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The
Lacis
Museum Newsletter
April 24, 2009
Dear
Friends of LMLT,
Here in the Bay Area we have had a full year’s worth of weather
in the past week, with a lovely springtime weekend yielding to hot
sunshine at the beginning of the week, only to be followed by blustery
fog this morning, with predictions of rain by the weekend.
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Exhibits |
“As
the Century Turns,” our exhibit featuring scenes from daily life
during the Belle Epoque, invites viewers to step into the world of the
Gay ‘90’s. Emphasizing period clothes along with the lace
and linens familiar to people living at the turn of the last century,
this exhibit is presented as a series of tableaux. The feel of the
different tableaux is lifelike and homey, with the pieces displayed not
as artifacts but like pieces from a home. Adding a breath of simulated
life are the period wax headed articulated mannequins graciously loaned
by Ellen Thompson, a longtime friend of Lacis, a member of the LMLT
Board of Directors, doll maker and proprietor of Making Memories Doll
Patterns. These lovingly restored mannequins impart lifelike movement
to the tableaux and a bit of glamor from the age itself.
The exhibit will be available during regular museum hours, from noon to
6 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays, until August 1, 2009. We are always
happy to welcome groups, so let us know if you'd like to bring your
class or group for a special tour. Please call Erin at the museum shop,
(510) 843-7290 to make arrangements.
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A Special Bobbin Lace Event
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This
fall, LMLT will present a major exhibit on bobbin lace, perhaps the
most readily recognized of all forms of lace making. Bobbin lace
(sometimes called “pillow lace” in reference to the pillows
on which it is worked) has been cherished by nobles and commoners since
its inception in the 16th century. To provide background and
understanding prior to this exhibit, on Saturday May 16th, from 1:00 to
4:00 PM, we will offer a FREE hands-on demonstration of this lovely
lace. Live demonstrations and an exhibit featuring examples of the
different types of bobbin lace will invite visitors to discover the
magic of the extraordinary and mysterious lace making technique that
tames multitudes of free threads into beautiful designs.
Come join us and learn about bobbin lace, try your hand with the
bobbins, or simply watch and enjoy. Children from age 8, accompanied by
an adult, are welcome. Maria Jose Munoz, our charming and talented
bobbin lace teacher, who will be your guide into this magical world.
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Classes |
CUSTOMIZE
A VICTORIAN GOWN: Taking Your Design from Concept to Execution with
Carol Wood, April 25, May 16 and 23
Need a gown for Dickens Faire, Gaskell Balls, or a wedding? Bring
in a sketch or photo of the Victorian gown of your dreams and construct
it under the guidance of a trained costumer. In this 3-session class,
you will customize a gown from the Victorian era of your choosing from
the widest of hoops to the tallest of bustles. Upon consultation with
the instructor, you will decide which patterns to use, how to alter
them to fit, what fabrics will work best, and the necessary
undergarments. In order to make good progress, you should already have
at least a corset of your chosen era that fits you and it is
beneficial, although not necessary, to have all other underpinnings
finished before class begins (such as hoop/bustle, bum pads, chemise,
etc.). The instructor will help you to custom fit your mocked up bodice
to achieve the best fit. We will then work out hemming a skirt over
many under-constructions as well as costuming short-cuts for things
like alterations, hidden pockets, moving in a hoop or bustle (how to
use the “loo” in a hoop!) etc. You can expect to either
finish your gown completely or be well on the way, depending on your
skill level and how much time you devote to your project outside of
class.
HOW TO MAKE AND DECORATE BUSTLE ERA AND LATE VICTORIAN STRAW HATS with
Lynn McMasters, June 13 and 20
In the first session students will learn how to sew straw plait (braid)
together on a sewing machine to make one of 5 slightly different hats.
At the end of this session Lynn will help students come up with a
design and materials list for finishing up their hats.
In the second session she will teach the different techniques needed to
decorate their hats, covering such things as adding silk flowers over a
large area of the hat without adding glue to the hat, dealing with
feathers (how to join and curl them and how to add them to your hat),
how to use netting on hats to add fill, and how to use fine wire to
make ribbon loops.
Details on all classes and registration information are available on
our website at http://lacismuseum.org/classes.html. Registration forms
are also available at the Museum shop.
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Lace
Groups at LMLT |
LACIS
LACE KNITTING GROUP
Lace knitters of all skill levels are invited to join the Lacis Lace
Knitters, a flourishing and friendly knitting family that meets once a
month to share, show-and-tell, occasionally commiserate, congratulate,
and always encourage each other through knitting thicks and thins.
Bring along a current project and join us the first Saturday of every
month from 1 to 3. In view of the large attendance the group now draws,
the group will be meeting in the second floor exhibit space, so there
will be ample room for everyone, along with all the show-and-tell
projects.
BOBBIN LACE GROUP
Our bobbin lace classes with the charming and talented Maria Jose Munoz
have produced lots of new bobbin lacers who are clamoring for
lace-making camaraderie, and so Maria and the bobbin lacers now gather
at the museum on the third Saturday of every month from 1 to 3 to share
tips and work on lovely pillow lace of every description. Bring along
your bobbins and join in the fun! (And be sure to check out the new
Ravelry group for Bobbin Lace Lovers. If you’re not yet a
Raveller, you’re missing out on one of the best things to
happen to the fiber arts since the spindle! Check it out at
www.ravelry.com and join in the fun today.)
Details on all groups are available on our website at
http://lacismuseum.org/classes.html.
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New in the Shop |
Three
wonderful new books are sure to appeal to fashion and costume
enthusiasts.
The second edition of FASHION IN COSTUME: 1200-2000, by Joan Nunn,
traces the evolution of fashion since the early middle ages, with
special attention to the interplay of clothing and social status and
roles. Copious and detailed black and white drawings are accompanied by
extensive commentary pointing out the fine details that distinguish
each costume and move fashion from one period to the next. Two new
chapters cover the last two decades of the twentieth century, and focus
on the role of the press and fashion photographers in the creation of
fashion trends.
Jumping back in time, SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY FASHION IN
DETAIL by Avril Hart and Susan North is a splendid soft cover
re-edition of FASHION IN DETAIL FROM THE 17th and 18th CENTURIES, a
close look at items from the V and A’s collection of clothing
that illuminates the decorative seaming, drapery, embellishments, and
accessories that made garments from these two centuries such a delight.
A companion volume, NINETEENTH CENTURY FASHION IN DETAIL, by Lucy
Johnston, offers a survey of costume and accessories from the
nineteenth century, taking the story from the delicately draped muslin
of neoclassical gowns to the opulently upholstered bustles of the late
Victorian age.
In both volumes, full color photographs are supplemented by line
drawings of both complete garments and details make this a great
resource for designers, collectors, and lovers of beautiful sewing and
fashion, and these new editions make these timeless resources
affordable even on a fashion student’s restricted budget.
Another new offering, FLOWERS, DRAGONS, & PINE TREES, by Mary M.
Dusenberry, takes the reader on a tour of Asia via textiles in the
Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas. Exquisite textile
pieces from Iran, South Asia, China and Japan are shown in full color
photographs, and explained and explored in essays that discuss their
social and historical context as well as the details of symbolism and
technique, making this survey a fascinating introduction to a world of
intricate beauty.
Just this week, when we had despaired of seeing them again, came
reprints of two more classic fiber resources that will be greeted with
joy by lovers of textiles and fabrics.
THE BAYEUX TAPESTRY, by Wolfgang Grape, offers a detailed and
thoroughly researched study of the world’s most famous piece of
embroidery. The “tapestry” (actually a linen cloth
embroidered in wool) tells the story of the victory of William, Duke of
Normandy and his half brother Bishop Odo of Bayeaux over the English
king, Harold of Wessex at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, an event that
forever changed the course of English history and culture. This
wonderful book combines meticulous research into the origins and
meaning of the tapestry with detailed full color photographs of the
entire cloth, with translation of the inscriptions, making it the
ultimate reference on this extraordinary work of textile art.
Finally, we welcome a reprint of an indispensable resource for anyone
who works with fabrics and textiles, THE PRIMARY STRUCTURES OF FABRICS:
AN ILLUSTRATED CLASSIFICATION, by Irene Emery. Originally published in
1966, this volume offers a comprehensive system of terminology, based
on a survey of a wide range of handmade and machine-made fabrics from
around the world. Detailed photos of the various fibers and weaves
accompany a study of the raw materials and components of fabrics, the
structures of various fabrics, and the structures of accessories to
fabric, such as stitches and appliqué. A listing of sources of
information and a comprehensive index render this fascinating study a
user-friendly resource for classifying and understanding textiles from
any age or culture.
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| Closing
Thoughts |
Best
wishes for a lovely spring
weekend to all our readers!
Mary Frances and your friends at LMLT
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Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles
2982
Adeline Street
Berkeley, CA 94703
http://lacismuseum.org/
at
Ashby & Adeline
St.,
adjacent to the "Ashby" BART Station
Hours: Monday thru Saturday 12:00 - 6:00 pm
tel: 510-843-7290 |
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