I am also a member of the "disappointed sponsor" club! In my case, the child is the youngest daughter of my youngest sister. At 13, she was very interested in anything creative, loved to watch me make lace, *and* was feeling left out because her older sister and older brother were both far too busy and sophisticated to be bothered with her. She lives here in the same town I live in, so for Christmas one year, I got her a nice kit (from "Lace Susan"... reasonably priced, but serviceable!) and made the effort to pick her up each week for Lace Guild meetings and get her home again. She took off like gang-busters, and did really well through the spring and summer. Then, school started again, and suddenly SHE was older and interested in too many things. So the starter supplies were relegated to a shelf.
The good news is that a neighbor (adult) across the street learned of our guild and then learned that Molly had been involved, and so she was able to use Molly's supplies while she tried it out. Long story short... she is now our guild's new President! AND she is a VERY serious lacemaker and does meticulous work. So the supplies did not go wasted. And ONE of these days, when my teenaged neice has tried on everything and discarded 80% of it (that IS the life-purpose of teenagers, you know...), she may come back to lacemaking, and will have the things she needs! The moral of the story is that I don't think that a short spurt of energy spent with lace is ever wasted - especially with teens. They'll remember what they had done, and when they're older, and have fewer distractions, they may yearn to get back to it. AND, even if they don't, their minds have been improved by simply knowing (roughly) how "real" lace was made! Clay > [Original Message] > From: Maureen Harvey <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: Tamara P. Duvall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; lace Arachne <lace@arachne.com> > Date: 1/11/2005 4:47:15 PM > Subject: Re: [lace] Re: Wear More Lace! > > Tamara and all, I know exactly what you mean, my own grandaughter at aged > 12 was so interested in lace making and being the dutiful grandmother I > bought her a pillow, bobbins (plastic thank goodness) bobbin case, > pincushion etc. She only made one piece of lace from then on, when I now > ask her at age 15 whether she want to make some lace with me she tells me " > nanny, its so boring" I am keeping the equipment for her in the hope that > one day she will regain her initial interest, well I can hope can't I. > Sue M Harvey > Norfolk UK > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Tamara P. Duvall" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "lace Arachne" <lace@arachne.com> > Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2005 1:41 AM > Subject: [lace] Re: Wear More Lace! > > > > On Jan 10, 2005, at 19:16, Catherine Hill wrote: > > > > > No, we shouldn't be giving modern lace to the young > > > and beautiful in our circles of acquaintance. We > > > should be teaching them to make their own modern laces > > > to wear. It can replace knitting as the "next big > > > thing that everyone who is anyone is doing". > > > > The above struck a chord... > > > > 2.5 yrs ago, I introduced BL and my step-granddaughter (then aged 11) > > to one another. She's liked arty/crafty "stuff" from the time she was > > 3, she's very bright, she used to be able to focus, and she *wanted to > > learn* (or said she did). We had a couple of shortish lessons (the > > attention span wasn't what one might hope for; and nowhere near that > > she had at 3 <g>) while she was here, and she was a "natural" - took > > off like a rocket. The year after, when she visited, we went through > > the same routine, because, naturally, she'd forgotten it all, not > > having had any reinforcement in more than 6 months, and no equipment of > > her own. Same thing - the 3 basic stitches it took me 3 months to > > learn, she learnt in 3 half-hour lessons. No problems with the two > > different footsides, either, though they puzzled me for a long time, > > when I was learning. And she loved it (or said she did). > > > > So, this time, I arranged for some support in her area (Boulder, > > Colorado) - she'd have to make the initial contact, but the network was > > established, thanks to Merlene Solis. And, for Christmas '03, I sent > > her "kit and kaboodle" - starter kit from Holly, plus some prettier > > bobbins I had (she liked the spangled ones better than the unadorned > > ones I use. What child wouldn't <g>), and some extra books of simple > > projects (Springetts). Figured that, by the summer of '05, when the > > IOLI convention took place in Denver, I could pay for a workshop of her > > choice and, and we'd spend some meaningful lace-time together, even if > > not in the worshop itself. > > > > This spring, when I saw her, I knew it was a pipe-dream; today, I had a > > message from her mother (my stepdaughter) which confirmed it: > > > > > I need to figure out what to do with the lace supplies you so kindly > > > sent to Lily. She is not likely to ever take it up here on her own. It > > > is a lovely package and I am thinking that I should just send it back > > > to you. > > > > > > If you were here to help her, she'd maintain some interest in it, I > > > am sure, but it is just not what her life is about now. She does knit, > > > but she can do that lying in bed! > > > > I think the last sentence is the most revealing one... You can't make > > BL lying in bed and talking on the phone to your buddies about your > > enemies and their pimples :) And you can knit on the (school) bus or on > > the subway (metro, underground), but can't make BL there. And being > > able to make something unusual isn't likely to impress your teenage > > (and pre-teen) friends much; not as much as your parents' being able to > > buy you something unusual, or send you for holidays someplace unusual > > will... > > > > So, yes... Let's teach. But wearing lace by the young and beautiful, > > even if they didn't make it themselves has merit. And is more likely to > > happen. I still wouldn't *give* the pieces to them, just lend - teach > > them full accountability when they're young, instead of this "it's OK, > > because I didn't mean to" when they destroy something beautiful > > > > -- > > Tamara P Duvall http://t-n-lace.net/ > > Lexington, Virginia, USA (Formerly of Warsaw, Poland) > > > > - > > To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: > > unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > - > To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: > unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
