PLG Newsletter Summer 2002
President’s Letter
What an honor and challenge it is to be elected president of The Pittsburgh Lace Group. Margot has done a wonderful job and will be a tough act to follow. Someone said, before I was elected that I had done a wonderful job of pulling this group together. I want to dispel that rumor right now. The only reason this group works is because this group works. While I was vice president, I never asked anyone to do anything that wasn?t taken care of cheerfully, so I feel blessed to be the figurehead of a group that works well together, or is it ?plays well with others.? I have some challenges for the group and some reminders.
It might be time to start thinking of making a Christmas ornament for the tree next December. I would like to have a whole new page of ornaments to add to our book and to our web page. Please give them to me along with the source of the pattern and the thread used, if you can so that I can scan them for the book. If you want to look at the ornaments that we have, they are in a box in the file cabinet. If you need patterns, our library is available.
If you know of a place where we could put up a display or where we could demonstrate, talk to them, or tell us about them. That is where new members come from, not the cabbage patch after all.
If you have an idea for a workshop, please mention it to Betsy. It is difficult to know what workshops people want to take. If you can write an article for the newsletter, please give it to Margot. It is always interesting to know what is going on in the group. I would like to encourage the tatters to come to class on Thursdays, although I can offer you no assistance, you are most welcome. In fact if anyone wants to come without a lace pillow, that is fine too. The library is full of books to browse through
I want to mention what a success the Easter Egg Tree was with the church. It is fun to see the brightly colored eggs and chicks on our way to class on Thursday nights. We had a great time at the bobbin beading workshop. I hope we continue to have fun together and support each other for a long time. If you haven?t been to class for a while, come and let us know what is going on. As a group our experiences are varied. We do know that life does not revolve around lace, but around people. Most importantly Lace is not a competition, it is a hobby. Come play with us.
Amy
Peyote Beading Workshop: Annual Meeting
What an exciting Saturday it was! We elected a new president and reelected our treasurer. No one else seemed to be willing to assume the presidency, so I was duly elected, and Joanie agreed to continue as Treasury Goddess. The amendment providing for distribution of o’ir assets and return of the IOU Charter and president’s pins passed quickly. Suzanne arranged a drawing for the bobbins we received from Richard Harris (not the actor) in England and a gift certificate from The Lacemaker. Betsy, Dewi, Margot, Diane, Robin, Marjorie, Becky, Barb, Tracy, and I were lucky recipients. In recognition of her long service as newsletter editor and her term as president, Margot was given a gift certificate for The Lacemaker from the Thursday night class. Mter the business was concluded the shopping began at The Traveling Lacemaker.With much difficulty Marjorie Ireece pulled us away from shopping and helped us learn peyote beading on specially-made bobbins. Marjorie was an excellent teacher providing easily-understandable directions, both oral and written, and assisting anyone who needed help. Many beautiful bobbins were completed and some people decided they wanted to continue beading on their own. If you are interested, The Lacemaker wili have bobbins available. We must thank Tracy for bringing all of her goodies; everyone for bringing wonderful food to share: Betsy for arranging such a good and edifying time; the church for allowing us to meet there; and all
those who helped set up and clean up. Tracy especially wants to thank those who carried things up and down the stairs for her.We hope everyone had a good time.–Amy Gibbons
Last Christmas I wanted to give special people something special, so I decided to make some decorative pins. They are really very simple to make, but can look spectacular because of the colors chosen. See pattern below.(not included)
Hang six pairs rainbow style around a large pin in the center (A), using a magic thread technique. Numbering from the center out: Pairs 1 + 2 are metallic-iC inches on each bobbin Pairs 3 + 4 are worker bobbins-2 yds. of 35/2 linen on each bobbin Pairs S + 6 are metallic-3 yds. on the left bobbins,16 inches on the right Cloth stitch the left linen pair through one pair to the left and twist. It is now part of the sewing edge. Cloth stitch the right linen pair to the left and work a sewing edge with the other linen pair. Work a Bruge-type scroll, adding pairs by straddling the third pair from the pin and lifting the worker over the inside pair, around the pin and then working back through the inside pair. Continue adding pairs as needed until the work is full. To have nice stripes you need to have 2 pairs of each color, except at the outside where you want to have 3 pairs (1 for the rolled hem later). You will need to do a “Fudge Stitch” to maintain the color sequence as you add threads. The number of pairs that you need will depend on the thickness of your metallic. Iused Gold Rush or its equivalent and used a total of 15 metallic pairs. You do not have to add a pair every other row, but only as it is needed for fullness. Work until you are straight across from the original center pinhole (B). Use the magic thread to pull the center tight. Now the inside pinholes will be done with a sewing, keeping your work even. when you reach the last pinhole the workers and the outer metallic pair turn back the way they came, doing a rolled hem with picots. The other pairs should be multiples of four and can be braided for 2 or more inches and tied in a knot.
Rolled Hem wyicor Edge. Use 3 pairs, on metallic and two linen. The metallic pair should have more thread than the other metallic pairs in the braids. Lengthen one of the metallic bobbins; pull a loop from the lengthened thread through the sewing edge. Pass the bobbin under the other five threads and through the loop. Tighten carefully by pulling the long bobbin to the back of the work. Generally do two or three loops before the picot. Do one into a sewing edge bar and one into the next bar. About halfway between each pin, I placed a picot, using the outer pinholes. CTC the two outer pairs-to make the double picot with linen, not metallic. CTC back and continue the rolled hem in metallic. If you need to change metallic or linen thread do so. At the braids, weave the threads up the seam line and use the linen thread to sew on a pin back.
-Amy Gibbons
Teacher’s Certification Program
The Great Lakes Lace Guild is sponsoring a teacher’s certification program the weekend of June 21-23, 2002, at a bed and breakfast in St. Thomas, Ontario. The cost is $150 USD, payable to GLIG. This indudes registration, workshop fee, room for two nights, two breakfasts, and two lunches. if you choose to stay an extra night at either end, make arrangements directly with the 3&B. GLIG will take late registrations, but requested registration by May 15 to give some indication of how many to prepare for. The next certification program will probaly be back in Michigan at higher hotel costs.Call Amy for more information.
An invitation from Liberty Lacers
Hello Everyone:
I would like to let everyone know about the Uberty Lacers Workshop schedule. We are located in Narberth, Pennsylvania, and love to have friends, new and old, join us for workshops. Our schedule is as follows: ‘June21, 22,23, 2002-Michael Guisiana: Flanders Lace August 10,11,12, 2002-Louise Colgam’ Mibiese Lace November 9,10,11, 2002-Susie Johrson: Withoff Duchess Please e-mail me privately for additional information. We look forward to three wonderful workshops. Helen Seguin, Liberty Lacers
As always, any and all contributions to this newsletter are most welcome. Any news about members, other lacemakers, bobbins, threads, patterns you love, books, ideas, pictures-send ’em in and keep ’em coming!
IOLI will be celebrating its fiftieth anniversary next year (2003) at the annual meeting. They would like many many lace 5s and 0s (50) for the occasion-any size, any stitch, and worked in white, ecru, or metallic gold or any combination of those. Here are two styles of numbers for patterns, which you can enlarge or reduce, and two 55 as possible examples (or use your imagination). Let’s get to it and overwhelm them with 50s!Call Amy with any questions.
In The Secrets of Real Lace, Elizabeth M. Kurefla makes it possible to tell handmade from machine lace. Plain net was made by machine in the late 18th Century. Within 40 years, machines were bnitadng almost any patterned lace. If one wants to be able to distinguish between them, it is important to recognize the two main categories of machine lace and a handful of basic handmade lace stitches. This book, through the use of very clear photographs, points out distinguishing features of a variety of laces and makes comparisons between handmade and machine laces. This sijin volume is very handy and wlii be useful to anyone who wants to be able to recognize the qualities of fine handmade or machine lace. Thanks to the Thursday night class for purchasing Kirella’s book for our library.
-Suzanne Potter
Thursday, June 6, 2002, 7:00 P.M.-Regular monthly meeting
Thursday, July 4, 2002-No meeting ~t4 ,~
Thursday, August 1, 2002, 7:00 P.M.-Regular monthly meeting
Thursday, September 5, 2002, 7:00 P.M.-Regular monthly meeting
Saturday and Sunday, September 21 and 22, 2002-Demonstration at
Phipps Conservatory. Please volunteer!
Thursday, October 3, 2002-No meeting
Friday-sunday, October 18, 19, 20, 2002, times to come-Friday lecture
and Saturday and Sunday workshop on Color fn Lace, with Louise Colgan;
in the ChurcHil Borough Building