I started studying for City & Guilds at Lichfield College in September 1994, Janice, so lace was definitely going strong in Lichfield then, as I joined a well established class. Lesley Doram, my tutor, had been one of the C&G 'guineapigs' when the course was first devised. Both her mother and another tutor, Joyce Jones' mother, made lace and attended the Friday afternoon leisure class - both attained their 100th birthday during my time at the college. Had your query come up a fortnight ago I might have been able to find out, as I saw one of the Lichfield Lacemakers whilst demonstrating on The Lace Guild's stand at the NEC the weekend before last, but I suspect that group has been in existence for a good number of years, possibly well back into the 1970s. Lichfield Library was one where you did have a very good choice of lace book to borrow - I doubt that is the case now, though, as many were sold off cheaply in the library cast-off sales.
The 1970s in the UK saw revival of many crafts - I have several general craft books on my shelves published then. Teneriffe was all the rage in the early 70's, I was one of my cousin's bridesmaids and we had pillbox hats decorated with Teneriffe style daisies. As for me, I first saw lace being made in Brugges, Belgium, in 1977, on a day trip out whilst taking part in an International Hospital Christian Fellowship Conference at Ghent University. This was a year after seeing a framed piece that a friend's sister had made, and wondering "how on earth???"... I never thought I would end up making lace myself, Then, in March 1984, one of the options on a Guiders' Training Day was lacemaking, and I came home all enthusiastic... "can I have a pillow for my birthday?" (I've still got the rectangular, straw pillow my husband bought me). Unfortunately by the time my birthday came around (August), I was seven months' pregnant with my eldest daughter, and even the cat had difficulty getting on my lap, let alone a lace pillow! I had money from my Mother-in-Law, which was spent on lace books - Amy Dawson's book (which I later discovered was based on Cluny lace, which was why I found it very confusing following on from the day course); Hank Har! deman's book of torchon patterns (I bought that because it contained the prickings); I think that was when I bought Pamela Nottingham's Technique of Bobbin Lace and there was another, but now I have quite a few books I can't remember which it was. So, struggling to understand Amy Dawson, and not being able to comfortably work on my pillow (Jenny was born that October, 8lb 15oz), my pillow got put aside for five years, until 1989 - Hannah, my younger daughter, was 2 and wanting to know why she couldn't go to playgroup with her big sister. At the same time, the local college advertised a bobbin lace class for absolute beginners on a Tuesday morning, with a creche that could take two year olds.... I started learning bobbin lace and Hannah went to what she fondly called "sand and water". Of course, practicing at home, Hannah wanted a go, so I let her - I've had no problem letting very young children have a go on my pillow at demonstrations since. (She made lace on and off unti! l she was about 9 - she was more likely to get her pillow out if she w asn't feeling well). The class lasted a year, the college lost the pre-summer holiday renewals list and in September declared they hadn't got enough takers for it to run, so four of the twelve of us transferred to Jennifer Ford's Monday evening class (the others wanted a daytime class). I continued with torchon for a few weeks, but Jennifer quickly moved me onto Bucks, which has remained my love ever since. In 1992 a few of us not wanting to waste paid for class time chatting, started the local lace group. A year or so later Kay, who ran our local craft and needlework shop (a sad casualty of Hobbycraft opening in the town, it killed both of the two excellent craft shops we had), asked me if I could help those who bought the Dryad kit from her (it was all she could get from her suppliers) get off the ground and so I started teaching - the second lady to join my class had been in Sue Hodgson's class with me back in 1989! So, to make sure I could stay one step ahead, I started ! as a student on the C&G course at Lichfield, gaining Parts 1 and 2, (and a couple of other textile qualifications along the way, and later a teaching qualification). I stopped teaching in 2010, when other commitments took over, but have been organising regular lacemaking events at the preserved railway where I volunteer since 2011 - if anyone is going to be in Porthmadog at the end of April, beginning of August and/or mid October this year, and would like details, let me know. What's on my travel pillow at the moment? A growing length of navy blue tape, to be formed into a Branscombe-style portrait of Gelert, one of my favourite locos at the railway, who is soon to be back in service after heavy overhaul.... and one day I really must complete the basket of flowers on my Honiton pillow (which was started on a lace weekend tutored by the late Christine Hawken). Jane Partridge ________________________________________ > I think the idea stayed in my brain until I visited the UK in 1994 and saw a > pillow kit in a craft shop. So there must have been a local guild in the > Lichfield area. > Janice >Janice Blair Murrieta, CA, >jblace.com - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
