Hi All It is with sadness that I am writing to say that another Great Lacemaker has gone to join her thousands of friends in that great Lacemakers Forum in the sky. Sheila Brown from Essex passed away on Friday morning.
I got a call from her daughter a short while ago and volunteered to let people on Arachne know. I know that many of you met her on here as well as in person, and will no doubt share your rememberances of her. I can remember doing the proverbial 'open mouth, insert both feet'.... I was a new lacemaker at the time (some 10 or so years ago), and was put in touch with Sheila via email regarding some lacemaking equipment and books she was selling for another lacemaker that had 'joined the Great Forum'. During the course of the email conversation I suggested she try lacemaking... sent the email and went to look up some of the books on SMP Lace site. The first thing to come up were... books written by Sheila! I then found her phone number and called! Her reply? 'Oh well, Sheila Brown is a common name isn't it?' A week or so later Agnes & I drove to Essex and had lunch with Sheila and Alan, and returned home with a boot full of lace equipment, books, beads and bobbins! It was the start of a great friendship. We have driven to Walsall, and a number of other places to meet up, look at lace and chat! I was also privileged to be able to attend Alan's funeral, which although it was a sad occasion, gave a number of us the opportunity of sitting and discussing 'all things lace' at the do afterwards! The last time I saw her was a couple of years ago in Solihull at the Christmas Fair. She crept up behind me and made me jump!! Much to her delight of course! I've done Christmas Exchanges with her, and am probably among the last people to receive something from this wonderful and 'missed already' lady, having got her name among the Christmas Exchange in 2016. If anyone wishes to send their condolences I do have her daughters address, and will pass it on privately if you email off list. If you wish to send by email, please email me privately, and I'lll print them out and pass them onto the family on your behalf. Regards Sue in East Yorkshire My Tatty Blog http://pigminitatty.blogspot.co.uk/ To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace-chat y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/