A Vision for the new Millennium Hand made bobbin-lace is not the oldest textile technique, but its development has continued over several centuries. Step by step every region created its own tools for the work - bobbins, pillow, but also patterns and utilisation of the lace were changing many times. This is an artistic handicraft which has its own fans all over the world even these days. Czech modern lace has had its prestigious position in the international arena for many years and the authorist work of this century shows us still the new possibilities how bobbin-lace-making can be applied in all branches of artistic activities. Also the participation of modern computer technology has invaluable importance for lace. This BLEN project is just the beginning of a new way of lace to the next millennium and it depends on every lace-maker how she/he will accept this appeal. There are plenty of occasions and posibilities for everybody. It is creative workshop full of the ideas and unexplored possibilities also for those who start to reach to the secrets of bobbin-lace-making or on the other hand to using computer technology. We can help each other as it always was the habit between lace-makers. We are not gathering round the lace during evenings, but thanks to the internet we are still close to each other with advice, help and inspiration. The bobbin-lace enriches everybody who let this technique charm him in many ways. It is not so easy to get the trick of the skill of lace-making, but every self made centimetre is the specimen of patience and pride of every lace-maker. It doesn't matter if she is 5 or 100 years old. Also the time of starting is not decisive. Most of my students desired to learn how to make lace, but it wasn't always easy to find the teacher of this technique in their area. That was one of the reasons to start training on line. Photographs and pictures of steps of the work in individual technique are accessible to everybody who wants to try something new. Published historical and modern lace will please those who are searching inspiration or who are interested in study and reconstruction of old patterns. Further creativity is more difficult without the knowledge of historical lace-making technique. The study of ways of the lace twisting through the world is another interesting experience. Where the lace was doing well, where it had good conditions for the future development and what the generations of lace-makers thought and created during the work over the pillow. Yearn to discover and change is deep in us. Every new pattern is a challenge, what the bobbins, threads, pins and deft hands can create. It is creative obsession which never ends. Clattering of bobbins is the music for every lace-maker. It's music which caresses the soul the same way as the hands caress the new or old bobbins. Also bobbins are handed over from one generation to the next. You can always begin. There is plenty of patterns in the world and new ideas are still coming into being. Although the thread has broken somewhere and it had seemed lace-making was a lost technique always somebody came and bound the thread back and continued in that happy waving of fibres and handing over this knowledge. This living handicraft gives people the pleasure and unity with a big lace-family, which helps one another and winds together its knowledge and acquaintance to a ball of friendship without limits. Now we have the new thread for the bobbin-lace and the network, which gives to lace a new dimension on the threshold of the new century and millennium. It is not only the memory which we put into the chest (computer) full of the treasures, but also the present which is becoming history and our dreams that we are about to create and which are born slowly in our minds to carry them to the reality of patterns. Finally, from these threads we can make forms of lace which we carry in our hearts.
21.4.1999 Anna Halikova Note from the Forum Director If you want to contact her: halikova@post.cz |