Embracing Lace at Whitchurch Silk Mill
This is a short account of how the North Downs Lacemakers came to be 'Embracing Lace' at Whitchurch Silk Mill during September and October 2009.
Following a talk on Whitchurch Silk Mill in at our October 2007 meeting, the North Downs Lacemakers were approached by the Mill and asked if they would like to hold an exhibition of member's lace there. We gladly agreed and the idea of the Embracing Lace Exhibition was born and just under a year later the exhibition was up and running.
During the early part of 2008, members were asked to provide lace to the exhibition working party, led by Pauline McLeod and Mary Hocking, so it could be photographed and catalogued. The member's response was wonderful, it was so encouraging to see everyone's enthusiasm. However, due to space restraints we were unable to use all the lace we were offered.
From July onwards members of the working party and the Mill had the difficult decision of deciding which items would be used. As items were chosen, the working party swung into action holding several stitching sessions. These were used to stitch the unframed items onto the rich, jewel coloured fabrics and then placed into wooden frames ready for hanging in the exhibition. These frames, along with the ready mounted items and other items of lace were gradually put to one side ready for 'E-Day' (Exhibition Day).
E-Day arirved on the 1st September. Everything was packed up and the lace was taken down to the Mill and after a hard days work - the exhibition was set up and ready to go. Over the next two months, lacemakers and non-lacemakers alike from all parts of the United Kingdom and beyond, Embraced Lace with the North Downs Lacemakers at Whitchurch Silk Mill.
A CD of the images from the Exhibition at Whitchurch Mill will be available at the Lace Day, price £6.00.
The videos on this CD hopefully will give you a peep behind the scenes of the exhibition and the Mill, plus bring back memories if you were one of the many visitors. However, if you were unable to visit - to give you a taste of the exhibition.
There are four videos on the CD:
- The Mill
- Setting up the exhibition
- The exhibition in situ, and
- The lace
North Downs Lacemakers would like to thank all the staff and volunteers at Whitchurch Silk Mill helping us to Embracing Lace.
Particular thanks must also go to Julia Trinder for her advice and support throughout.
Thanks must also go to all the members, past and present, who loaned their lace for the exhibition, these include:
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Georgina Bakes Lesley Bakes Margaret Bradly Victoria Bradly Jenny Cherry Heather Clements Eve Corrall Sheila Crowe Ann Day Katharine Deaville |
Joan Fraser Anne Heinrichsons Margaret Hendra Mary Hocking Carol Hughes Sue Martin Pauline McLeod Kim Mudge Margaret Naylor Diana Pickford |
Carol Powell Jean Rooke Allen Rout Jane Rowton-Lee Phil Spong Betty Waters Christine Waters Carole White Anna Winter Janice Wootten |
