This last weekend I had the joy of going to a
Lace-In/Retreat/Workshop in Concordia, Kansas (a 3 hour drive from my
home of Omaha, Nebraska). One of the joys of going is the car ride with
friends to get there and back, it being a great time to ‘catch up’.
This time I traveled with my lovely friend, Jennifer Bartling (seen as
the left-most person in the group of 4-ladies picture).
It is hosted by The Sunflower Lacers and includes Lacemakers from all over Kansas, plus a few of us from Nebraska and Iowa. At least 4 states were represented this weekend. There were 30 lacemakers there working on bobbin lace, tatting, Romanian Point Lace and beading projects.
The retreat center is wonderful and unique. It is called the Manna
house and is run and operated by the Sisters of St. Joseph, a nun sect
that has its historical roots as lacemaker in France (centuries ago).
The Sunflower Lacers found this place because the sisters had an
interest in revisiting/learning bobbin lacemaking as a part of their
heritage. Ronna Robertson, the president, founder of Sunflower Lacers
helped the sisters revive this heritage of their sect and now The
Sunflower Lacers have a lovely place to have a retreat for a weekend.
The building is an old hospital. The interior views of the rooms and
hallways are reminiscent of that bygone era. (See other photos). We
each had a private room that was beautifully decorated with matching
sheets, bed covers, and curtains as well as antique furniture and old
linens.
The retreat/workshop is wonderfully organized. There is always a class/workshop for bobbin lacers. This time the project was Russian tape Lace in a paisley shape. Saturday morning we could choose between learning how to crochet the tape for Romanian Point Lace, create beaded bobbins or a scissor-keep, or work on our own projects. There was a table full of food goodies such as chocolate. I think I ate my weight in chocolate that day.
It is hosted by The Sunflower Lacers and includes Lacemakers from all over Kansas, plus a few of us from Nebraska and Iowa. At least 4 states were represented this weekend. There were 30 lacemakers there working on bobbin lace, tatting, Romanian Point Lace and beading projects.
Russian Tape Lace (Bobbin Lace) class project in progress
Hallway of the retreat center that used to be a hospital. (Note the tile floor.)
Retreat center sleeping room that used to be a hospital room
The retreat/workshop is wonderfully organized. There is always a class/workshop for bobbin lacers. This time the project was Russian tape Lace in a paisley shape. Saturday morning we could choose between learning how to crochet the tape for Romanian Point Lace, create beaded bobbins or a scissor-keep, or work on our own projects. There was a table full of food goodies such as chocolate. I think I ate my weight in chocolate that day.
Esther
Miller and Serena ?—the Des Moines, Iowa Tatting representatives. I’ve
known Esther for decades….she is almost ‘tatting royalty’. She is good
friends with Pam Palmer, the renowned tatting designer and author from
England. These two ladies knew and tatted with Mary Sue Kuhn, a major
figure in tatting history for being the first designer/author to make
Split Ring Tatting Technique usable (since Anne Orr published the
technique) by creating patterns and a book. Mary Sue is the one who
named the technique ‘Split Ring Tatting’.
The
3 ladies on the left are part of the 5-person Omaha, Nebraska
tatter/lacemaker group at the retreat. The gal on the right is Susan
Groh from Kansas City…our lacemaking supply supplier for the weekend.
These ladies are creating beaded decorations for bobbin lace bobbins.
Manna House Retreat Center in Concordia, Kansas
We
had one big conference room where ‘lacing’ took place. This photo shoe
the bobbin lace class in action. They were learning/working on Russian
Tape Lace.
Madame
President–Shemene & Gail (from Omaha) working on bobbin lace
projects. In the back you can see the area of the room that the
‘tatters’ and the ‘needlelacers’ hung out in. Shemene is the IOLI
President this year.
This
is a photo of the Saturday morning workshop. The topic was learning to
crochet the tape for the Romanian Point Lace classe that will be
taught/done at the Fall Lace-In. The two RPL pieces are mine and are
ones that I purchased in Budapest, Hungary on my honeymoon trip in Sept
of 2013. Romanian Point Lace is one of the needlelaces that I teach and
study.
This
is my ‘Sienna Square’ Quilt-Inspired SRT piece that I completed (the
tatting!) while there. This is a photo of the newly-done piece on my
lap, threads ends awaiting finishing. I think this will be my cover
photo on one my 2 ‘Quilt-Inspired Fun with Split Ring Tatting’ books
that I am planning to have published by this summer.
Anybody
else see a tatting pattern in this tile work???? One of the floors of
the hallway of the retreat center that used to be a hospital.
2
books that I won as door prizes at the retreat. One of the former
members was downsizing her collection to go into a nursing home and
donated them to the retreat.
