This thread had been so fascinating that I'm prompted to add a couple of thoughts.
Here in Melbourne we have difficulty in getting lacemakers to enter local shows and competitions, some have had bad experiences with judging, others are just very protective of their own lace and don't trust the show organisers with their precious pieces. We have the same problem as the US - not very many "qualified" judges. In some competitions where there are very few entries, laces have to be judged against laces of a different type. The class desciption may simply be "Bobbin Lace". I have judged lace on a few occasions now and as one who is fairly new to judging I would love to know - how do other people go about it? I have come across the same problem Devon mentioned, where using a system where points are docked for mistakes, a small simple piece, worked perfectly can score higher than a complicated piece that has a few mistakes. No provision being made for a the fact that in the longer working time there is far more opportunity for mistakes to occur. I think published judging criteria is a great idea that would help the judges and could encourage more entries. Several of the Lace Guilds and other groups have their own set of proficiency tests where a lacemaker can strive for "perfection" in the traditional laces. I feel that lace competitions should be viewed slightly differently to the proficiency tests, particulaly those competitions run as part of public shows. This is the place for us to show off our lace to its best advantage, to be creative and innovative and not worry too much about "traditional" methods of mounting etc. Regards Annette in Melbourne, Australia. [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
