Lace Embrace 2017 part 2

My poor neglected blog!  I am almost embarrassed to post anything, it has been so long.  All my reasons, only sound like excuses....  I have---in the last 20 months, spent 36 days in the hospital, almost all for pneumonia.  My lungs, and heart have suffered because of it.  Instead of sitting at my craft table, with the computer in the corner where I can be online as I work--most days now are spent in the living room in the recliner where I can have my legs up almost as high as they are supposed to be.  My sleeping disorder, I think is worse--it seems I spend more time taking out the tatting that I was doing as I went to sleep--that I apparently tatted some on as I slept (never correctly!) than I do correctly tatting.  End of reasons and excuses.

Let me finish with the October (yikes!) Lace Embrace event.  I just love this event.  We work all year long in preparation for this.  We don't charge any admission, give free goodie bags, have vendors, contests, demos and classes and provide a $5 lunch for those who do not want to leave the event location for lunch.

I love goodie bags--don't you?  You get something for free!  What is inside is usually a surprise!  Yours may not be exactly like your neighbors!  This year, we had bags printed.  These were those lovely parachute fabric light backpack type bags.  They kept everything together so nicely!
 


How do you like the Snowman and Gingerbread painted breadclips on the right?   OK--here is a larger view (just because you asked for it! & because they were my project!)


After begging everyone I knew to save bread clips for me--I bought some acrylic paint and PAINTED!  I've said for years that I could follow a pattern, but could not create on my own....this was a lot of fun as I tried out different faces on these little bits of nothing.  I hope people have fun winding thread bits on them, or using them as a small shuttle.  Those four bobbins of thread are very similar to what I was taught was "buttonhole twist"--a very strong thread for making your handmade buttonholes.
 
  "Winter themed" patterns for all different types of lacemaking  as well as the patterns for any classes that were offered were included.

A real treasure (to me) are the OLD magazines!  Oh, I wish Workbasket was still in print--I loved it!   I do not crochet, but there are ladies at my church who appreciate when I share my goodie bag treasures with them.  (Plus, one of the old crochet magazines has at least one tatting pattern in them.)  The old magazines are the only really "snarky" comment that I have ever heard about Lace Embrace.  Years ago, someone wrote that our goodie bags were full  of things available at any garage sale.  (boohoo---somebody was having a bad day!)  :)  
Of course--you need a winter themed pencil or pen and notepad (I love the little 3 inch snowflake ruler--it is flexible--which makes it very handy at times!)
 
Let's discuss the picture on the right.  Sew Uptown was a new shop in Bartlesville OK.  This was their first year to be a vendor at Lace Embrace.  They donated enough needle books for all of our goodie bags!  Wasn't that sweet!  The tatting group that meets at Kingfisher OK made enough beaded zipper pulls for our goodie bags!  Several ladies from the our guild made the bobbin lace icicles!  Why the thimbles?  Every year we have a short presentation.  Over the past few years, we have had butterflies, pincushions, needles and this year we had a lovely talk about thimbles.  There is a lot I did not know about thimbles! 

Now over to the picture on the left.  I don't know who crocheted the snowflake coasters, but I do know that Sue folded all the origami blue little tied-with-ribbon things--and filled them all with delicious chocolate!  I just realized that I have double of everything in my photos--my husband also got a goodie bag!

Many shared their thimble collections for our "viewing pleasure."   

Bruce (on the right) our 2017 guild president sits with the theme contest entries and explains how to vote for your favorite. 

One of the civic organizations in Bartlesville had a contest, where they auctioned off wreaths.  This was our guild entry, which was on display for the day.  It brought a nice hefty sum the night of the auction!


On the right are Donna Rose and Dorothy.  They have their bobbin lace pillows set up, ready to demonstrate for anyone interested in learning that craft.

 Almost all day long, we have drawings for our raffle prizes.  Tickets are a quarter, and I have a strategy.  I look into the paper bag that where people drop their tickets.  Since I don't really care what I win--I just want to win something--I put my tickets in bags where there are very few tickets.  (Let's face it, if there was something I really, really wanted to win....I could put $100 worth of tickets in there and it would be won by someone else!)  This year, I won several times--each time lovely seed beads!!



I must show you my purchases!  I love having vendors at Lace Embrace!!!   More lovely silk thread (I talked about this in my last post) and English hackles from Kathy Kirchner's booth.  Plus my "trove of treasures" from Tatting Corner.  I have wanted Julie Patterson's books for so long!  Lisa at Tatting Corner is the only US distributor of them! http://www.tattingcorner.com/books-videos-1/index-6.html/?referrer=CNWR_30711492117529 I was able to get some more of that lovely "Penny 20" polyester thread and more clover bobbin shuttles (I think I'm actually beginning to "enjoy" those--not just "learning to like".)

Just a few more pictures..... My lace display.  The snowflake tree was a result of my sinus surgery several years ago.  By the time I had recuperated, there were 103 snowflakes on the tree.  There were no two of the same design.  One of the more interesting things (I think) on my display board was a small corner where I showed my "failures" and struggles.  I think that people need to know that everything doesn't come out perfect right away!

In the next post, I will post the pattern for the Bohemian Picot Play Bracelet that I taught at Lace Embrace 2017.  Would you like to read the Lacemaker's Guild of Oklahoma "Wrap-Up Newsletter" for Lace Embrace 2017?  Follow this link!   "Wrap - Up Newsletter!"


 

 A look at the crowd....well sort of?













 

 Personal

Lace

Displays

from

some

of

our

guild

members

 

 Last thing for this post---is my little commercial!