This latest Lace Guild publication has been inspired by the 2021-22 Raising The Hollies Roof campaign. The Hollies is The Lace Guild’s headquarters in Stourbridge. It is the heart of the Guild’s activities with offices, a purpose-designed display room where several lace exhibitions are shown each year, the Guild’s Library, the Museum collection and Lace Guild archive.
By 2020 the roof at The Hollies was in urgent need of replacement, and in 2021 a campaign was launched to help raise funds for this essential building work. Members were invited to buy a kit and make small piece of white lace to be mounted on a blue card – like a decorated roof tile! Some patterns were offered, and a choice of grids were provided with dimensions given so that lacemakers could choose to develop their own designs within the ‘tile’ dimensions.
Over 200 ‘tiles’ have been received including several from overseas; together they form a fascinating collection of bobbin lace, needlelace, tatting, crochet and knitting. They have been mounted together to make a ‘roof’ and give an insight into the wide-ranging scope of lace and to show the skills of the contributors.
This new book presents patterns for some of the tiles and half-tiles which can be made at their original size or enlarged to make mats, greetings card motifs, or a decoration for a needlecase, glasses case or mobile phone cover. Repeats of the basic prickings, or adaptations of the designs, have also led to patterns for other items; in these pages you will find these developments of tile patterns into designs for bookmarks, scarf ends, circular and square mats, bag decorations and fans. These could even provide an inspiration for your own designs - why don’t you experiment with some of the prickings in the book, and see what else you can make from them!
And what of the roof of The Hollies? The Guild was very fortunate to receive a generous donation towards the work which was completed towards the end of 2022.
A4 book (56 pages).