Jacquie has mentioned The Lace Guild's library, - other lace
organisations including IOLI have libraries from which their members can
borrow, so I would recommend new lacemakers join their national lace
organisation - you will then not only have access to the library, but
also receive that organisation's newsletter/magazine which usually
carries book reviews, so you can get to know what is available to
borrow. Some of these libraries (thinking in terms of The Lace Guild,
which I know does) sell off books that have been donated and are not
required for the library, and these are sold at realistic (ie not dead
cheap and not over the top) prices - the money raised goes towards
purchasing new books as they come out.
The problem with the idea of authors keeping their books in print is
that often if they have used a publisher to start with, they are bound
by contracts that forbid them later taking their work to someone else,
including themselves. The cost of international postage for a hardback
book can also be prohibitive.
With my Lace Guild hat on, I would recommend the Guild's small
"Introduction to..." range of books (which are listed on the website) to
get beginners off the ground in a range of laces; we do our best to
ensure that these are kept in print and are open to suggestions as to
other laces we could add to the range. Other Guilds also sell their own
beginner books, at inexpensive prices.
As for patterns, if those who can design make the effort to pass on at
least one pattern - if not one per year - to each of the organisations
they support for use in their magazine/newsletter (including patterns
suitable for beginners, of course) this will help ensure that our new
lacemakers can get by whilst they are saving up for the books they would
wish to have.
In message <8d0297d2a488ea3-1c70-28...@webmail-d270.sysops.aol.com>, Liz
and Ken Roberts <lizke...@netscape.net> writes
it has been very disappointing to me to find so many very interesting sounding
lace books labeled as "out of print" or "unavailable" except at the
unreasonably high prices from dealers of used books.
I wish
there was some way a lace or crafting book company could be formed so that
these books could be reprinted at reasonable prices (and put these high prices
back down to a reasonable amount). Maybe the authors could come together and
pool resources?
As others have said, lace making is not a hobby for the poor, unless one
happens to be rather handy at making all your own pillows and bobbins, and if
a generous instructor is available to teach and supply his/her own patterns to
work.
--
Jane Partridge
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