Dear Clay -- What fun! You will love it. As to my teachers: on my
first visit, with lace on my mind (note: not yet in my hands or in
any part of my brain that ever mattered) and an address in hand, it
turned out that I was ringing Doreen Wright's doorbell. She gave me a
clipped but vigorous welcome, sat me down in a bay window, planted a
pricking on my pillow ("Duke's Garter" a Bucks design), and told me
to go to it. For me it was either die that very afternoon or learn
how to do Bucks Point. (I learned). Doreen then sent me off to West
Dean College, a sophisticated place in West Surrey specializing in
all sorts of exotic crafts, and there I fell into the lap of Pam
Nottingham, where I stayed... and stayed...happily...for years...and
years... I also found Elsie Luxton there, and eventually she turned
her classes over to Cynthia Voysey with whom I have shared an
affectionate lifelong friendship as well as lacemaking interests.
Some of my transAtlantic "hops" were to the British College of Lace,
to Christine Springett, and, once, to Barbara Underwood.
See what a passport will do!
Aurelia
Hello, Aurelia!
I love imagining you "hopping" over to England for lessons!! What a
wonderful experience it must have been. Who were some of your
teachers? At that stage, lacemaking in the US was practically
non-existent! No internet, few books... no wonder you were starved
for contact!!
I've never even had a passport... although that is about to change.
I've always imagined that I would have time to get one if I ever
planned a trip and needed it... but now it's apparent that I'd
better get one now, before it's nearly impossible to get one in a
reasonable amount of time! Already a couple of things have come up
which I might have jumped to do, except that I did not have a
passport. So, I'm about to bite the bullet and get it.
My fondest dream is to spend a week or two in Bruges at the
Kantcentrum... this will be step one!!
Clay
-------------- Original message --------------
From: Aurelia Loveman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Dear Barbara -- You have had so many replies to your question about
replacing the spangles on your old bobbins, that one more reply isn't
going make a difference, but here goes: when I started lacemaking in
the very early seventies (oh how long ago that seems!), I used to hop
over to England for lessons every chance I got. At that time
"antique" bobbins, mostly amateur-made and not always remarkable for
their workmanship, were all about, and easy and cheap to buy. I
bought a whole cigarboxful, one afternoon, without a blink. Nobody
got sentimental about them, nor talked of their "history." The
bobbins that caught our fancy and our pocketbooks were the elegant
and beautiful new bobbins made by a few gifted craftsmen (as, David
Springett, just then beginning his distinguished career). The
spangles (on the Springett bobbins, done by Christine) were utter
perfection, their size carefully chosen and graduated aiming for the
central bead at the bottom -- because -- fundamentally the spangles
were not primarily decorative but had a function. They weighted the
bobbin down on the pillow and thus controlled the tension on the
thread. Admittedly a lot of antique bobbins got their weight via
buttons and assorted junk, but a determined lacemaker wouldn't let
that stop her. Still, history it's not. Of course, Barbara dear,
replace the wire, clean the beads, arrange them for size, and if
they're ugly or clumsy ... what history?
Aurelia
Catonsville, MD
>Here's a question about antique bobbins and spangles: Over the years, I've
>accumulated (mostly on eBay) a few antique bone bobbins. They are 19th
>century, some by unknown makers, a few are by well-known makers (Bobbin
>Brown, etc.). Some of the spangles contain the original antique beads.
>
>I am inclined to want to use them, rather than just put them in a display
> >case. In some cases, the spangles are big and bulky, in some cases, the
>wires holding the spangles are in danger of coming apart.
>
>Is it blasphemy to take the spangles apart, replace the wire in some,
>completely junk the spangles in some, and selectively rearrange and
>redistribute beads, and in some cases, put completey new beads on them?
>
>I find it difficult to make lace with big, floppy spangles. I want to use
>the bobbins, but don't want to destroy a bit of history.
>
>What do you think?
& gt;
>Barbara
>
>Snoqualmie, WA
>USA
>
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