What a wonderful letter for those of us who couldn't go to
convention! Thank you for taking all that trouble to write it. --
Aurelia
Well, here's my adventures at the IOLI convention.
Left San Diego on Sat. Aug.27th. Sure helped to have someone push
me in a wheel chair through the airports. No problems on the flight.
There were 7 of us from the Silvergate Lacers on the plane. We were
all separated so we couldn't cause any mischief. After getting to
Denver and checked into room, unpacked and met some of the gals for
supper. Food was good, service was very slow.
Sun. was registration day, vendor room and exhibit room opened. Went
with my list to buy all my much needed supplies and some that
weren't on my list. In the evening was the pajama party. It was a
fun event. Wore my pj's with a housecoat over. But my crowning
glory item was an antique lavender tatted dust cap or night cap. It
got a lot of attention. Saw Ken from New York, who teaches and
makes bobbins (can't remember his last name) just before the pajama
party and asked him where his PJ's were. He informed me that he
didn't have any, he slept in the buff. OOOOH! I may be in trouble
for revealing his secret. So I told him to bring his birthday suit
and come any way. He said it was under his cloths and came. We
were served breakfast at night. It was fun.
Monday classes started. In the morning I studied Rosalibre bobbin
lace, with Cathleen Belleville. In the afternoon I had a class in
wire tatting with Carolyn Regnier. I found out that at my age (72)
taking two classes was too much for me to handle. But I did manage
to get through them.
I really loved the Rosalibre lace. It's a three dimensional lace.
The flowers have a ruffle like a daffodil that sticks up and the
leaves have a fin that stick up. And the butterfly has wings that
loop over. I think I did pretty good with that. But was very
disappointed when Cathleen said she wasn't going to be teaching for
at least two years. Had to do with her job. Was sure glad I had
also taken her chrysanthemum class in the past.
The wire tatting class was different. I had a hard time learning a
different method of working the wire than you use with thread. The
tensioning is different and you don't pull the wire tight like you
do with thread. I managed to get a few flowers made plus even
crochet a wire plume. Made a small corsage to wear on my dress at
the Fri. banquet.
Monday was the arachne luncheon which was nice to put a few faces to
internet names. In the evening there was a Gold panning
demonstration and a display of a few live birds, a large owl and an
eagle. I went to the vendors room (again) and stopped to see the
birds on my way back to my room.
Tuesday we had a catered lunch then in the evening there was the
teachers showcase. The teachers had lovely lace displays of the
types of lace they were teaching, plus they signed their books, and
some had items and books for sale. It was very crowded and a little
hard for a handicapped person to get through. But I managed.
Wednesday was tour day. I choose to go to the Flying W Ranch dinner.
It was a Bar B Q dinner served chuck wagon style. I couldn't
believe how well organized they were. There were over a thousand
people served. I don't remember how many they said. Wednesday was
a rainy day. On the way there, a big tractor trailer truck had
broken down in the middle lane of the freeway. Traffic was backed up
for miles. There was a group that left early in the day and got to
the ranch in plenty of time to see the little ghost town and Indian
weaver and the blacksmith. They had visited a number of other places
including the airforce academy. I was in the two bus group that
went late in the day and we were supposed to get to visit the town
but just managed to get there in time to eat and see the show. It
was a country western show consisting of four men playing
instruments and singing and telling stories and jokes. Since I like
country western I enjoyed it very much. The floor was so uneven that
two of our ladies did fall down. They seemed to be alright, but I'm
sure they probably had skinned knees and elbows.
Thursday was back to classes. Visited the vendors room again and
spent some more money, again. : )
In the evening was the Tat-Off. Of course the shuttle brothers had
to show everyone how to flip a stitch. Everytime I see it I still
enjoy seeing it. I didn't win anything not even being the oldest.
After the Tat-Off the Shuttle Bros. gave every one, one of their
tatted butterflies. Then there was the IOLI Gen. Meeting.
Friday. was cram day in my classes. Trying to get every last bit of
information we could from the teachers and seeing pieces that
managed to get finished by the students. In my wire tatting class,
every day the teacher came up with a way to give away a door prize.
At the beginning of the class we bought our supply kits. In one of
each kit was a different item, such as a different color of wire
from the rest of the class. On Friday I won the door prize by having
the multi colored ruler in my kit. It was a fabulous prize. It was
a lovely pouch with two compartments and the treasures that were in
it. There was pair of scissors, two tortoise shell colored clover
shuttles, a miniature abalone shell shuttle and best of all was a
Shuttle Brothers shuttle, some thread and I think that's all. Isn't
that enough? I should have gone out and bought a lottery ticket
that day. In the evening was the banquet. Many of the people wore
their best lace, collars, shawls, head pieces, vests and even
dresses. It was hard to get around to see them all. That night was
the last of the drawings. That night I won a lovely signed book by
Greet Rome-Verbeylen, Lace from Lier, tamboured with a hook
Problems for me: Couldn't get a lace pillow in my suitcase. Ended
up kinda making a rectangle pillow to fit in the suitcase. Then
there was a pillow stand. Was told that the tables were too high to
work on and we had better bring our own stand. Oh joy! My stands
and TY tables wouldn't fit in my suitcase. Well I had a embroiders
giraffe stand for holding wooden hoops. Well I drilled holes here
and there to lower it to the right height, then had to come up with
something to hold the pillow. Found an old TV tray in the garage,
drilled holes in that and bolted it to the stand. Fit in the
suitcase. Luggage carrier was to big to fit in so had an old one
that was broken and tried to make it work. Got all this mess to the
convention and after one day of trying to lug all this to class and
back, I realized it just wouldn't work. Had to go buy an other
pillow table that came apart easily and a tote bag to carry it all
in.
Good stuff: Upon registration we got wonderful tote bags with two
big zippered pockets. Lots of goodies from many of the guilds.
Haven't unpacked it all and so don't remember what all we got. At
every event, such as the luncheon, breakfast, and banquet we got
lovely favors. Some of which I remember. Lovely lace bookmarks,
Ceramic lidded dish with a decal of a tatted motif on it, pin
cushions, striver pins with tatted butterflies, a pair of stork
scissors with a lovely beaded tassel on it. and one thing I really
liked was a simple book mark that was like a plastic paper clip with
a flat piece that came down that was a ball point style pen. Plus
plenty of things I forgot.
One comment my wire lace teacher made that will give you all a
different way to look at your work.
After I finished a piece she put it on the table and asked me if I
would pay $149.00 for it. I said "H___ NO!" Then she said " You
just did!" Everyone just laughed. We don't think of the price of
the class, supplies etc. when we make something. I know there is so
much else in that cost, the information we get, learning, etc. we
don't think like that.
Then Sat. it was back to San Diego and now the unpacking, doing
laundry and trying to recoup. Enjoyed it very much.
I've done my report. Sorry it was so long.
Patsy A. Goodman
Chula Vista, CA, USA
TatPat1, NATA #333
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