Poole Bobbin Lace Circle

FROM THE CHAIRMAN

How are your latest lace projects progressing? I do hope that you have scheduled in your pieces for the two competitions that are coming up soon – firstly the Annual Competition, ‘Remembrance’ and secondly the Lace Day Competition, ‘A Motif’. Some of the paperwork for the Annual Competition is included in the Newsletter for you to complete ahead of the ‘handing-in’ evening in May.

At the meeting today you will have an opportunity to purchase your tickets for this year’s Lace Day on Saturday 2 June. The costs of tickets and lunch bags remain the same as last year and an application form is attached to this Newsletter. More details about the day later in this Newsletter. Margaret Eaglestone WHAT IS HAPPENING AT TODAY’S MEETING

Our speaker is Dinah Warnock talking about ‘The History of Black in Fashion’

Our supplier is Sarah Jones with her painted bobbins

Penny Stevenson will have Lace Day tickets for sale. She will be assisted by Lucie Meersseman

Linda King will have the charity bobbins for those who have ordered them and also the lists for demonstrators at Hardy’s Visitor Centre and Wimborne Model Town

Jean Organ will have the list for the visit to Blandford Fashion Museum in May

Margaret Eaglestone will have a list for you to nominate your choice of charity for 2019/2020

NEWLIFE The Charity Bobbins have arrived and are available at today’s meeting. If you are not at today’s meeting the remainder will be available at our next meetings – April Pillow Party and the May Meeting.

To increase our donation to Newlife we are going to hold a Sparkle Party Stall at our Lace Day. It will be next to the raffle table for Newlife. It should be simple to manage but we will be asking for volunteers to man the stall. We will receive a box containing around 50 items, usually made up of a mixture of necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings. They are all brand-new items donated by leading high street retailers and de-labelled. They are sold at heavily discounted prices, normally £3 per necklace, £2 per bracelet and ring and £1 per pair of earrings.

As they tend to retail at £5 to £40 per item in the original retailers’ stores it means that they are a great bargain and every single penny raised will be spent on equipment for local children, not a penny on Newlife’s costs. Thank you to Liz Pass for suggesting this. Margaret Eaglestone CHARITY FOR 2019/20 We did not receive any suggestions for our 2019/20 charity at the January meeting, so you will have another chance to nominate a local charity that you would like PBLC to support. If we do not receive three new charities then the Committee has decided to carry forward three suggestions from previous years, two in fact from last year where the voting was very close. Margaret Eaglestone

NEWSLETTER 215

3 MARCH 2018

LACE DAY, SATURDAY 2 JUNE We are extremely fortunate to have as our guest speaker, Pat Perryman, and she will be giving an illustrated talk on The History of Honiton Lace from Shakespeare to 2018. Pat has been making lace for nearly 50 years and is regarded as a leading authority on Honiton Lace. She is both a teacher and author and is the chair of the Allhallows Museum in Honiton. In 2009 Trevor Hitchcock published her biography, “A Honiton Lace Maker, The Pat Perryman Story” and in 2013 Pat received the British Empire Medal in the Queen's birthday honours list.

To complement Pat’s talk the committee has chosen the title for this year’s Lace Day competition to be ‘A Motif’. Entry to the competition is £1 per item.

The timing of the day is as last year, 10.30 am to 4.00 pm and the venue is St George ’s Hall. Again this year Laura Navrady-Pitcher has agreed to make up lunch bags with a choice of sandwiches, fruit, cake or crisps. The cost of the lunch bags remains at £4.00. Tea, coffee, squash and biscuits are available for most of the day at a cost of 30p per cup. Laura has also agreed to provide some delicious cakes to have with your tea or coffee – this will be sold at £1 per slice.

We do hope that you will wish to attend the day, the talk should be fascinating and there will be an opportunity for you to purchase a wide selection of lace threads and accessories as well as bringing your own lace pillow and continuing with your latest project.

Attached to this Newsletter is an application form for both tickets and lunch bags. We have maintained the price of the ticket – Adults - £4.50 prior to the day, or £5.00 on the day and Juniors - £1. Penny Stevenson has again agreed to sell the tickets prior to the day so please give your completed form and money for both tickets and lunches to Penny. The deadline for ordering lunch bags is Friday 12 May.

There will be some flyers available at today’s meeting, so if you are able to advertise our Lace Day, please take some, either in A5 or A6 size. Thank you Your Committee COMMITTEE MEMBERS I am sorry to say that so far no one has come forward to join the committee from July 2018. Two members of the current committee, Pat Jenkins and I will be standing down in July. This leaves just six members with a vacancy for three others. If we do not get at least two more volunteers then there are doubts that PBLC will continue in its present format. I am sure that you do not want this to happen. If you enjoy the programme for meetings, events and lace days why not give something back to PBLC by joining the committee. At the March meeting I will mention this and there will be an opportunity for members to discuss the situation. Margaret Eaglestone PBLC SPRING TRIP TO BLANDFORD FASHION MUSEUM A reminder that a visit to Blandford Fashion Museum has been arranged for PBLC members to view the museum's collection of fans and pieces of lace that have recently been acquired. The museum is normally closed on a Wednesday but is opening especially for our visit so there will be an opportunity for members to view the museum's new display for 2018 as well.

Venue: The Blandford Fashion Museum, Lime Tree House, The Plocks, Blandford Forum Dorset DT11 17AA Date: Wednesday 16 May 2018 Time: 10 am (meet at the museum at 9.50 am) Price: £7.50 (this includes entry and shortbread with tea or coffee) Transport Travel by own car (car share advised) Booking: Names and payment to be collected at the March and May meetings.

For me, PBLC trips are always such an enjoyable day out with good company, so do come and join us. Jean Organ

THE CASE OF THE FEBRUARY PILLOW PARTY AND THE MISSING CAKES

On a cold and grey Saturday in February nothing could be more appealing than settling down to three hours of lacemaking and catching up with PBLC friends after the rush of Christmas. 16 members of PBLC braved the weather and worked on a variety of individual pieces of lace. We were pleased to welcome Christine Thake, a relatively newcomer to PBLC who has been working with the Tuesday Group. Sheila was working on some backwards lace that she had worked before Christmas! Maureen Walsby - a table runner and Maureen Woodruff is working on quite a challenge – taking a pattern of unknown origin trying to make it look like a swan using vibrant colours.

Barbara, still working on her Santa project, is on the last bit of the sleigh, almost ready to begin the presents. Jenny L is trying to replicate a piece of Maltese lace taken from a handmade lace mat that she had bought in Malta. In between keeping an eye on newcomer Christine who had just started a dog, Eve worked on her holly leaves taken from the October 2017 edition of the Lace magazine. Elsie was busy with her handkerchief edging; Jenny G was working on the letter J for a card and Margaret C was mounting coasters that she had made with the most beautifully coloured threads bought at the Knitting and Stitching Exhibition at Alexandra Palace.

When the committee members went to prepare the refreshments we found, to our horror, that the three homemade cakes and milk had completely disappeared...TOTALLY vanished! The previous group, using the kitchen had packed up all of our stuff with theirs! Luckily Jenny L was on hand to make some phone calls to track down the missing goodies. (Thanks to those people who had shopping in their cars and who offered to donate food for the proceedings had ours not arrived).

In between running around tracking down the lost refreshments, committee members made lace too: Lucie was working on a self designed flower in Withof

and Milanese lace; Linda K on an Alpaca scarf; Ruth on her 'faithful' fan; Margaret E on a romantic Valentine's Day heart and me on my competition cross.

It was a fun afternoon and the missing cakes only added to the enjoyment. Linda Burn FORTHCOMING DEMONSTRATION EVENTS The next display and demonstration will take place at the Wimborne Model Town from Friday 29 June to Sunday 1 July between 11 am and 3.30 pm. The theme is 'The Colours of Suffrage 1918 – 2018'. Any pieces of lace that you are able to lend can be in any combination of purple, green and of course, white. These being the Suffragette colours. Please bring your pieces of lace to me at any of our meetings or at Needlelace class.

As the summer approaches we will be starting our demonstrations at Hardy's Visitor Centre, starting in June and going through until October. The demonstration is always on the first Monday of each month, 10.30 am to 3 pm. It is a venue well worth visiting.

At the March meeting I will have the lists for you to sign up to take part in any of the demonstration dates listed above. Thank you for your support. Linda King

PBLC DEMONSTRATION AT BRANKSOME LIBRARY On Friday 16 February Sheila Herridge, Margaret Cormack and I went to Branksome Library in Ashley Road to mount a display of Marine themed lace and demonstrate as well. The afternoon was an absolute delight and we were received with real enthusiasm by librarians Chris, Sue and Marley. Branksome Library is small so our display was compact but a huge thank you to all the members of PBLC who were kind enough to lend their work for display.

During our two hour session we had three outside people who

wanted to work on the 'Have a Go Pillow'. Anne, our first lady was very keen. Two young Polish brothers Tomasz and Pavel came over and asked to try - Tomasz showed particular flair. Although we couldn't persuade Marley to pick up the bobbins, both Chris and Sue were very keen and made a really good job.

Thanks to Branksome Library for inviting us and for putting the event on their Twitter page I believe. Thanks too to Sheila for organising the event and to Margaret for coming along as well. Pieces of lace that were loaned for display will be available for collection at the March meeting. Linda Burn A final word from Sheila

I would like to thank the members and friends who allowed us to display their lace at the library. It was such a treat to be able to admire at close quarters all the pieces. We are fortunate to have such varied talent in our midst. I was unable to get to the Coastal Reflections exhibition at Upton House so most was new to me.

When I chose Marine as the theme for the display it was quite a random choice and I had no idea even if enough pieces could be found for the display. But everyone rallied round and the work was much admired by all the visitors to the library. So thanks to all who were involved in the making of the lace. Thanks also to Linda King for making such a detailed list of exhibits to ensure all the pieces get back to their rightful owners. Sheila Herridge MAISIE WICKENS It is with sadness that we have heard of the recent passing of Maisie Wickens.

Members of PBLC may remember the article A Remarkable Milestone in the March edition of last year's Newsletter telling of Maisie at 100 years of age still attending line dancing and keep fit. Maisie was a lovely lacemaker, exceptional needlewoman and loyal member of PBLC. Everyone who met Maisie loved her and we will miss her beautiful smile and enthusiasm. Dorothy Brown This is the photo from the March edition showing Maisie receiving a trophy on behalf of the Adult Education class that met on Tuesday evenings, of which she was a member, for their entry in the 'John Bull' competition at the ceremony in 1988. Maisie is in the centre with Mrs John Bull on the right and Mrs Susan Cox on the left.

EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS BATH FASHION MUSEUM A reminder that the exhibition A History of Fashion in 100 Objects carries on until January 2019. The new incorporated exhibition is Royal Women and on display are clothes worn by Alexandra, Princess of Wales, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret. On Thursday 15 March at 6.15 pm there is a Twilight Talk – Royal Women: Her Majesty Queen Mary. (1867 - 1953) Tickets £10 Sat 10 March Newbury Bobtails Lacemakers – Lace and Craft Day, Chieveley Village Hall, Chieveley nr Newbury. 10 am – 4 pm. Tickets £4 Sat 17 March Final Weald Lace Fair - Sports Hall, Collyer's Sixth Form College, Collyer's Hurst Road, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 2EJ 10 am – 3.30 pm Tickets £3 Sat 7 April South Oxfordshire Lace Day – Benson Parish Hall, Sunnyside, Benson OX10 6LE 10 am – 4 pm. Tickets £4 EDITORIAL Along with the PBLC Lace Day attachment (ticket request and packed lunch order form) there is another sheet included which refers to this year's PBLC competition.

In order to ease the proceedings at the meeting on Friday 4 May (7 pm) we have attached the ‘Criteria for PBLC Trophies’ sheet for you to fill in at your leisure. It is simple to complete and requires your name, the title of your piece of lace plus a line to say how your piece of lace fits with the theme of Remembrance - (eg I made this in remembrance of a friend; It is of a poppy – therefore remembrance; it is of forget–me–nots, hence remembrance; The pricking is entitled 'Lest we Forget etc).

On the lower part of the form is a 13 lined grid which requires a Yes/No response to show which trophies you are eligible to be entered for. If this form is completed before the meeting and bought in with your entry on Friday 4 May then all we have to do is attach the small A6 Judge’s Comment sheet which requires only your name, the type of lace used and if the design is Original, Adapted or Not Original.

There are two A5 copies, for those entering two pieces for the competition! The entry form for the Junior section is also attached at the bottom of the sheets.

Items for the May newsletter should be sent to Margaret by Sunday 15 April, as I will be in (hopefully) warmer climes. Having said that I've just received an email from a friend in Malaga who tells me it has been cold in the area and that warm drinks have had to be distributed to the deserving in Seville and Cordoba as the temperatures had fallen so low.

The next PBLC gathering will be the April Pillow Party on Saturday 7 April. The next meeting will be the aforementioned Friday 4 May when competition pieces will be collected in; trophies won last year should be returned by 2017 winners and Don Nutt will be giving, what sounds like a fascinating talk, 'Alleyways of Poole'. It begins at 7 pm.

In the meantime I wish you a happy and, hopefully, mild Spring, happy Easter and last but not least happy competition lacemaking and finishing off! Linda Burn