Mary, I hope you don't mind but I had to blog about the super bobbin lace workshop you organized in your house. Three times this week ... Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday ... the one hour drive to Williamsburg every day was so worth it.
Teacher Vera Cockuyt came from Belgium and offered several lace subjects to learn. This is Chrysanthemum lace I decided to try.
This is Advanced Torchon.
The first day: something wrong with my linen 50/2 because it broke at least half a dozen times. I decided that this was not fun and to change to a different thread. The linen might have become too dry.
I could have done it slightly enlarged and in color (this is Vera's sample).
I discussed with the teacher that I would like a smaller project like a (Heartland Lace Guild) heart and she encouraged me. Right away she even made a sketch very similar to the idea already in my head. I went home, drew my heart and started. Tuesday I worked on it all day ... and was able to finish it in the evening at home (after a meeting James and I had at our Community Pavilion I had forgotten about). It could do with some improvement but for the first one I am quite pleased.
When you are working on your lace you need to get up once in a while to stretch your back. This is fun too. Seeing what the others are doing. Visiting a little. And looking at the beautiful things Mary has done and/or decorated her house with.
Ah, every lunch time a few of us set out on the deck. So lovely.
This is the lace Mary made when she was Vera's student for the first time 15 years ago.
Nice ideas how Mary displays some of her lace.
See the Norfolk Pine in the corner behind Gail? Mary had some lovely Easter eggs hanging on it (similar to my Easter tree).
So I brought her my very first and only effort (so far) on this technique. I had tried it just before Easter and then William visited etc etc. Didn't get around to do more. But definitely am planning to.
What was I going to work on the third day? Vera loves Vologda lace and had many of her own designs for sale. I asked and she didn't mind if I finished this heart ... which I had started (sorry, Lia) in 2002. Yes, yeah for stainless steel! Because after all this time the pins where not rusted or tarnished and all was just as I had left it ... years ago. No harm done.
That was a class to learn Russian tape lace. I had finished one heart then and this was the second one with a different filling. I always wanted to finish it ... and now I am. First thing on the agenda: untangling the bobbins and replacing those threads which had broken ... most likely why I had given up at the time. I was surprised how much fun it was to work on this again. Hope to show you the finished piece soon.
And this is the class photo. Mary's husband was asked to come home early to take it. The things our husbands do for us!
I had a wonderful time with these ladies and learned a lot!
On the way home (that one hour) I was thinking and pretty much designed one motive for my "Chrismons in Lace Series". Now, if I just had 5 minutes ....
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