[lace] Mundillo "Master Weaver" Among 2021 NEA Heritage Fellows

[L. E. Weiss]

Hello-

In November 2021, The National Endowment for the Arts included a lacemaker in
Puerto Rico among the National Heritage Fellows.  I find it interesting that
she is called a “master weaver” -- which is accurate and possibly a better
marketing label than lacemaker.  Something to ponder.

The Culture of America  To honor the 2021 NEA National Heritage fellows, the
National Endowment for the Arts produced an inspiring film,
 The Culture of America,
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoC3KF0Ew1I
 =1s) in which Emmy
Award-winning actor Jimmy Smits takes viewers on a virtual trip across the
country where this year’s National Heritage Fellows live and work.

Nellie Vera  Mundillo Master Weaver   A video of her interview is at
https://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage/nellie-vera

The soothing sound of the wooden bobbins meeting each other as they weave the
mundillo lace have always been part of the life of Nellie Vera, known
affectionately by everyone as Doña Nellie. Born in the town of Moca, known as
the “Capital of Mundillo” in Puerto Rico, she learned this traditional art
form from her mother, Manuela Sánchez, when she was seven years old. Mundillo
is a handmade bobbin lace made in a lap box called a telar. It holds a rounded
pillow with a pattern secured by pins that guide the process of maneuvering
the threads holding the wooden bobbins. The lace is produced by the weaving of
the wooden bobbins, which in turn make a harmonious click-clack melody.

That sound is what made Vera fall in love with mundillo as a child when she
visited with her mother and other weavers in town. This was in the Puerto Rico
of the 1930s, when mundillo was a strong labor force in Moca.
Industrialization brought many foreign and cheaply made laces, which led to
the decline of the mundillo art form. Along this time, she earned her
bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Puerto Rico and worked
as a teacher. After retiring in 1980, she reunited with mundillo.

In 1982, she was one of the founding members of the Borinquen Lacers, a
respected mundillo weavers collective affiliated with the International Old
Lacers. She also presided for 20 years in the Taller de Artesanos Mocanos, a
nonprofit that fostered the work of more than 300 artisans from the town of
Moca, and, alongside other mundillo weavers, pushed for the creation of the
Museo del Mundillo. On an island where most of the cultural institutions are
established in the capital of San Juan, Vera was adamant that if a mundillo
museum was going to be created, it had to be in Moca, where it is now
established.

In 2000, her work received an honorific mention in the first edition of
FERINART, the International Arts & Crafts Fair in Puerto Rico. Then in 2004,
she was awarded a national recognition as a Master Artisan by the Puerto Rican
Artisanal Development Program under what is now the Department of Economic
Development and Commerce. In 2009, she received the Artisanal Excellence Award
from the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture. In 2012, Vera was recognized as an
Outstanding Artisan by the Puerto Rican Artisanal Development Program and in
2014, as National Symbol. Then in 2015, she was inducted into the Artisan Hall
of Fame of Puerto Rico. She has also been lecturer in the Incarnate Word
College of Texas (1995) and in The Field Museum de Chicago (2006).

After dedicating more than 40 years to the art of mundillo, Vera not only
still finds the essence of nature in its intricate designs, but also describes
it as her way of life.

Sending wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year from Albany, NY

Lorraine Weiss

PS.  While I’m typing, I want to acknowledge and thank the master weavers of
IOLI and OIDFA who have greatly improved my pandemic experience with all of
the programming over the past 1.5 years.  The virtual IOLI conference was
outstanding, creative, and just plain fun, and both organizations have offered
wonderful online programs.  Support these organizations if you can.

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[lace] Arizona University free library link

[L. E. Weiss]

Hello Alex, et al - 

I have the link as https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/books.html

Regards,

Lorraine in Albany, NY where we also have "wall to wall" blue skies (unlike
the rest of January which has been completely grey, as though it were
February), and corresponding -9C/11F temps.

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[lace] Knitted lace -- How the Light Gets In

[L. E. Weiss]

Hello all-

Quoting a comment about a post on lace knitting from Modern Daily Knitting-a
wonderful website/blog about much, much more than knitting:

Just think, making holes, the absence of solid stitches, creates a beautiful
garment by letting in the light. Reminds me of a quote from Leonard Cohen:
"Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is
a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in."

Of course, the same could be said for all lace!

There is a great series of tutorials on lace knitting here:
https://www.moderndailyknitting.com/lace-links-for-open-adventures/.

Regards from Albany, NY

Lorraine Weiss

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[lace] Question of the show

[L. E. Weiss]

You weren't working on leaf tallies at the time, were you? ;-)
That does take the cake!
Lorraine

--

Date: Sun, 10 Nov 2019 14:48:07 +
From: suebabbs...@gmail.com
Subject: [lace] Question of the Show

I have been demonstrating lacemaking at the Fine Art of Fiber, Chicago
Botanic Garden for the last three days and am awarding this year's Prize for
the Most Unusual Question early as I doubt that anyone can top it! 
It goes to the lady who asked, "Did you really say you were making lice?"

I know I don't have an American accent, but really what a question!

Sue Babbs

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[lace] Shetland Lace Fence

[L. E. Weiss]

This is from one of two knitting blogs I read, KDD & co. (the other is
Mason-Dixon Knitting).  Kate Davies is a wonderful designer with a
remarkable story of recovery/adaptation from a stroke at 36.   If that
weren't enough, she is usually modeling her creations in the stunning
Scottish scenery captured by her photographer husband.  She is currently
running a series on creative women - very worthwhile to look at the other
people profiled so far.  This is Anne Eunson's knitted fence:
https://kddandco.com/2012/09/05/anne-eunsons-artistry/?fbclid=IwAR3Furds98-w
rODaNmSMqzyzSb_B1X0W1-9nfvcX2zhNGtWIpz_aKDaRmcQ

Happy mid-summer, at least it's mid-summer here in Albany, NY.  Big
thunderstorm flattened some of the garden yesterday, brutal heat coming
tomorrow, so we'll just enjoy the fireflies flitting about this evening.

Lorraine

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[lace] Bobbin winder

[L. E. Weiss]

I recently bought the little pocket wood winder and use a long rubber band
to clamp it to my small work table.  A cord might work too.  (Looks like he
does ship to the UK--search for "lace bobbin winder" on Etsy.)
Lorraine Weiss in Albany, NY

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[lace] Hunterdon Lace Not Lace exhibit opening!

[L. E. Weiss]

Congratulations to Devon Thein for a remarkable exhibit and a wonderfully
celebratory opening event today!  It was so nice to see so many familiar
faces there.  The pieces are so varied, each a distinct study.  I had 3
non-lacemakers with me who thoroughly enjoyed the show.  I'm sure there will
be others reporting in with much more pithy comments, but I at least wanted
to send up a "hurrah!" for such an achievement.  The event was definitely
worth 7 hours in the car going down and back today 

Lorraine Weiss

Albany, NY

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[lace] How to knit lace

[L. E. Weiss]

Hello all-

My favorite knitting blog, Mason Dixon Knitting, has been promoting a new
book on knitting lace and today posted links to 8 videos:
www.masondixonknitting.com/knit-lace-8-clear-easy-videos/
 

No connections, etc.  Just love the variety of material here - and started
checking this website instead of the news last thing each day.  Much more
satisfying!

 

"Some days, we pass along a tip or hack or technique. Today is not one of
those days.  Today we present a spectacular bounty-a cornucopia, a veritable
smorgasbord-of wisdom. Lace knitting just got a lot easier.  The eight quick
videos listed below come straight from the brainiac mind of Jen
Arnall-Culliford, the teacher who has given us so much knowledge with her
three books, A Year of Techniques
 , Something
New to Learn About Cables
 , and now
Something New to Learn About Lace
 .

In these short videos, Jen manages to teach even old dogs like us new
tricks. Click the tutorial name below to see each tutorial. We hope you'll
immerse yourself in these lessons. We wish we'd had Jen egging us on when we
began our lace knitting odyssey."


Garter Tab Cast On
 


Working Yarn Overs
 


Adding a Lifeline
   


Picking Up Missed Yarn Overs
  


Fixing Mistakes by Tinking
   "Tink"
is "knit" spelled backwards.


Using Stitch Markers in Lace
   


Blocking Lace Using Wires
   


Blocking Lace Using Pin Combs
   


 

Calling it a day in Albany, NY. (See some of you in 2 weeks!)

Lorraine Weiss

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[lace] Lacing for old ladies?

[L. E. Weiss]

Show your acquaintance some of the amazing contemporary lace that is being
made all over the world-including some of the European textile and clothing
designers incorporating lace in apparel-and she might change her outlook!  I
had many websites bookmarked from years of Arachne messages about designers
and lace events, but lost all of that when the former computer bit the dust.
Here is one: http://www.lacedesign.cz/necklaces-p4-en

 

Lorraine

in Albany, NY, where we were teased by spring last week and are now reminded
that it's still winter.

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[lace] Convention Teacher Showcase - Arachne handout

[L. E. Weiss]

I think that's a great idea, Janice, and one topic might be the various
exchanges over the years.  They are fun in the short term and, in some
cases, have led to long-term and long-distance connections.  Perhaps we can
offer some testimonials about how the listserve has contributed to our lace
making?(I'll never forget asking about instructions for a pattern about
9 years ago and getting 8 helpful and generous replies from 3 countries
within about 30 minutes.)Some of the comments can make it into the
handout and maybe others can be displayed on the table in large font format
with an accompanying photo or lace piece.

 

Lorraine Weiss

Albany, NY

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[lace] Hedgehog cafe in Tokyo & NELG retreat

[L. E. Weiss]

Semi-lace related-how could I resist posting this?  (Hope this is not a
repeat.)

Tokyo's hedgehog cafe: Spiky success or thorny welfare worry?

Japan's first hedgehog cafe opened recently, to great media attention. But
while their spiky stars are the epitome of "kawaii" cute, is it worth the
fuss, and how good is it for the hedgehogs themselves? 

. . . It's called Harry - that's a play on the Japanese word for hedgehog,
Harinezumi, literally "needle mouse". It's in Roppongi district.

Full article and photos at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36108964

 

Definitely lace-related.  The New England Lace Group held the annual lace
retreat last weekend in Wareham, Massachusetts:  two classes taught by
Louise Colgan and Holly Van Sciver, some of us "retreating" only--working
away on projects without a class, lovely spot by a bay with nesting ospreys
and wild turkeys roaming the grounds, a spirited silent auction that raised
money for the NELG library and scholarships (well, it was a mostly-silent
auction!), plenty of supplies and books for lace retail therapy, a fun
design competition with a theme of fairy tales and nursery rhymes, and I'm
probably forgetting other key details but it was a great weekend with lots
of lace and laughter.

 

Lorraine in Albany, NY

Who returned home to find that the resident groundhog had devoured all of
the black-eyed susans and coneflowers and left a fairly bare perennial
garden.  Good thing he doesn't like tall phlox or irises.

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[lace] 20th Anniversary

[L. E. Weiss]

Hello all-
For a long time, I've been looking at the mug hanging in my kitchen that 
reads 2000 Lace@arachne.com - 5th Anniversary 2000 (a spider hangs off of 
the 2), and wondering if there would be a 20th anniversary commemoration. 
It's been at least 5 years since we managed that.   (Thank you, Jo Anne 
Pruitt and others who made all of those great commemoratives possible years 
ago.)   I joined that first spring and what an amazing 20 years it's been 
for this online community.
While I understand Jeri's approach to calculating the anniversary year, I 
think counting this as our 20th year would be consistent with past 
commemorations.  I agree that we could certainly kick off a year of 
celebrating.
Regards,
Lorraine in Albany, NY
(where it finally got up above freezing long enough to get the car washed, 
such thrills!) 

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[lace] Teaching antics

[L. E. Weiss]

Sallie, I hope you reported the antics of that teacher who cut your bobbins.
What a horrific experience.  No one has a right to treat anyone that way,
where one is not willfully being disruptive or uncooperative.  I had one IOLI
instructor who appeared to have no interest in teaching me from the very
beginning (I think I was the only 1/2 day student in the class).  I did my
best for 3 days and spent the last full day in my good class.   I will never
give her a second chance.   I've been in another situation where a teacher was
playing favorites and being very hard on someone else in the class.  It's not
supposed to be boot camp.  Some instructors need drama to feed ego, but they
and the event organizers should be informed that this does not further the
goal of building the lacemaking community.
It's very hard to speak up in small groups sometimes (and almost impossible to
confront a bad instructor personally as a student), but it's important to
praise the great instructors and point out those whose approaches do nothing
to help the sponsoring organization and lacemaking in the long run.  If you
are having a bad time with a teacher, chances are someone else got burned too.
And if you see someone else being mistreated, try to offer them support and
report the circumstances to the organizers.
Glad you persevered with lace and found great teachers like Sylvie and Lia.
Regards,
Lorraine in Albany, NY

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[lace] Lace Terms

[L. E. Weiss]

Years ago a friend asked, based on the term seamstress, if lacestress was
the right title for a lacemaker.  I told her that was a very accurate term
sometimes.
Lorraine in Albany, NY
taking stock of each new blooming plant, even those dandelions

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[lace] wire in bobbin lace

[L. E. Weiss]

Bart and Francis carry metal thread which might also work, although the colors
are limited.  Several are linen with steel core.
http://www.bart-francis.be/index.php?item=10_---50_---100_-metalaction=page;
group_id=50lang=EN

Or select the tab:  10% - 50% - 100% Metal

I have some of this which is, um, waiting its turn...
Regards,
Lorraine in Albany, NY, enjoying a view of foxgloves blooming early (along
with everything else!)

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[lace] scarf project

[L. E. Weiss]

Hello Janice-
I have that pattern on my pillow too.  The nubs do get in the way of working
as quickly as one does with other fibers.   I've gone from a roller pillow
set-up back to a block pillow.  I find that I have to keep an eye on the
thread and deliberately twist it up once in a while since in several cases the
thread un-twisted as I worked and pulled apart while tensioning--softly,
slowly, gracefully, but inconveniently!  I'm using the blue/green color way.
I took it to show my pottery classmates recently who were wondering what all
my lace stuff was like.  It was a great pattern to show how threads travel and
merge.
Regards,
Lorraine
in Albany, NY

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[lace] Muffets Menace

[L. E. Weiss]

Just for fun--a knitted hat with a perching spider:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/muffets-mennace

Regards,
Lorraine Weiss
Albany, NY

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[lace] Goodbye Irene

[L. E. Weiss]

Hello from Albany, NY,
My neck of the woods was mostly spared by Irene (a neighbor's small-ish
dead tree was uprooted, tipped over the fence and hit some of my
under-producing tomato plants and I lost power Sunday night), but the
geography around here creates some very localized weather and places 15-20
away and those closer to the Hudson or Mohawk Rivers were really hit.  So
there were major floods in downtowns and communities east and west, mudslides,
buildings knocked off foundations, bridges closed and roads buckled.
My office was closed until this morning--it's to the north on an island
which was blocked by flooding and had no power until late last night.  There
was actually a row boat tied up to a stop sign a few blocks from one of our
bridges--it apparently came in handy over the weekend.   Communities in the
Hudson Valley to the south and the Adirondacks and Vermont to the north were
really socked (all those tiny communities built long ago around the local
mill), lots of farms terribly damaged.   It is incredible--so many people in
Vermont are still isolated.   Friends can't reach family yet.  Hope Jane
Viking and Susan MacLeod are OK up there.
I thought it was going to be a good day for lacing but it was too
distracting, so I turned to knitting and reading and listening to the sweet,
reassuring sound of the basement sump pump.
Regards,
Lorraine Weiss

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[lace] Fiber familiarity

[L. E. Weiss]

Hi all-

Years ago, after spending an entire morning retro-lacing a wide Flanders piece
only to discover that I hadn't made a mistake in the first place, I was
surprised to realize that I wasn't upset about all of the wasted time.  I
learned more about how to look at the pattern.  It occurred to me at that
point that bobbin lace was Yoga for the Brain and I've thought of it that
way ever since.

I love the engineering aspect of the traveling of the lace threads and the
weaving process itself (most days).   For a recent talk on lace, I worked up a
strip of about 5 different Milanese tapes to demonstrate how you could take
the same 14 threads and produce a variety of effects.  (See, you have the
same dance steps but you change who's dancing with whom and where they twist
and presto! a different pattern.)  I love creating something that is so
unlike other fiber arts.  The ingredients are a draw too--the threads and
bobbins.

I have been thinking about the IOLI's endeavors to attract younger lacers (a
dance organization I work also wants to get more young people involved!--seems
to be a common theme for many groups), but I was struck by how many of the
women I met at the recent IOLI convention had been making lace 10 years or
less--many of them beginning in retirement.   I wonder if we shouldn't also be
trying to insert ourselves in the getting ready for retirement seminars.
;~)
I agree that we should have photos or examples of modern pieces of lace at
demonstration events to help lure/attract more to lace classes.

And, speaking of the convention, I'll add my congratulations and thanks to the
Portland gang for a great event.  It was nice to add a few more faces to names
at the Arachne lunch (including the seemingly tireless Alice Howell) and at a
few of the other events.

regards,
Lorraine Weiss
Albany, NY

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[lace] Cranford

[L. E. Weiss]

Hello all--
There was a wonderful interview with the producer of Cranford on Bob Edwards
Weekend show (many of us in the US know him from his days at National Public
Radio).  See the article about the interview here--it's in the second hour.
http://www.bobedwardsradio.com/blog/2010/1/8/bob-edwards-weekend.html

You can find the actual podcast or stream link here:  Bob Edwards Weekend Hour
2: television producer Sue Birtwis:  or
http://www.bobedwards.info/ftopic969.html
http://www.bobedwards.info/forum10.htmlsid=e13b7a0408f988f5ca74b28b414012d8

 Regards,
Lorraine in Albany, NY

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[lace] The Butterfly Project

[L. E. Weiss]

Hello all-
I cannot remember if I've sent this to the list before (I've either sent it 
3 times already or not at all..)  I first saw mention of this in the 
Chesapeake Region Lace Guild newsletter a year ago, but I've just gone to 
confirm that the project is still ongoing, which it is.  The name of the 
project comes from a poem written by a young man in the Terezin 
Concentration Camp.  See http://www.hmh.org/ed_butterfly1.shtml for more 
information.
--
The Butterfly Project-1,500,000 Innocent Children Perished in the 
Holocaust
In an effort to remember them, Holocaust Museum Houston is collecting 1.5 
million handmade butterflies.  The butterflies will eventually comprise a 
breath-taking exhibition, currently scheduled for Spring 2013, for all to 
remember. The Museum has already collected an estimated 400,000 butterflies.
Please facilitate the I Never Saw Another Butterfly activity and create as 
many handmade arts-and-crafts butterflies as possible. This project may be 
completed by all ages as individuals or groups.
- Butterflies should be no larger than 8 inches by 10 inches.
- Butterflies may be of any medium the artist chooses, but two-dimensional 
submissions are preferred.
- Glitter should not be used.
- Food products (cereal, macaroni, candy, marshmallows or other perishables) 
also should not be used.
- If possible, e-mail a photograph of your butterflies, to 
butterflyproj...@hmh.org.
Please send or bring your butterflies to the Museum by June 30, 2012, with 
the following information included:
Your name, your organization or school, your address, your e-mail address, 
and the total number of butterflies sent.
Mail or bring your butterflies to:  Holocaust Museum Houston, Butterfly 
Project, Education Department, 5401 Caroline St., Houston, TX 77004, USA
For questions or additional information, please e-mail 
butterflyproj...@hmh.org.
-
Regards,
Lorraine in Albany, NY

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[lace] Piecework Magazine--lace knitting

[L. E. Weiss]

Hello all-
My Knitting Daily e-mail had this information about the latest Piecework
Magazine which includes a bit about lace knitting and has at least one very
interesting photo of knitting notations from 1847.  I've had to omit photos
here but I'll be glad to forward the whole message to anyone interested.

Regards,
Lorraine Weiss in Albany, NY, a quiet white on grey landscape today

Knitting through Time


I think I lead a charmed life as the editor of PieceWork! The January/February
2010 issue, our 4th annual Historical Knitting issue, is a case in point.

In the spring of 2008, Donna Druchunas, a frequent contributor, stopped by the
office to introduce me to June Hall from England. June, an avid knitter,
historian, author, and keeper of a flock of rare Soay sheep, shared the
handwritten instructions for and tiny samples of lace-knitted edgings and
insertions that she found in a copy of a nineteenth-century pattern book.




Since the writing matched the inscription on the book's flyleaf (dated 1847),
the instructions surely were penned by the owner of the book, Miss Money. The
page with the intriguingly named Fly's Body pattern with its intriguing
symbols and sample is above. June deciphered the symbols and shares them,
along with several of the other patterns and her quest to find information on
Miss Money.


Laurann Gilbertson, textile curator at Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in
Decorah, Iowa, sent a 1944 book about traditional Norwegian handcoverings to
Nancy Bush (well-known author, designer, teacher, and a member of our
editorial advisory panel). Among the objects depicted in the book was a
knitted offering mitt. As soon as I saw the photograph, I knew Nancy's
version of these unusually shaped mitts would be perfect (they're shown at
right). In her article, Nancy explains the practical reason for their unusual
shape.





I learned that Barbara G. Walker, knitting legend and author of the beloved
Treasury of Knitting Patterns books, was going to the 2009 Sock Summit with
Schoolhouse Press owner Meg Swansen (also a member of our editorial advisory
panel).

I instantly called Meg and asked her to please introduce me to Barbara, and
let her know that I would be thrilled to have her contribute to a future issue
of PieceWork.

My phone rang one day, and it was Barbara Walker-I could barely get a coherent
word out-all I could think about was Oh my, I'm talking to Barbara Walker! A
never-before-published Barbara Walker stitch pattern is included in this issue
(it's our cover and a detail is shown at left).


Definitely charmed, don't you think? And these are only three examples! To see
all (including Donna Druchunas's very compelling article, Knitting in Jewish
Lithuania) go to http://www.interweave.com/needle/piecework_magazine/ to
preview our 4th annual Historical Knitting issue. I hope you will be
delighted.

-Jeane

[demime 1.01d removed an attachment of type image/gif which had a name of 
10x10.gif]

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[lace] lace survey

[L. E. Weiss]

Hello all-

Ilske, I'm with you--not having enough time to make lace is what I don't
like!

I've found that I don't even mind having to retro-lace as it's just part of
the game.  A few years ago I undid an entire morning's worth of Flanders only
to discover that I hadn't made a mistake after all.  I was surprised that I
wasn't upset about that, and then realized that it was because the whole
process was yoga for the brain and it had helped me understand how to look
at the lace.

We've just gotten our first serving of snow, at least 6.5 in Albany today,
and I'm looking forward to sitting inside this weekend, looking out to the
frosted landscape and getting at least a little lace done (hopefully only in
the forward direction!).

Regards,
Lorraine in Albany, NY

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[lace] Zig Zag lace pattern

[L. E. Weiss]

Hello all-

Jane Viking Swanson asked about the zig zag pattern I was working on at the
NELG retreat (how could that have already been 2 weeks ago!?).  First of all,
I want to comment on her impromptu presentation on Battenburg laces.  Anyone
who has spoken to Jane (or read her messages) knows that her enthusiasm about
any subject is certainly infectious.  But her pleasure in sharing her
knowledge and a part of her collection of Battenburg was particularly
wonderful, and she had a most appreciative audience.  (And one knows how hard
it is to pull a group of lacers away from pillows during a weekend workshop
unless for food -- or maybe shopping.)

She certainly knows her stuff.  I hadn't realized that she'd written about
Battenburg lace for _Threads_ and _Piecework_ magazines.  I went home to look
through my bookshelves and, sure enough, there's a model sporting a blouse
with lace insert on the cover of the July, 1995 issue of _Threads_, and a
great article inside.

Second, the answer to her question is that I was working on a Flanders piece
from the Mary Niven book (1998) in the Double Pointed Corners chapter.  It's
a pattern I've had my eye on for a while--a zig zag strip of cloth areas in a
parallelogram (rhomboid?) shape - a tipsy rectangle, if you will, bordered
with a strip of ground.  Luckily, I have waited to tackle it until I had
worked on other Flanders pieces AND had Jeannet Van Oord RIGHT beside me with
the book in hand.  Despite the colored diagram, it took both of us to work
through the intricate changing of pairs at the corners.  As mentioned in
recent messages, when working on Flanders I keep an enlarged copy of the
pattern mounted on a think cork board so that I can use pins to keep track of
where I am in a piece.

But it's a nice looking pattern and I think with time I'll begin to speed up
the production.  As a thin strip it is a nice break from the wider, more
complicated Flanders pieces, tricky corners aside.

Off to buy and plant tomato plants now.  The lace pillow has to wait until I
finish getting the yard under control--a worthwhile effort since new things
are blooming every few days.

regards,
Lorraine
Albany, NY

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[lace] Future of American Textile History Museum in Lowell

[L. E. Weiss]

Hi all-
Friends linked to American Sewing Guild and the National Park Service sent
this on to me. I don't know what those of you closer to the site have heard,
but apparently there was a recent article in the Boston Globe.  (I apologize
if this has already been aired and discussed on Arachne!)
regards,
Lorraine
Albany, New York
Lorraine E. Weiss
Program Manager, Technical and Grant Programs
Preservation League of New York State
[EMAIL PROTECTED],  518-462-5658, ext. 12
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Textile Museum Threatened With Closure

Rumors that the American Textile History Museum in Lowell, MA, will be
closing in September are dangerously close to being the truth.
Founded in 1960, the museum opened at its present site in 1997. The museum's
collection of industrial textile machinery has been designated a National
Heritage Collection for Mechanical Engineering, while its library holds 27,000
volumes, 50,000 images, and five million swatches of historic fabrics. The
museum also owns an important collection of costume and textiles. The
elegantly refurbished factory building which now houses the museum offers an
impressive permanent exhibit on American textile history from domestic to
factory production. The Textile Conservation Center of the ATHM is one of only
three such regional conservation centers in the U.S.

Unfortunately, visitation and other means of support have not been sufficient
since the museum moved to Lowell and it is currently operating with a $600,000
deficit. Knowing that it cannot continue to withdraw endowment funds to meet
operating expenses, the museum is exploring its options, including merging
with another organization outside of New England, selling the museum building
and leasing back space to continue educational activities, or permanently
closing and dispersing the collections. A meeting of the board of trustees on
May 20th will decide the museum's future. Please pledge your support and help
get the word out to save this important museum and keep it in Lowell. It is
not too late. To help, write in support of the Museum.

Send your letters to Michael Smith, President, American Textile History
Museum, 491 Dutton Street, Lowell, MA 01854.



From Phil Lupsiewicz:
Yes, what you heard is true, the ATHM is in financial trouble and the rumors
are widespread as to what will happen.  Just last night there was an article
in the Boston Globe which said they are going to reduce hours of operation
(Thursday -Sunday).  Their endowment keeps dropping, but an anonymous donor
from out-of-state has pledged a $1million dollar matching grant challenge that
needs to be completed by 2007.They are going to sell their 160,000 sq ft
building/museum, with the stipulation to lease (rent) back the museum space.
So we'll see how that goes.

Behind the scenes, there is talk about the collections.  A possible solution
would be a involving the University of Massachusetts Lowell and a potential
folding in of LNHP collections to create a super collection of Lowell,
administered by the University. This is still in the discussion stage.

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[lace] Course in Vienna:The Identification and Analysis of Lace

[L. E. Weiss]

I'm not sure how she stumbled upon it, but a friend sent me this today and I
thought I'd send it along to the list.  (I apologize if it is a duplicate
notice.)

regards,
Lorraine
In Albany, NY, where Spring's package deal has brought daffodils, pansies,
violets, vinca/myrtle, tulips and all manner of trees into bloomand also
brought dandelions and the interminable strains of the ice-cream truck playing
its corporate version of  Oh Susannah as it drives slowly around looking for
customers.


Date: 8 Apr 2005
From: Regina Knaller regina.knaller [at] gmx__at
Subject: Course on lace making

The University of Applied Arts Vienna, Textile Conservation
Department, is organizing the following course
The Identification and Analysis of Lace
July 4-9, 2005, from 9-17:30 daily
Thessy Schoenholzer Nichols
Polimada Florenz (Technical College of Design)

Ms. Schoenholzers intensive introduction course will give an
extensive overview of the history of lace-making, from a
hand-crafted to a machine-made product. Stylistic development and regional
centres of development will be examined, a wide variety of different
techniques will be demonstrated; original examples will be studied and
compared. The technical cataloguing system (database)
will be explained and used by the participants themselves. A field trip to the
Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) and its superb lace collection will round out the
programme.

Each participant is expected to bring their own thread-counter, lead and
coloured pencils (no felt-tip pens!), scissors, paper, stapler or adhesive
stick, ca. 100 clear plastic folders and a thick ring-binder.

Program
Day 1: General introduction to lace-making; introduction to
bobbin (pillow)-lace
Day 2: Bobbin lace (continuation)
Day 3: Opaque laces
Day 4: Precursors to needle-made laces; needle-made laces
Day 5: Other lace-making techniques (fillet, macrame, etc.)
Development of machine-made laces
Day 6: Discussion of a documentation sheet for the technical
analysis of laces
Descriptions of lace
Excursion to the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK).

Registration Deadline: May 23, 2005
Registration: kons-rest [at] uni-ak__ac__at
Working Language: German
Participation Fee: Euro 500, (including course documents, graphic materials,
engineering detailed drawings)
Maximum number of participants: 25

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[lace] Lace at $5/yard education

[L. E. Weiss]

Hello-

Following on Aurelia's comments about education needed, and only taking a
guess at the tone of voice used by the person quoted by Betty Ann (hard to
do with e-mail!), it strikes me that perhaps $5/yard was a lot of money to
the person who made the comment.  Therefore, perhaps that person was
expressing an appreciation at his/her own point of understanding and the
encounter opened a door to a new awareness of the value of handmade items.

In most of my professional and volunteer work I am an educator in one way or
another, and I know it can be easier sometimes to preach to the choir
instead of  introducing information to the general public.  However, it's
also more gratifying to me when I've opened someone's eyes to a new subject
or planted a seed of awareness.

I am most often dealing with making architecture, planning and urban design
relevant and non-scary to the general public and elected officials (an
endeavor currently hitting close to home as we are dealing with saving a
neighborhood Art Deco movie theater from becoming a parking lot for a
drive-in drug store).  The preservation field is often seen as elitist, and
yet good design is really an accessible idea no matter the income level of
the neighborhood.  I see parallels in our need to reach the public on some
level with our enthusiasm for lace.  The challenge is to make lace relevant
to people in some personal way -- the beauty, the crafting process, the
engineering aspect of design, the links with history and literature, beauty
of the tools  -- the food traditions or nursery rhymes if nothing else
works!!!

I think we have to persist with the public events for the uninitiated -- no
matter how many Tatting Ladies or thrift shoppers we have to endure.
Otherwise we can't complain about the lack of awareness on the part of
museums or antique dealers or the general public.  (Seems to me that a
number of Arachne members got their start after stumbling over a lace
demonstrator at a general public event.)  Those visitors you don't win over
make for good stories at the next lacing day.

Spent my 25 cents and now stepping off my soap box
regards,
Lorraine Weiss in Albany, NY

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[lace] Met Museum (and maybe others)

[L. E. Weiss]

Hello all -

Tamara's mention of a hospitality house near the Metropolitan Museum for
those who want to go soak up the goods of the Ratti Center (yes, catching up
on digests here), prompts me to relate an experience. I arrived at the doors
of the Met last week hoping to spend a good part of the afternoon just
wandering about.  But I didn't get in the doors at all since they no longer
allow any luggage in the building.  (Someone could do quite a business
opening a luggage check room in a nearby building -- the hotel across the
street wouldn't accept it either.)

Mind you I had just come from the Asia Society Museum and went on to the
Natural History Museum with an overnight bag on wheels in tow.

From now on, I will just call before visiting a museum to see if I can check
a suitcase along with a coat.  (The terrorists have won another round,
IMHO.)  If I had been closer to my hotel I would have left it there for the
day, but it wasn't convenient to go back there before getting the train.

On a brighter note, for those in the NYC region, I highly recommend a visit
to the Asia Society Museum - don't miss the orientation area which one can
mistake for a simple seating area near the cafe.  The current exhibit on
Asian games is absolutely wonderful on many levels: evolution of games,
cross cultural comparisons and the objects themselves.  There were several
examples of textile game boards for the game which became Parcheesi (in the
US).  Seen out of context, they would simply look like embroidered cloth,
but seen in the exhibit they were certainly a map for game pieces.  And,
while I'm at it, I'll also recommend the museum at the Fashion Institute of
Technology (FIT) at 27th and Broadway -- free and open late several evenings
during the week (to 8:00 pm).  There may not be lace on display but there's
always something interesting.

regards!
Lorraine
(in Albany, NY, where we had surprising Thanksgiving thunderstorms
yesterday)

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[lace] Danish bobbin vendor in TX

[L. E. Weiss]

Hello all -

Just wanted to let you know I've gotten beaded Danish bobbins from Fran
Bloomer of Knotworks in Round Rock, TX.  She has several styles and will
bead them for you (she surprised me by beading a pair with colors of
bluebonnets -- just the right touch for an uprooted Texan).  Her website is
http://www.lacebobbins.com/ and the last e-mail I have for her is
[EMAIL PROTECTED] I've ordered non-Danish bobbins from her too.

Usual disclaimers -- just a more than satisfied customer.

Regards,
Lorraine Weiss (in Albany, NY where, so far,  Hurricane Andrew has not made
as dramatic an impact as expected this weekend)

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[lace] Knitted lace book and survey

[L. E. Weiss]

Hello all -

I stumbled across a knitted lace book recently:  A Creativity Guide to
Knitted Lace by Jan Eaton; ISBN 1-85368-290-X; $12.95 US.  Claims on the
back cover:  The most comprehensive, practical and sumptuously illustrated
guide to this popular craft; 10 original projects of all sizes...Each
project as easy-to-follow instructions, a clear chart and a full-colour
photograph of the finished item.  Website listed:
www.newhollandpublishers.com.  Suppliers list in the back shows UK,
Australia and New Zealand sources but I bought it here in the States.

As for projects, I'm experiencing the pull of several magnetic fields, it
seems, and the garden and sewing clothes have been strongest recently, but
I'm hoping my three-day weekend will yield time to attend to one or more of:
1.  Finally re-doing the leaves on the Peace Dove pattern of Tamara's that
I finished for the first time in Dec.  (Hope to do a second version of the
entire piece during outside concerts this summer.)
2.  Working on a Flanders piece begun at a workshop in May.
3.  Working on a Beds piece begun at a workshop in Feb.

Beautiful sunny weekend so far around here.  Hopefully, cloudy skies will
stay away long enough for fireworks tomorrow.
regards,
Lorraine in Albany, NY, USA

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[lace] Couture=Art ( Melon Pillow)

[L. E. Weiss]

Hello all -

Catching up on digests after a trip.  I ran down to Philadelphia to see the
Schiaparelli exhibit which was MARVELOUS.  (In my opinion, their exhibit
hall puts the Met's Costume exhibit space to shame.  It's larger, handles
crowds better and has an exhibit case down the center that allows pieces to
be viewed from front and back.)  I don't remember any lace but there was
lots of embroidery, and the construction of the pieces was amazing as was
the number of items on display (about 180 with about 140+ being clothes).  I
bought the 50-pound (as in weight) book but loaned it out immediately and
haven't yet looked through it.  One nice aspect of the show was the display
of Salvadore Dali works next to the related items of clothing--they were
often collaborators.  It was quite a treat to get to spend plenty of time
going through the exhibit.

As for melon pillow and carrot bobbins, it looks like something Little Grey
Rabbit would have used! ;-)

warm regards,
Lorraine in frozen Albany, NY

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[lace] Third hand for lace tools

[L. E. Weiss]

Hi Bev, et al --

My third hand for sewing hook/pin lifter, etc. is a magnet pinned to my
pillow.  It's a party favor from the IOLI convention in Dallas, and is a
round magnet with what I assume is a crochet cover -- a pin goes right into
the middle and it's easily moved around the pillow as needed.  I've also
bought rectangular magnets and slipped them into a little bag made from wide
ribbon that gets pinned to the pillow.  The magnet is great for grabbing the
tool quickly and keeping it within reach.

Happy New Year!
Lorraine   (in Albany, NY today but heading to Austin, TX tomorrow where the
warm weather will be a shock.)

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[lace] Ebay -- lace making thimble

[L. E. Weiss]

Hello all --
I was waiting to see whether someone else spotted this and sent it to the
list (along with comments), and thought it quite a coincidence that the
subject of thimbles came up anyway!   (I apologize if someone has already
mentioned this on the list.)

A friend sent me this item from Ebay.  (As usual, make certain you paste it
into your browser as one line if it is coming to you as two lines.)  Any
opinions out there about the label on this item?
---
Subject: lace making thimble


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=3255711483category=38065
--

regards,
Lorraine in Albany, NY (recovering from Thanksgiving Day cooking and about
to spend the rest of the day on lace--something else to be thankful for)

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[lace] Orvus use Ithaca

[L. E. Weiss]

Hi  all-

I actually buy the large jar of Orvus and use it for laundering cottons and
other fabrics that I want to keep bright.  Years ago I noticed that the
whitening agents in detergent (even the non-bleach type) faded printed and
solid cottons over time but that fabric keeps its intensity when washed with
Orvus.  It doesn't take much and it takes me over a year to use up a jar
which turns out to be less expensive that multiple bottles of the normal
detergents (other laundry does get the regular stuff).  Orvus is also a nice
non-fragrance alternative.

It's been fun to read the other Ithaca reports.  I took the leaves and
tallies boot camp as I've been calling it, aka Deciphering Leaves and
Tallies with Josee Poupart of Quebec, Canada.  It was extremely helpful,
and I feel much more ready to dive into a leave-laden pattern.  Having read
(and pasted, cut and saved) numerous messages on leaves and the TTC method,
it was much more helpful for me to see the technique demonstrated.  It also
was good to be able to focus on how to weave and incorporate leaves into a
design over the 9 hours of a course.  Josee is an interior designer as well
as a lacemaker, and is a pleasure to study with.

It has been about 15 years since I was able to make it back to an Ithaca
Lace Day (my original lace guild).  Verna Belle Freund and I were comparing
the current wonderful event to the very early years when I think the
emphasis was on the public event only and we had yet to begin offering
classes.  (Those were wonderful events too!)  Nice to see how things have
evolved, although it's too bad that it's no longer in the heart of downtown
where there is so much foot traffic.  Kudos to all organizers and
volunteers!

regards,
Lorraine Weiss in Albany, NY where we have less fall color than the nice
display I saw driving west to Ithaca -- but then we haven't had a real frost
yet in my microclimate and I still have sunflowers blooming!

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