Jane Of course there is more to designing than puttintg dots on a grid. But the first problem a designer has to solve is to make sure the lace won't fall apart, to be sure the thing will be structurally sound. That is the biggest hurdle. Then there is the problem of getting the relative pin spacings right for the best densities of ground and clothwork (I am thinking of Flanders or Paris lace here). These are technical aspects of designing, but no amount of artistic flair will solve these problems. The designer has to have the technical problems mastered. After that comes grace and balance and perfect proportions of the various parts of the design for the best beauty. I find myself thinking of good lace design more and more in terms of grace and simplicity, resting on a base of really good composition.
What I want to see is more lacemakers designing work, whether simple or complex. I want the ones who haven't tried it to understand how to start. I find with myself that whenever I try to design for a new form, whether lace or Hardanger or pulled thread embroidery, that my first few designs are real clunkers, duds, yuk. But I don't let myself be stopped by these failures. I just keep slogging away at it until, eventually, I get good at it. I don't want anybody else to be intimidated or think there is some kind of magic that people are born with. Lorelei - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
