Blog & News

This story about an installation at the Waco Airport had me intrigued, for sure. 

Picks for Waco airport art highlight flight, mammoths

“It was like nothing we had ever seen before, a traditional art form — lace making — but at such a large scale. … It’s a simple design, but complicated in how it’s executed,” Dyer said.

They are musing about cotton. But obviously it should be wooly....

She has not decided what material to use in Waco, but is considering cotton, given the city’s history as a cotton growing hub, she said. Also undetermined is how much of the piece she will weave onsite.

See more of Manca Ahlin's work at her website: http://www.mantzalin.com/

I learned today that Nancy Hood, long-time lacemaker and contributor to our NELG logo passed away on July 30, 2022. Her picture is included in our most recent newsletter among the other participants. Her generosity to our library and silent auction has been very much appreciated. Our thoughts and sympathies to her family and friends.

Spotted this podcast episode with some names I recognized, and I thought it was nicely constructed. It celebrates lace history and traditions but also moves it forward with contemporary lace art.

Haptic & Hue: THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD OF LACE, EPISODE #31

You can listen on podcast apps or from the web page, but also go see the episode page for some lovely images of lace work and links to a lot of good resources. 

Today I went into the studio at WBUR, a Boston NPR station, to talk about Ipswich lace. I had pitched it as a story idea for their Hidden History segment in April, and they researched it more and decided to run it.

Link to audio: How hundreds of men, women and children built a cottage lace industry in Ipswich

They had reached out to the Ipswich Museum and Katherine Chaison and brought her in as well. She was terrific. 

Karen Thompson was able to talk with them as well, so we have that audio--I'm so glad that worked out. 

And they wanted to know about young people making lace, so I pointed them to LaceTok! They found several bits of audio there to use as well. [I didn't tell them that was a local thing, it just got twisted a little there]. 

I wish I had more time to explain our work on the mobile exhibit, but that's ok--anyone looking for Ipswich lace will find us now and we can spread the word in other ways. It was still great to raise the profile of this lace and have a way for people to find out more. 

If you want to see some of the things we talked about--like Alexander Hamilton's papers and the sample lace, start here: Ipswich Lace at Wikipedia. 

The Boston NPR station, WBUR, has a local show called RadioBoston. They have a relatively new segment called "Hidden History", and Mary Mangen pitched to them the Ipswich Lace story this past April. 

They have been pre-interviewing and researching it, and they have decided to run with it next Tuesday (July 19). So (assuming no breaking news or something wild), they will have someone from the Ipswich Museum and Mary to talk about Ipswich lace. (We offered them Karen Thompson and she did talk with them during the background research, but they wanted someone local, I guess!) Mary will be bringing in her samples to the studio so they can have a look as well. Hopefully they'll post some photos with the story.

11am ET is the live version, and they typically replay the show at 3pm. But it should be stored long-term and accessible later. 

https://www.wbur.org/radio/programs/radioboston They have a stream option so you don't have to be in the radio range.

It's all because of our project to raise the profile of Ipswich lace. It's working! 

This is just to reassure lacemakers in the Eastern MA area that once again Sharon Sacco and I will be driving out to Springfield on Sept. 7 to deliver entries to the BigE lace competition. So finish up those UFOs and plan on getting them to us by the preceding weekend! Entry forms and other information can be found on the BigE website. (We will also deliver entries to other departments as well.)

Happy lacemaking!

I will be hosting Kumiko Nakazaki’s workshop from 9/22 to 9/26.  She can teach Binche, Flanders Lace, Bruges Flower Lace, Paris Lace, Rosaline Lace, and Duchess Lace.  Please e-mail me if you are interested.  You can take 5 days or 3 days workshop.  I highly recommend to take 5 days workshop for Binche Lace.  Hope some of you can attend.

I laughed. 

The 40th Idrija lace festival in Slovenia. I know we aren't going. But I still thought it was interesting to see celebrations of lace out there. 

International Lace Day, the Facebook group, is organizing the lace day.  We get together,  make lace, take pictures, and post on Facebook.  I have registered for the event and have blank copies of the badges.  Anyone interested in joining me between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on 6/26?  Please contact me at traysumiko@gmail.com or send me text message at 704-501-7923.  I live in Woodbridge, near New Haven.