Lace UnArchived

From having a tatting shuttle in my sewing box for over 30 years, I decided not long after I graduated I would try and learn how to do this heritage craft.  The problem was finding someone to teach me.  I even joined a group called, "The Ring of Tatters", but never quite managed to link with anyone to get me started.  I eventually taught myself with the aid of lots of reading, a short DVD tutorial and plenty of You Tube watching until I got my skills up to an acceptable level.

I have to say I am still learning different techniques and ways a creating the lace I want to create but all in all I find tatting a delightful and relaxing craft.

Lace illustrating Russia and the Red Square - William Pegg

Recently I spotted that there was to be a series of events to celebrate Nottingham Lace, one of which was the Lace Unarchived exhibition at Bonington Gallery, Nottingham Trent University.  It's an exhibition of traditional and contemporary work from past students, modern designers and archived samples.  I think my favourite piece was created by a 1930's famous lace maker and designer called William Hallam Pegg in which he expressed his socialist beliefs.

In light of this contemporary piece I was left with the question, "So what is lace?" What defines a piece of lace.  The dictionary definition gives the following:-

...a fine open fabric of cotton or silk, made by looping, twisting, or knitting thread in patterns and used especially for trimming garments.  Oxford Dictionaries

...lace is a very delicate cloth which is made with a lot of holes in it.  It is made by twisting together very fine threads of cotton to form patterns. Collins Dictionaries

Anyway, I will leave you with this video I found about the exhibition, it may inspire you to pay a visit.

As tatting has holes, uses loops, twisting, has lots of holes and creates patterns I will continue to create lace using this very old craft.

My next lace adventure will be a one day Lace Symposium at Newstead Abbey, which is the former home of Lord Byron which I am thoroughly looking forward to.