Saturday 11th February 2023
Participants will be able to take part in a taster day which will introduce the craft of lacemaking and its heritage. Participants will meet their tutor, Bee Barford, who has been lacemaking for over 30 years. Bee trained at the Royal School of Needlework and has taught courses at various locations in the South West.
Handmade lace is an exquisite craft. This introductory day is suitable for beginners and all those with an interest in expanding their textile repertoire. Following on from this "taster day," we hope to hold a regular lacemaking group to encourage people of all ages to develop their new skills further.
Participants may join the morning or afternoon session or stay the whole day.
Lacemaking came to these shores from Europe in the 1600s, brought here by those fleeing religious persecution. The English tradition developed from these roots, mainly in Devon (Honiton lace) and the East Midlands, where people made lace to supplement their incomes. There was a smaller local tradition in Malmesbury. Lace was considered a high-status item, popular with the royalty and aristocracy.
Handmade lace died out with the advent of machine-made lace in the Industrial Revolution. It enjoyed a revival in the 1970s, but now classes are difficult to find, and it's classified as an "at-risk" craft.
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