LACE: INTRICATE PATTERNS TIED TO TIMELESS ART

Lise Thomsen talked to visitors at Riverfest about different types of lace and where they came from.

Beverly Schiwitz from Kelso used bobbins to created bobbin lace off of a pattern.

Threads woven in intricate patterns appear delicate but are ties that bind not only a timeless art but also friendships.

Formed in Paducah about six years ago, the Heartland Lace Guild was started as a support group for people who either made lace or wanted to learn to make lace, explained Christa Burr of Paducah, founder of the guild and editor of the group's quarterly newsletter.

The focus of the group, which includes membership from many states, is to make lace with the aim of keeping alive the old art of lace making, noted Lise Thomsen, president of the Heartland Lace Guild.

Thomsen of Cape Girardeau hails from Denmark and Burr from Germany, but the European connection is but a fluke, both women note. Thomsen and Burr, like guild member Beverly Schiwitz of Kelso, learned to make lace by teaching themselves in recent years.

Schiwitz's interest was piqued in the craft when she saw a bobbin lace demonstration at Silver Dollar City. "It looked like juggling, almost," she chuckled with the recollection. Schiwitz, who has an intense interest in many kinds of heirloom handiwork, bought a "how-to" lace-making book and set about learning the craft.

"If you can count to four you can do this," assured Schiwitz as she deftly moved her project's many bobbins and then adjusted the pins in the pricking during a recent guild demonstration in Cape Girardeau. The pricking, a kind of pattern with tiny pin holes, is a guide bobbin-lace-makers use to determine the size of their lace. "If you make a mistake, it's easy to take out, it's very forgiving," Schiwitz said.

Burr, while fashioning bobbin lace-styled white and gold garland destined for her Christmas tree, agreed, "it's not as difficult as it looks; people shouldn't be scared of it."

While the rate at which lace can be made is dependent upon many variables, the average speed is estimated at somewhere around two square inches an hour.

Threads or materials used to make lace designs, like the designs themselves, are limited only by the imagination, those acquainted with the art say.

With lace becoming popular in Europe in about the 1600s, untold numbers of types and styles have evolved through the centuries.

"In every type of lace you have several categories," Thomsen explained. Styles are often named for the towns or countries in which they originated, Burr noted.

For instance, Thomsen explained, there are several different styles of bobbin lace with origins in differing countries. "You can tell by looking at the lace in what country it originated," she said.

That strong connection with a village, region or country is linked with the art of lace making from its earliest days. Intermingling of styles was limited by physical factors. "When it was a cottage industry, when there was no television, and people didn't travel, they would sit in their town and make their lace," Burr explained.

These days lace-making threads are most often made of linen, cotton or silk.

Some of the old laces couldn't be duplicated today largely because of the unique, handmade threads once used, Schiwitz explained. Some threads were so fine they were akin to hair, Burr noted.

Accessibility of lace-making paraphernalia depends on the project. Beginners can start with materials they can find in shops, experts say, while other materials may require mail-order assistance.

The types of lace made by the members of the Heartland Lace Guild give hint to the many types and styles of lace that exist.

At a recent demonstration, besides bobbin lace, the guild displayed Carrickmacross lace, an Irish lace made with a needle; Hardanger lace, a Norwegian needle lace; tatted lace, a knotted lace made with a needle or shuttle; needle lace, a type closely linked with Belgium, France and Italy; crochet lace; knitted lace; Battenburg lace; and machine lace, developed in the late 1800s.

While lace making is steeped with tradition, applications for the craft are unlimited, Thomsen, who designs lace creations, pointed out.

"It's not just for pillowcases," she said, chuckling. Thomsen's original design of a Viking ship, fashioned from bobbin lace prepared with quilters' thread, took first place in international competition. The ship measured about 10-inches-by-10-inches.

According to Thomsen, elements required for success in the old art are fairly basic. "It takes dedication to your craft, and a little patience helps."