torchon that seems to be the bruges specialty. I saw NO bruges flower lace and no spangles on bobiins.  For practical and working holders, they used knitting or corcheted primarily.

Now the best part of the day is that night, our dinner in my beguinage, hosted a group of lace makers from Antwerp!

Good Day,  Sr. Madeleine

Earlier this week, a question occurred to me wondering how far our website has reached.  Low and behold - it is now over 3,000 unique hits in just a little over 18 months. Our overall visits are almost 9,000 and looks like we will top 10K in a couple of months.

We have reached out to to countries so far, with just adding Egypt and countries in South America.  Here in the USA, it is truly astounding.  We have reached 45 states and the District of Columbia.  Ok reader participation time  - Guess what states we have not reached yet?

Thank you to Jill who is our webmistress!  She is settling in at the new home in England.  Yet with the age of technology, it is like she is right with us.  Cheerio!

Hi everyone,

Sister is taking lots of picutres - if you post comments to the blog, they will be sent to her.  It seems the posting from Bruges is trickly. 

Maybe we can convince her to do a travel log about her trip for a meeting?

Happy Lacing,

Patty