How did I get interested in Ruskin Lace?

Well......I blame Angela Winter. She's in my quilting group and she was bragging about some Ruskin lace one day. She brought some in and my first thought when I looked at it was.....well, that looks rough. It's not the light, lacy lace of petticoats and little girls' knickers....it's sturdy, complicated and beautiful.

I went home and couldn't get it out of my mind. I'm a keen needleworker and this was a mountain I hadn't yet climbed! I was hooked.

Ang has patiently (lie) taught me from scratch how to do it, and I think I've fared very well...so far...my photos will come later and you can decide.

Where did Ang get involved with it? I'm not sure, I'll ask her. But her teacher was Elizabeth Prickett, you can see her website here: http://www.ruskinlace.org.uk/

Apparently Elizabeth was a wonderful teacher (she has retired from teaching now), but very concise in her instructions....which everyone who has purchased one of her books will know. You can see a copy here: http://store.ruskinlace.org.uk/. The book is intensively instructive....which is both a massive bonus and also very hard to follow. So, we thought we'd make this blog to help with following the patterns.

We've found that seeing an actual piece done is extremely valuable, and helps us work the pattern in a way that the drawings don't.

If you are interested in Ruskin Lace, it's not impossible to learn, and if you are a needleworker, you will love the challenge. At the link above is a DVD that Elizabeth did before she retired. It is worth every single penny. And I mean EVERY SINGLE PENNY!!! My suggestion for newbies is to buy both the book and the DVD. And I don't say this lightly. I can't do any of the patterns without the book......it's not the kind of thing you can take notes on from someone else. I use the book all the time when working just one pattern! The DVD is extremely well shot - though you will feel inferior when you can't make yours look as nice as hers....just remember she's had loads of practice!

So.....I'm going to populate this blog with as much information as I manage to get my hands on.....but within time constraints I have....so don't be thinking there will be new stuff all the time! Sheesh!

Ang also had an excellent teacher named Bridget Rylands, who I have loads of photos of her work, too. I don't know much about her, but will get Ang to fill us all in.

We both now have instruction (me admittedly not as much as Ang) with Karen Quickfall, who is a hired gun for instruction should you be so keen. She teaches at Higham Hall and also to a Ruskin Lace Group that meets in Keswick throughout Autumn and Winter. She doesn't do the web thing so much, so if you need to contact her, let me know and I'll get you to her.

So, let the fun begin....and if you are a Ruskin Lace-r...and want your stuff on here, we are all for it!

:) misha