A few days ago, I was in South Hadley, MA at the wonderful Odyssey Bookstore to speak about The Lace Reader and to do a signing. One of the attendees brought in a piece of lace she was making (in the photo, it's attached to her lace maker's pillow.) Having tried and failed to make lace myself, I'm always in awe of anyone who can nimbly toss the stick-like bobbins back and forth and end up with something so beautiful and delicate. Another lace maker in the audience remarked that lace making is not very complex, reducing the process to it's most simple. "You take two threads and you either go over one or go under the other. "
While what she said is absolutely true, my failed attempt tied not only the piece I was working on into knots but my mental state as well. I ended up putting my work (with bobbins still attached) into a hatbox and shoving the whole thing to the back of my closet with all the other treasures I plan to fix or complete.
So I am thrilled when the lace makers come to one of my signings, and even happier when they embrace the book. Lace makers are true artists, and they are all around the country. So if you get a chance to see a demonstration, or even to try lace making yourself, I encourage you do it. Who knows? Like the Whitney women, you might even see a vision in the lace.