I came into lace making accidentally by purchasing a bag of bobbins at a thrift store several years ago. I didn't know what they were, but they were cheap and looked interesting. I thought I could use them in dollhouse miniatures. Then while browsing on ebay for something else sometime later, I learned what they were. It was still a while after that before I was exposed to the craft itself.
Our local library has an online listing of many local groups, and Lacemakers of the Ozarks is one of them. Most of the meetings are at one library branch or another. I visited a meeting with my bobbins, rented a pillow made of covered builders foam for a small refundable fee, and learned the basic stitches. They teach beginners for free and seem to truly love and embrace anyone who wants to learn. Some of the lace makers go to local fiber arts fairs, re enactments, period demonstrations, etc. They are always willing to show and share. This year there were quite a few very impressive bobbin lace pieces in the fair, and demonstrators took shifts at the exhibit. By the way, I was 55 when I made my first cross/twists. I have replaced builders foam pillows with real lace pillows and my collection of lace books has grown. I am now retired and hope to continue to learn and make lace along with all the other things I've always wanted to do. Ironically, I've kind of over scheduled my retirement! I don't think there is any set age or time of life for learning a new hobby/craft/skill. But the excitement passed on by those who teach and the thrill of completing a project eggs one on. To me it seems the way to advance the interest in any craft is to get out there and demonstrate where ever it can be done. Excitement and enthusiasm is contagious. Seeing a lot of bobbins on a pillow can be very intimidating, but being shown it is just a variation of some simple moves makes a person think anyone can do it. Granted, there are a lot of other things to remember besides cross/twist. Once one becomes interested, a desire for books and supplies naturally follows. Sometimes borrowing a book or a magazine leads to the purchase of the same. I agree that lace making books are expensive and sometimes hard to come by. My sister is interested in learning now, too. She is also in her 50's. Liz in breezy, cool Missouri, USA - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003
