"The definition of lace as a decorative openwork fabric in which the pattern of spaces is as important as the solid areas is not only appropriate for historic and traditional lace, but also takes into account current and future developments in technique and expression. It was written from the point of view of a maker of lace as well as a lace historian, with the expectation that lacemaking will continue to evolve, possibly beyond any techniques we might currently conceive of." (Rosemary Shepherd 2003. "Lace Classification System")
Shetland gossamer lace has a rich history. Without the vision and forethought of the women who were involved with the knitting in the mid and late 1800s on the Shetland Isles, I would not be able to do the work I do today. As Rae Compton indicates in her book, "The complete book of traditional knitting," around the end of the nineteenth century, Mrs Elizabeth Henry noted down patterns being used in the Shetland Isles using a shorthand of her own. More recently, Gladys Amedro produced a wonderful book using the Shetland regional knitting abbreviations for the instructions.
My fine hand-knitted gossamer lace designs have elements of boldness and fragility, as light as air, wafting in the slightest breeze. They combine traditional stitches and motifs of the ancient craft ofShetland lace with those of my own designs, inspired by nature around me. Recently, the hummingbird which visits my garden rested for a few minutes on the branch of my apple tree. The following day I watched from my garden as two bald eagles enjoyed some time circling each other in a thermal in the sky above. To see the tiniest delicate bird and two of the strongest birds sharing the same air space reminded me of just what fragility and boldness represent. My work includes experimentation, innovation, and most of all, a passion for the craft of gossamer lace knitting.
P1-3. Bridal veil: 1-ply Shetland cobweb lace wool.
- Knitting Guild of America International design contest1st place, Precision and Endurance section.
- 2001 Gibsons Fiber Festival, best of show
- 2003 Sole exhibition: A 3-month exhibition of ten of my designs in Drumlanrig's Tower in Hawick, Scotland, under the auspices of the
Scottish Borders Council Museums and Galleries
P4: Square shawl using new technique. 1-ply Shetland cobweb lace wool. 2005 Displayed at Saltspring Island Fibre Festival.
P5 P6: A canvas I had painted got stored behind the shawl from the previous page. One day, when going upstairs to the sun-drenched room, I was amazed at the effect. It was a lovely surprise. The two pictures were taken with slightly different lighting.
P7, P8: Lace shawl made using wool from Canadian naturally coloured Shetland sheep. 2004 North American Shetland Sheep Association conference. Second place.
P9, P10: Heirloom sampler, 1-ply Shetland cobweb lace wool. 2004 Alberta "Focus on Fibre" Designer award: First Prize. Displayed in Edmonton Art Gallery and Craft Council of Alberta Gallery.
P1, P2: Christening robe, 60/2 silk. 2007 Lace Guild (England) Triannual Design Competition, Medal of Excellence; displayed at Dudley Museum, England, for two months.
P3, P4: Christening robe, #30 cotton thread.
- 2000 Knitting Guild of America International Millennium Design contest, 1st place, Lace aection.
- 2001 Exhibited at BC Fabric and Fibre Artists 30th anniversary exhibition, "Threads of life, the culture of cloth": a historical and
contemporary exhibition. Round House, Vancouver, Canada.
- 2001 Exhibited at Australian Cotton Fibre Expo, "Taking cotton into the new Millennium". NSW, Australia
- 2003 Sole exhibition: A 3-month exhibition of ten of my designs in Drumlanrig's Tower in Hawick,Scotland, under the auspices of the
Scottish Borders Council Museums and Galleries
P5: Christening robe, #30 cotton thread.
- 1999 Knitting Guild of America International design contest: 1st place, Lace section.
- 2003 Sole exhibition: A 3-month exhibition of ten of my designs in Drumlanrig's Tower in Hawick,Scotland, under the auspices of the
Scottish Borders Council Museums and Galleries
P6: Christening robe. 1-ply Shetland cobweb lace wool. 2002 Royal Highland Show, Edinburgh: Very highly commended.
P7, P8: Hat, #30 cotton thread.
P9, P10: hats, cotton thread.
P11: Hat, fine silk.
P12: Hat, #30 cotton thread.
P1: Lace sampler knitted with fine waxed dental floss on 2mm needles.
P2: Garters, cotton thread.
P3: Sampler, #80 cotton thread.
P4: Garter, fine waxed dental floss. 2006 Alberta "Focus on Fibre" Second Prize. Displayed in Edmonton Art Gallery and Craft Council of Alberta Gallery.
P5: Sampler, #80 cotton thread.
P6: Garters, linen thread with metallic thread inserts.
P7: Sampler, #80 cotton on 2mm needles.
P8: 3 hand knitted lace below-the-knee garters: #80 tatting cotton (top); silk and stainless steel yarn for lace/weaving (middle); 60/2 silk (bottom).
P9: Sampler, 60/2 silk. 2005 "Let's Celebrate": La Encajera - Lace Contest, La Senyera, Valencia, Spain, Certificate.
P10: Two garters in Egyptian cotton.
P11: Two garters in 60/2 silk.
P12: Garters: Copper and bamboo (top), fine linnen (bottom).
P1-4: Powerhouse Museum "Love Lace" exhibition, Sydney, Australia. Lace shawl, 60/2 silk.
P5-7: Lace shawl. metallic cotton thread.
P8: Lace shawl, hand spun Canadian Shetland lace wool from naturally coloured sheep.
P9: Lace shawl, designer yarn; New approach to shawl design.
- 2006 Australia "Blurring the Boundaries: Fashion Design Innovation in Contemporary Knitting". Fairfield City Museum and Gallery,
a centre of excellence in contemporary textiles and fibre arts.
- 2007 World of Threads Festival: Common Thread Exhibition (Sheridan Institute, Ontario): First prize, Traditional Design.
P10: Lace shawl, designer yarn. 2006 Alberta "Focus on Fibre" First Prize. Exhibited in Alberta Craft Council Gallery.
P11-12: 2008 Alberta "Focus on Fibre" Designer award: First Prize and Best of category
P13-14: Lace shawls, Canadian Shetland lace wool from naturally coloured sheep.
P15-19: Cheongju International Craft Biennale: Lace shawl, 30g of 60/2 silk, 122 x 91 cm. With this shawl I was privileged to be one of the 208 Canadian fine craft artists from all provinces and territories selected to be part of the Unity and Diversity exhibit in the Canadian guest pavilion at the 2009 Cheongju International Craft Biennale.P20: Lace shawl, Canadian Shetland lace wool from naturally coloured sheep.
P21-24: Lace shawl, 30g of 60/2 silk.
P35-28: Lace shawl, approx. 25g of 60/2 silk.
P29-32: Lace shawl, 1000 yards of #80 cotton tatting thread.
P33: Lace-on-Lace: fragile and bold come together. A combination of a large 60/2 silk shawl and the shawl from page 10 of this Booklet, made with designer yarn.
P1-3: Blankets made from oddments of wool and other yarns.
P4: Tea cosy. designer yarn. 2005 Exhibited at "Moving Arts into Dogwood," Murilla, Australia.
P5: Blanket and hats, designer cotton.
P6: Hats, oddments of wool.
P7, P8: Three tea cosies, designer yarn. 2008 Alberta "Focus on Fibre" Second place. Exhibited in Alberta Craft Council Gallery.
P9, P10: Flowers, designer yarn.
P11: Napkin rings, metallic yarn.
P12: Blanket, designer cotton.
My garden is my summer workspace and the inspiration for many of my designs.
These pieces were created by combining floral ting tings, lace trims and fibre beads. Each trim has a different pattern. This was a really fun project. The red and white ones were designed for Canada Day 2011, one for each day of the week. The ting tings glitter in the light.
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