Over the summer I was able to demonstrate lacemaking at a few different events including at Bronte Parsonage Museum, Fangfest Festival of Practical Arts and Crafts, and Burton Constable Hall. These are some of my favourite events to do. I absolutely love showing people what to do, chatting about the pieces on display and hearing their stories about their own experiences with crafts of all kinds.
At each of these events – and anywhere I’ve demonstrated previously – there’s usually at least one of the following (I’m thinking of starting a bingo card :-)):
- Someone who’s mum / grandma / aunt used to make lace
- Someone who is convinced they’re not going to be able to get the hang of it but then tries it and realises it’s not that bad
- A child who has a go and gets it straight away
- Someone who’s mind is blown as they’ve never considered how lace is made before
- ‘How long does it take to make?’
- ‘You must have a lot of patience!’
- ‘I bet you’ve got good eyesight!’
- And my favourite – someone who refers to the bobbins and threads as ‘sticks and string’ 🙂
I genuinely love talking about my craft and seeing people’s curiosity about it, so responding to these questions and comments is all part of engaging people in the process. They might not all become lace makers, but it raises awareness of the craft and our cultural heritage and normally sparks a conversation.
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