PROJECT: Artist in the Community, Kenmare. Co. Kerry

I had mentioned in an earlier blog post, I received funding through Create Ireland for research and development into a project with the Kenmare Lace Festival. (Read more about it here).

Artist in the Community Project with Kenmare Lace Festival

 

One of the projects I had in the pipeline for this coming winter, has just been given the green light, and I'm absolutely delighted! I've just got word I will be receiving a bursary from the Arts Council, via Create, the National Development Agency for Collaborative Arts, to work on an Artist in the Community research project with the Kenmare Lace Festival.

XXIV Mostra do Encaixe de Camarinas

Souvenirs from Galicia; shells, bones, bobbins, fans and posters

(Day 1 of my 10 Week Blog a Week Challenge)

I spent the weekend, trying to think of what I could blog about today, and I realised I never put any pics up of the trip to Spain! I was so busy when I returned home, it went clean out of my head. So here's a (very rough), little slide show of photos of the XXIV Mostra do Encaixe de Camariñas. I had a wonderful time, was treated royally by the organisers, and was so well looked after by my friend, La Reina de Lace, published author and incredible teacher,  Marina Regueiro, that I could have stayed forever.

XXIV Mostra do Encaixe de Camariñas

Its 5.30am, I should be fast asleep, but instead I'm up doing last minute computer stuff, updating blogs, sending emails, printing info leaflets, boarding passes etc, etc. The next 3 weeks are crazy hectic, and I'll barely get the chance to sit down, let alone blog!

XXIV Mostra do Encaixe de Camariñas, Spain

I've just accepted an invitation to attend XXIV Mostra do Encaixe de Camariñas, a 4 day festival of Lace in Northern Spain this Easter.

Post Kenmare Lace Festival!

Had a cracking time at the Kenmare Lace Festival! Met up with some lovely lace makers, some I knew already, some I never met before. Above is a pic of my bobbin lace, made in a workshop taught by amazing lacemaker Ann Keller. I am now fascinated with bobbin lace, especially with the use of metallic threads in bobbin lace. Oh, all nice and shiny! I know Textile Support in Italy runs these kind of courses. I wonder...

Kenmare Lace Festival

I'm off on another mini road trip. This time to the lovely town of Kenmare in South Kerry, where the first Kenmare Lace Festival is being held.

Kenmare Lace Festival

Am spending this week, trying to get my piece together for the Kenmare Lace Festival Competition. Finished and sent to the framers. I don't usually block my motifs before putting them together. But working in black wool, as opposed to white cotton, is harder on the eyes, hands, and is sticking up all over the place. These foam kids play mats, are great for blocking.

This is the first year of the festival and the competition and it is working up to be a fantastic event. A few years ago I went to Kenmare, specifically to see the little Lace Museum, run by Nora Finnegan. I have the great pleasure of meeting her daughter Emer, in Italy at the Lace Symposium. I have such admiration for Nora and Emer, who are doing such wonderful work promoting Kenmare Lace. I'm really looking forward to spending the weekend in Kenamre, in their lovely company. I'm hopefully, finally, to have a go at bobbin lace. I recently got a few bobbin pins in an auction, and am I'm dying to try them out

For more information about the Festival visit http://kenmarelacefestival.ie/
follow on Twitter www.twitter.com/KenmareLaceFest
or like on Facebook www.facebook.com/kenmarelacefestival

International Freeform Fibrearts Guild

Every year, the International Freeform Fiberarts Guild votes on a theme for the annual challenge. Work is made of a period of a few months, and is then presented in the form of an online exhibition and a book. We dont publish the pics anywhere online until the exhibition is live on the website. Which it is now, go head over for a min and have a look www.intfff.com/ 

Venice! (Italy Part IV)

Rapallo! (Italy Part III)

Ancient Map of Northern Italy, (with rough indications of towns)

I haven’t really talked about the different kinds of laces I saw yet. Who would have thought there were so many types! We have, here in Ireland, a number of laces, eg Carrickmacross, Kenmare, Youghal etc.  All needlepoint laces, and one crochet lace. Yet the dominant lace abroad, both in the symposium, the museums and with the people I met was bobbin lace. Until now, I have heard about bobbin lace, I even bought some bobbins in an auction a few months back, but I’ve never seen it in action. Now I can say I most definitely have. I can’t get over how popular it is! In fact, Angharad said it was one of the reasons she was delighted both myself and Emer could travel over, because along with Guillermo and his tatting, we were the only ones who were not talking about bobbin lace. I think I was the only person there who has never tried bobbin lace. I’m intrigued!!

Gandino! (Italy, Part II)

 Ancient Map of Northern Italy, (with rough indications of towns)

After four days of intense talks, chats, chats and talks in the Palazzo del Broletto in Pavia, it was time to say goodbye to the majority of the presenters and attendees of the symposium, and get excited about the 4 days of textile road trips ahead.

Italy! (Part 1)

I’m going to have to split my Italy trip into at least 2 parts. One blog post would be very long and rambling, (as if this one isnt!). Also. for me, there were distinct parts. The 1st part being the Symposium itself, and the 2nd (and possibly 3rd!) part, the excursions afterwards to Gandino, Rapallo and Venice.

Ciao!

The flights are booked, the boarding passes are printed... 

The presentation is prepared, and the workshop, has been worked on...

so, its Ciao!, Arriverderci!, Salve! which apart from pizza, pasta and Prosecco, is the extent of my Italian.

I'm off to a Doily Free Zone to chat lace, more lace, and different types of lace, and to visit lace museums...LACE HEAVEN!

Prepare yourself to be Lace-bombed on my return...

Interweave Crochet Magazine Summer 2012

When I got back from the Body and Soul Festival, I had a lovely package waiting for me -the summer issue of Interweave Crochet!

Máire Treanor has been writing a series of feature articles for Interweave Crochet Magazine on Clones Lace. In the edition above, Summer 2012 (part 4 of the series), Máire writes about modern interpretations of Irish Crochet in the Former Soviet Republics and around the world. I've blogged before (here) about the fantastic Duplet Magazine, an Irish Crochet Magazine form the Ukraine, and she mentions another Zhurnal MOD. You can find them both here www.duplet-crochet.com. 

I attended Máires lace workshop, 2 years running, in Monaghan a few years back, and have been pretty much hooked on lace since. I was delighted when she asked me to submit some pictures of my lace for inclusion in the article, and even more delighted to find the picture in the magazine and the magazine in my letter box! The lovely Máire had sent me a copy herself. (Thank you Maire!!)

Cú

Máire runs The Cassandra Hand Summer School of Lace in Clones, and other workshops throughout the year. If you are thinking of trying Irish Crochet lace, I cannot reccommend her classes enough. Not just for the knowledge and skills being shared but for the company; the very enjoyable few days to be spent in the company of some amazingly talented women.

www.cloneslace.wordpress.com

And now for something completely crafty... Crocheted Lace Panels

Still trying to catch up on blog posts about some of the stuff I made this year, so I'll keep the text short and sweet.

These are some WIP's, crocheted lace panels I started making last winter. They are extremely hard to photo for some reason, I'm not that happy with the pics, but you get the idea. They are made using traditional Irish crochet lace techniques, but made from recycled plastic bin bags. I made 2 panels using scrolls, one of my favourite motifs, but I didn't think they came out great, there is almost too much detail in it. (And the scrolls take forever...).

The 2nd panel, of flowers and leaves came out much better, especially with more open background. This panel is approx 150cm x 50cm. Its a bit worse for ware, as its been on display at 2 festivals and a disco. I hope to experiment a bit more with these, the original plan was to make something big, but lets see if I ever get that together...

Lace Seminar

You'll never believe this, but I didn't take any photos of the Lace Seminar!! I was so busy, running around like a headless chicken, I didn't get the chance. What a wasted opportunity...

But you can catch a glimpse of it on Nationwide, RTE next Wednesday. The lovely Veronica Stuart from the Traditional Lacemakers of Ireland group was interviewed about Irish Lace.

Lace Inspired (...0bsessed...): Part 1

Apart from the Lace Seminar I'm helping to organise (next weekend!!!), I have another reason to be Lace Obsessed, I mean Inspired. As well as doing the Electric Picnic, (hopefully, still TBC!) this year I've been asked to take part in a mini Greencrafts village at the Body and Soul Festival

My theme for EP this year is 'Lace Inspired', and I thought I had the whole summer to be inspired and crafty, but with the Body and Soul in June, the pressure is on to make Lace. Its not the easiest thing to do under pressure, with a short amount of time... I've been gathering up inspirational pictures on Pinterest (lots and lots of pictures). It all began with a Doily DIY Lampshade and some Lace covered Stones And a whole lot of other amazing Lace photos.

So, I started Lace-making. Now when I looked at all the DIY projects, they all either used vintage or cheap handmade doily's. You won't get vintage in Ireland for cheap (or even find any), then I went into a shop and bought 3 small doily's for €1 each. Afterwards the guilt weighted too heavily on me. Just because it is crocheted in Asia, does not mean it is any less handmade, and it appals me to see such work go for so cheap. Each day when I read about the destruction the textile industry is causing to people, to the environment, I feel the need to get more pro-active in my belief in recycling/upcycling, and any other cycling I can think of. So, lots of ideas out the window, because I'll have to make all the lace myself, and I'm not going to buy any new yarn for it. Enough chat, you get the gist, lots of Lace blog posts coming up over the summer.

Here's my first project:

Lace Lampshades!!!
Here's my version of the Doily Lampshade.

The 1st one was made of a series of different doily's, but it took too long to make them, then put them together.

Then I tried a different version crocheting the top and bottom, and then crocheting over the balloon

Still took too long, so I came up with a pattern and new method that is relatively quick and easy!! So here is the final prototype. It didn't dry completely even as it got josled about a bit.

As usual I had to take lots of pics, a I loved the light coming through.

and more pics messing around with the light and colour.

(my favourite kinda blue!!)

I have more plans for this baby, but I guess you just gotta come to The Body and Soul Festival to see the final design...

Body & Soul Festival, JUNE 18th & 19th
Ballinlough Castle,
Clonmellon,
Co.Westmeath.

Update on 'The Story of Lace' at the 2011 Pan Celtic Festival

This is where I double up on The Woolly Way blog, but there I have to try to sound impartial and official... here I get to be a bit more unprofessional and say Woohoo!!

Woohoo!!
16 Lacemakers form The Traditional Lacemakers of Ireland Guild are travelling over for the seminar, including internationally renowned Veronica Stuart. (Who I had a lovely lunch with, last Saturday in the Phoenix Restaurant in Keel)

Woohoo!!
Members of the Shaw-Smith family (makers of the Hands TV series will be personally attending the seminar. I have recieved a copy of the Lace making episode, that we will be viewing, and it is really amazing. (We are amazing, as in Ireland is amazing, as in Lacemakers are amazing. One of the most lively, enthusiastic and most of all encouraging groups I have dealt with, its about time we started appreciating the wealth of our textile history... sorry, stop rant before it goes on....)

WoOHOO!!!!
We are throwing in a book launch too, because, well, why not. Two books Clones Lace, and Youghal Lace have been revised and reprinted recently, so we are going to officially launch them at the event.

Workshops
There still a few places at the workshops, you can download registration forms from here http://panceltic.ie/irishlace.asp

That's enough for now, worn out with the excitement. And I still have to try get something together for Gig sa Tig, more on that later...