Contents in This Month's Issue
We were touched by the delivery of a very generous donation this past month, one given to us by Karen Denison of Florida: it consisted of a wide array of fantastic tatted items that her mother, Katharine Tuck Gross (1905-1984), lovingly made for a hospital charity gift shop. There were countless tatted Christmas ornaments, flowers, butterflies...!
We were simply in awe of the whole gorgeous array. What a prolific and proficient tatter Katharine was! We adore her aesthetic and admire her skill—not to mention her philanthropic spirit.
We're honored to announce that we've also recently received a tremendous donation of textile items from the Yolo County Historical Collection in Woodland, California. Yolo County was one of the very first official counties created after Congress passed the California Statehood Act in 1850, and the Collection's vast range of textiles, agricultural equipment, paintings, archival materials, ephemera, photographs, archaeological items, tools, ceramics, household items, furniture, and personal items illustrate what life was like for the region's residents all the way back to 1830. In this and future newsletters, we hope to showcase some of the most exemplary pieces and explore their historical significance with you.
This remarkable orange silk chiffon dress, for example, bearing a Bendel's Fancy label, came from a shop inside of the famed Henri Bendel store in New York, now closed. It dates from the late '60s or early '70s, when the store was run by president Geraldine Stutz—herself a major figure who revolutionized retail.
In 1958, Stutz turned the store's main sales floor into a "U-shaped 'Street of Shops,'" which some consider the forerunner of today's shop-within-a-shop merchandising displays. The New York Times describes her as having "transformed Henri Bendel from a carriage trade retailer in decline into a chic emporium of designer brands in the 1960s."
December is always a fun action-packed month at Lacis Museum. We're excited, ready and willing to help make your holiday shopping experience a most pleasant one! Trust us, it doesn't have to be an onerous chore—if your beloved gift-recipient is the creative type, we've got just what you need to make them happy.
Some beautiful vintage Christmas cards we discovered at the Lacis Museum, for your enjoyment
We've got so many great gift ideas for our textile crafts- and fashion-loving friends: things like soft, warm, colorful paisley shawls perfect for layering in this chilly and wet winter weather — beautiful antique and vintage household linens (embroidered dish and hand towels! Monogrammed hankies! Cottage-core cotton crochet coverlets!) — pretty and useful sewing notions (Victorian reproduction brass pincushions! Classic gold stork embroidery scissors! Adorable little portable sewing kits!)... Don't even get us started on books! (Coffee table books on fashion design! Impressively aesthetic sticker book assortments! Historical costuming reference books chock-full of eye candy!)
Totally overwhelmed? We understand. The holidays are hard enough as it is, and maybe you don't know quite what the crafter in your life really needs. That's why we also offer gift certificates in any denomination. They can be applied to any in-store purchase, including class registrations, which makes it the perfect solution to your potential gift-giving conundrum. Experiences often make for more meaningful and memorable presents than mere physical things, in our opinion.
For those of you who are resolved this New Year to learn new skills, perhaps you'll consider joining us for April 2023's Four-Day Clones Irish Crochet Lace extravaganza with the one and only Máire Treanor of Ireland! All you need to know is the very basic crochet stitches (chain, single crochet, and double crochet). To tempt you, just take a look at how beautiful Irish Crochet can be, and then imagine all the things you'll be doing with it. (Its amazing history is also an inspiration!)
As an added incentive, we've got a brand-new elevator to take you up to our renovated second-floor classroom space—big, bright, and airy. It's a highly improved, more accessible space now, and we're very proud and eager to share it with you.
Wednesday through Saturday, April 5-8, 2023, Máire will be here in Berkeley to lead us in what's become a treasured tradition at Lacis Museum. We look forward to seeing the whole crocheting crew come back again—it's always a great time, and you bring the best energy!
Curious about what the whole experience is like? Kim, who's attended this workshop several times, wrote up a wonderful blog post on behalf of the International Irish Crocheters group, and we also have lovely photos from a few of those sessions for you to look at, too. And don't forget—it's only a $50 deposit to secure your spot.
Here are a few members of the SDVDS in front of the Rosicrucian wearing 1920s-style dresses they made from vintage linens! Notice their perfect choice of motifs—very Ancient Egypt.
The Lacis Museum's curator, Jules, was very pleased to give a tour of his The Bird in the Textile Arts exhibit to the San Diego Vintage Dance Society. They were visiting the Bay Area in celebration of the centennial anniversary of the discovery of King Tut's tomb, exploring attractions like the Rosicrucian Museum in San Jose, the Ramses exhibit at the DeYoung, and National Geographic's Tut Immersion Experience.
So it was especially serendipitous that local artist Doran Dada, who's been painting a mural on the west-facing front facade of the Lacis offices and warehouse building, was able to meet with them here and talk about his art, which is so deeply influenced and informed by that of Ancient Egypt!
Here's a sneak peek at the progress thus far, for your delectation.
Doran's piece is titled "God Shu on his Flying Chariot." (According to Wikipedia, Shu is the god of peace, lions, air, and wind.) It's a wonderful example of Doran's own signature Egyptian Wonderland art style, and we're thrilled to have such a magnificent work of art brightening up our own off-site storage facility! Watching it come to life has been a great thrill, and we're giddy with anticipation for the finish.
Created in cooperation with Berkeley City Councilmember Ben Bartlett, dates for an unveiling ceremony will be announced soon! We'll be sure to spread the word, but if his art moves you as much as it does us, you should follow @DoranDada on Instagram, too.
Customer Projects to Celebrate
A Christmas tree skirt, a knitted beanie, a crochet skirt, a painted trenchcoat...! Wow!
We love it when our talented Lacis visitors are working on a project and show us a photo, or even bring in the project itself! Inspiration abounds in this place, and that's in no small part thanks to you. Read our Customer of the Month section for even more amazing work done by our Lacis friends.
How stunning is this Christmas work of art, Lacis friends??
Pamela Condie has been working on this incredible tree skirt, continually returning to Lacis to source just the perfect velvet ribbon, sequins, and gold metallic trim, for a very long time, so we were beyond excited to see it completed at last! It's a close reproduction of a Christmas tree skirt her family used in the 1960s, and this version is for her son—larger this time, in keeping with the scale of the tree his family has chosen.
In Pamela's own words:
I am a quilt maker, not a hand sewer or crafter. Two years ago I challenged myself with reproducing the small 1960s Christmas tree skirt I had made in 1971 while pregnant with my son, Josh.
He owned the smaller skirt and asked that I enlarge the skirt's scale to a diameter of 54 inches. I chose a warm white acrylic felt as the background and re-used the felt 'ornaments' from the original skirt and added sequin-covered felt stars as well as many tiny gold metal stars to add cohesion to the whole design. As I requested advice from Patty, a Lacis employee, for hints about handling what seemed like a massive project, she helped me with choices and guidance several times to keep me going.
All media and parts of the skirt were alien to my current sewing skills and were uniformly awkward to manipulate. Many times I wanted to abandon the project. Patty helped me realize that I could finish it. I brought the completed skirt to Lacis for some celebration. Patty packed the skirt into my lignan-free box and gave it a museum heirloom's packaging job with acid-free paper.
I was so excited that I took it directly to the shipper. My son and his family now have a tree skirt that fits the 'fat' Christmas trees they favor.
I am grateful to Patty and the other Lacis staff members who helped me climb this crafting 'mountain.'
We so appreciate your generous testimonial, Pamela. This is exactly what makes the working in the Lacis community such a gratifying experience.
While this beautiful Christmas tree skirt will be sure to bring back happy childhood memories for her son, it'll also be a unique new creation: Pamela raided her jewelry box for items like vintage brooches, opals and pearls, etc., to use as precious embellishments on the padded felt ornaments. The green squares, too, were repurposed vintage coasters.
We're just elated for the Condie family. This treasure is going to be a cherished heirloom brightening up their holiday seasons for many more generations to come. Well done, Pamela, and thank you so much for bringing the finished product to us for the big reveal. We're honored to have been involved in the process of its creation. After many months of anticipation, you have surely delivered a masterpiece.
Our favorite glassmaker and jeweler-artisan, the incomparable Alexis Berger, paid us a visit recently. (You might remember her from our Customer of the Month feature this past May...?) She was looking for some crochet thread—a lot of it, actually—as she's been making a massive, gorgeous skirt, as of late. Here's a tiny glimpse of it from off her Instagram page. We love the palette she's building, and the variety of crochet trim designs she's combining together! Alexis, you truly are a creative of many talents, and we salute you.
We were so honored when Katie Siegel of Long Beach, California paid a visit to Lacis when she happened to be traveling to the Bay Area. Check out her incredible knitted beanie—she made it in ONE DAY!
Katie's a fast knitter because she picked up the art in school, at the tender age of 12. And in a lovely reversal of the usual order of transmission of handicrafts knowledge, she had the great honor of teaching her mother and her grandmother how to knit. But Katie will eagerly impart the knowledge to just about anyone who wishes to know. She loves to teach knitting—her wish is to spread the love. We totally understand that. The more knitters there are, the better the whole world gets. For example, while recently knitting with her husband at bar (talk about couple goals!), a random stranger (new friend!) joyfully conversed with her about knitting! The pattern is James N. Watts' "Best Check" beanie, and if you want to try it yourself, it's available on Ravelry.
Model, fashion designer and visual artist Mary Rosenberger embellished this jaw-dropping trenchcoat while living overseas, in Australia. It was a cathartic project for her to work on while deprived of her usual art supplies and working her way through an especially challenging period of personal growth and spiritual contention. But what an incredible reward!
Everyone at Lacis who saw this trenchcoat fell under its spell, no doubt because of the intensity with which you poured your energies into it. Thank you for sharing it with us all, Mary—it is an utter triumph, a clear symbol of your personal fortitude and artistic power.
Tours are by appointment only
Opening reception event | Images from the exhibit
Detail from "6 Fighting Birds on a Buddhist Shawl" [12441]
The bird in literature and on canvas has long held its place through all civilizations and all times.
The bird captured in thread and textiles is more obscure and less defined. Depicted by a single thread, a bountiful palette of threads, a thread following a hook or threads flowing in harmony through the bobbins of lace, the bird is captured by the hands of the creator.
This amazing presentation captures this spirit from Pre-Columbian Peru to the earliest of laces to a world of unbound wealth of thread, color and needle.
For Katherine Bond of Berkeley, the exhibit was, in her words, "Spectacular!" She was "speechless at the display of time, quality, variety and geography of the works."
Visitor Virginia Davis was similarly floored, enthusing that it was "totally FABULOUS."
Paula and Rob Patterson, who came to visit all the way from Colorado, said that, "As birders, we so appreciated this exhibit. Thank you!"
Lacis Museum member Blair Van Tassel felt the same way: "Beyond amazing details," she agreed.
These pieces from our collection are terrific examples of a number of different lacemaking techniques! Be sure to check out our display that contains these, and many more gorgeous doily specimens—it'll be in a display case on your left-hand side, almost the first thing you see when you come into the shop.
Sections of the Shetland Lace Sampler of Cathy Adair-Clark
This generous donation of decorative textile artworks from Cathy Adair-Clark is a tour de force of talent and devotion to the world of needlework, specifically her world of knitting and Shetland yarns: "I fell in love with Shetland sheep and their fleeces, and that has ruled my life since 2007."
The magnificent Shetland lace sampler she constructed in 2012 is 8 feet by 6½ feet, comprising 67 different fleeces of yarn, all hand-spun by Cathy herself. We also have her personally compiled tome of sketches available for your perusal, with each motif and its pattern, along with sources and progress reports, all passionately and fastidiously documented.
Well, November's Etsy sales certainly made it clear the holidays were imminent! We thought this sweet straw bonnet, for example—it's 1840s-50s style, and was made for a costuming workshop—might be worn for a Victorian Christmas holiday faire. And that beaver fur muff wouldn't look out of place at Dickens, either.
What better to wear to a wintertime party than this emerald green silk Shantung fabric? (Kurta panels, to be made into a custom garment!) Similarly, a holiday soirée-throwing hostess would look just stunning in this broadcloth cotton apron, handmade and hand-embroidered. Throw on those strappy Van Gogh high-heeled sandals, and you'll be ready to dance the night away!
We send an enormous thank-you to all our Etsy customers and Lacis Museum friends all over the world, particularly those of you who have left us such kind reviews: your support is much appreciated. And as for us, we feel so lucky to witness and facilitate you all in your expressive endeavors and artistic adventures.
We hope you have a wonderful winter holiday season, whatever you celebrate... and many happy returns this New Year!
✷ An Etsy Holiday Gift Guide ✷
Do you love a vintage Christmas?
Getting packages in the mail?
Supporting your local textile arts 501(c)3?
Then you should peruse our Etsy shop offerings! These are just a few of the special items we've listed to celebrate the holidays with...
Our Holiday Gift Guide doesn't end there—check it out! There's so much more good stuff!
The Wardrobe of the Brontë Sisters
If there's any month of the year that evokes the wild moors and "wuthering" atmosphere of Brontë novels, it surely must be December. And how better to dive into the lives of those three memorable literary sisters than by exploring their wardrobes?
In Yorkshire County, England, The Brontë Society/Brontë Parsonage Museum's exhibit "Defying Expectations: Inside Charlotte Brontë's Wardrobe" comes to an end with 2022. Alas! But before it does, we'll take our own opportunity to put the clothes that all the Brontë ladies wore in the spotlight.
Ugly bonnets and garish wrappers, oh my!
This is a wrapper that belonged to Charlotte. (It's hard to tell this the picture, but it's very, very pink.)
The Guardian blithely calls a wrapper "the Victorian equivalent of a negligee", but we find that's stretching it a bit. While indeed a somewhat intimate item of clothing—the sort of thing you'd never wear it around strangers, or out of the house—the wrapper is more closely related to a housecoat. Or a dressing gown. With a cape on it. Because why not?
Foremost expert on the subject Dr. Eleanor Houghton (she'll be mentioned again later), describes this particular wrapper as especially "hideous, pink, with little flowers on it, very bold, very bright and huge—very voluminous. It's absolutely the opposite of anything you would ever associate with Charlotte Brontë."
The clothes we wear out in society in order to make a public statement are naturally well-documented.
But are the clothes we wear in private any less important to our textile culture? What does what we wear at home say about us and our lives?
We're going on a cozy adventure to slumberland!
This coming April, Lacis Museum will be unveiling a new exhibit dedicated to the nighttime world of dressing gowns, pajamas, and other clothes to be worn in the privacy of one's own home. Get ready to get intimate with us in 2023!
Here on our right, we have an
"ugly" bonnet. We're not disparaging it! That's what it's called. Here are some other examples. Just imagine turning one of those retractable sunshades on a child's stroller into a hat, and there you have it. Evidently it was "a fashion item Charlotte would have bought on a trip to London, and was likely to be the first person in Haworth to own."
Waste not, want not...
The Brontës—in spite of their somewhat elevated status in their own small village—"were not a wealthy family, and this meant that they often had to repair their own dresses for year after year, until they literally couldn't be repaired any further. They also had to rely on the kindness of strangers for hand me downs and gifts."
We wonder how they would have felt if they could've known that this collar, only said to belong to Charlotte, and not even very well-confirmed, would fetch a price of £5k at a Sotheby's auction.
...But, safety first!
In a twist that conflicts with the exigencies of economising, "their dresses are inevitably made out of silk."
Why? Because Patrick Brontë was a bit paranoid of fire. And we don't blame him—as an Anglican priest, he had presided over many a funeral where a woman's expansive, billowing skirts had brought about her untimely end after contact with an open flame, and he thought silk to be less flammable than other materials. He wasn't totally wrong: it burns slowly, doesn't readily ignite, "and may self-extinguish." However, he even tried to go so far as to ban curtains at the Haworth Parsonage, which was not a well-insulated place to begin with. Fortunately, more reasonable heads prevailed and his daughters managed to override him on that point.
Footwear: Mystery moccassins, long narrow boots, and noisy pattens
Did the girls ever actually wear this pair of slippers? We hope so. Out of all the Brontë shoes we'll see, these look like the most comfortable pair by far.
This article is hidden behind a paywall, sadly, but we can guess that the significance of the Mystery of Brontë's Mohawk moccasins might have something to do with the contemporaneous explosion of transatlantic trade relations and the subsequent expansion of the souvenir industry.
Rather than subscribing to The Times UK just to read this one article, we recommend Brontë fans pick up a copy of Charlotte Brontë: Embodiment and the Material World by costume historian Dr. Eleanor Houghton, since it was her careful examination and research that explains the mystery.
And the absurdly long and narrow boots shown here belonged to Charlotte, and she probably wore them during the latter years of her life. They didn't offer much protection from the elements, so she'd have worn them with pattens, like the ones shown below, which belonged to her mother's sister. You could always hear Aunt Branwell coming from a mile away due to the clicking and clacking of these contraptions.
These black mourning shoes on the bottom right date from 1850, and these also belonged to Charlotte. They were always falling apart due to the moisture of the climate and ground (and also perhaps because she was so often in mourning). She repaired them herself using the hair of her siblings, even embroidering a heather sprig on them with Emily's hair.
Keeper's collar
We know, we know—this isn't an article of clothing. But it was worn by Emily's faithful companion, Keeper. (Here's an astonishing drawing she did of him in 1838.) According to The Sisters' Room blog, "Collars were part of the legal obligation of the dog tax. Keeper's reputation for ferocity was legendary in Haworth and his collar gives some indication of his size and power." And in our opinion, one of the best things to bring us closer to the people of the past—after seeing and understanding their clothes, of course—would be their pets. Such a beautifully engraved collar could only have belonged to a truly beloved dog, and such a drawing could only have been accomplished by someone who truly adored him.
Further reading
• The Brontë Sisters' Real-Life Wardrobes Were Surprisingly Fashion-Forward
• The Sisters' Room: A Brontë-Inspired Blog
• "The Brontë Sisters and Their Inspirations," courtesy of British Heritage Travel
Don't forget, Lacis Museum Members receive 20% off of books purchased in our Museum shop
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We have some exciting new gizmos, gadgets, and books for you to exchange and enjoy this holiday season.
The Clover Tatting Picot Comb (shown left) allows you to create picots of precisely varying sizes, and our new Gripper Tape strips (demonstrated on the right) allow you to turn your embroidery frame into a self-adhering surface. It works with many types of fabric, with no twill tape, stapling, pinning, or stitching needed!
And the beautiful new book The Embroidered Closet is the perfect resource for anyone looking to get into or expand their embroidery prowess. You know we're all about upcycling and creatively embellishing old garments here at Lacis Museum, so this book particularly speaks to our hearts. There's a bunch of cute designs and ideas, well laid-out with all the steps clearly diagrammed: we particularly love designs for a market bag and cactus baseball cap.
However, it could actually be the smallest new item in our inventory that's our most exciting! Check out these pretty little Lace Pins with crystal-clear glass ball heads. (So don't worry about removing them before ironing!) Coming in at 1" long, with a teeny-tiny .025" diameter shaft, a box of 100 of these babies will set you back only $3.20.
Cozy Cables
Inspired Knitting Patterns to Warm the Body and Soul
Kalurah Hudson
MM55 $24
We love Kalurah Hudson's knitting tutorials on YouTube. Self-taught pattern designer, teacher, artist/jewelry designer, and mother of three, Kalurah hails from Walla Walla, Washington. Touchingly, she was first taught to crochet by her mother-in-law. Now you can find over 200 of her designs available for purchase on Ravelry. If you like the look of her work, then know that there are 16 projects documented in this book, all very beautiful and appealing exemplars of her style.
The Botanist's Sticker Anthology
Not yet for sale — stay tuned!
There are over a thousand glossy, gorgeously printed stickers here from vintage and antique botanical reference illustrations. We cannot overstate how spectacular this tome is. What a perfect gift for a scrapbooker, collage artist, or creative journaler or pen-pal correspondent who wishes to dress up their missives and diary entries with images that evoke another era, and conjure up the magic of botany.
Lacis friends, we are so pleased to introduce you all to the amazing Laura Tandeske. Not only is she our honorary Customer of the Month for the final month of 2022, she's going to see us into 2023 as Lacis Museum's newest instructor! Given the deeply introspective and intentional nature of her work, we couldn't think of a better person to transition with us into the New Year.
In January, Lacis students will be making these gorgeously aesthetic and spiritually powerful embroidered lace mandalas with Laura. If you're on our newsletter mailing list or follow us on Facebook, then you'll be among the first to know when class registration opens up!
Laura studied Fine Art at CSU East Bay and currently teaches embroidery at the San Francisco School of Needlework & Design, but she has also been a biochemist for 30+ years, working in early-stage drug discovery research for oncology and infectious diseases. If you look through her portfolio, it'll be impossible to miss this theme running through some of her embroidered pieces.
Here's an little peek at one of Laura's more obviously scientifically-minded pieces: it's a psilocybin molecule embroidered with glow-in-the-dark thread on a Vietnam War-era army shirt.
While it might seem counterintuitive to some, we quite frequently find that the textile artists who come to Lacis Museum are also brilliant members of the STEM fields in the Bay Area and beyond. Their contributions to the world aren't limited to that of the decorative arts: they are making advances in medicine, technology, public health. We often ask ourselves why there is such a fertile cross-pollination across seemingly disparate realms. Laura's work and her philosophy would suggest that the common denominator is in an interest in healing, communication, and the human connection.
You see, when Laura came to visit us, we were instantly floored by this military surplus-looking jacket she was wearing. She'd lavishly decorated it all over with dense, colorful surface embroidery. Text, lush florals, mandalas, all shaped and informed by the significant events of her life—the whole thing is gradually becoming a visual, wearable journal. It's not the first piece she's created along these lines, and, as she slowly embellishes these jackets, she finds they become physical repositories, observable manifestations, for her experiences and memories over time. That's a great way to process one's feelings in a healthy and productive manner!
We can well imagine how meditative and curative such a mindful, soulful, sustained activity can be, just by looking at it. We think transforming such pieces of protective outerwear into unique living documents like this is an absolutely brilliant idea, and we're so glad to have made Laura's acquaintance!
Perhaps another area of her art that betrays Laura's practical and methodical side is her mosiac work, like this piece here on the left. She accomplished this incredible design in granite, with some marble and onyx mixed in! We love that she has put such an enormous piece of her heart into her home, and at the very place where it welcomes guests, too. Talk about curb appeal.
On the right is a rayon-on-silk embroidered piece titled Balance. It won Best in Show for the California State Fair in 2003, as well as 1st Place and Best in Division. From 2000-2002, it toured the US during the Embroiderers' Guild of America's 16th national exhibit.
For even more inspiration, read about Laura's uniquely appealing approach to her art practice on her website!
Interested in taking a class? You can drop off your completed registration form in person during business hours, email it to us, or simply give us a call to enroll!
Beginning Tatting
with Kevin Baum
Saturday, January 21, 2023 — 12:30 to 4 PM
$45
Master the manipulation of the shuttle and discover how a simple stitch can become the key to this universal lace. Classes are designed for beginners, or those who have tatted before, but are in need of a refresher course.
A Tatted Valentine's Day Heart
with Kevin Baum
Saturday, February 11, 2023 — 12:30 to 4 PM
$45
Elevate your tatting skills to create an heirloom tatted Valentine. Designed for past students of Kevin's Beginning Tatting classes and those familiar with the basic techniques, students will choose one of several hearts of varying difficulty.
Clones Irish Crochet: A 4-Day Workshop
with Máire Treanor
Wednesday-Saturday, April 5-8, 2023 — 10 AM to 5 PM
$300.00 for all 4 days (or $200.00 for any 2 days)
Máire is excited to return to Lacis once again!
Lacis is once again pleased to announce the return of Máire Treanor, master of Irish Crochet, for a 4-day in-person workshop of Clones Irish Crochet.
In the first two days, newcomers will work on Clones lace jewelry, learning the basic stitches of Irish Clones lace, before progressing to traditional motifs of wild rose, shamrocks, vine leaves, grapes, and other motifs familiar in Irish Crochet, which use packing cord, as well as the unique Clones knot filling stitch and edging. Returning students can bring a project on which they have been working, getting advice and help on finishing it.
Students will discuss how to read antique Irish Crochet patterns and the international charts used in Ukrainian, Russian and Japanese books, with samples of garments in Modern Irish Crochet.
Prerequisites: For this captivating workshop series, students should be familiar with the basic crochet stitches of chain, single crochet, and double crochet in yarn. During this special workshop, Máire encourages students to work at their own pace, with individual help and encouragement.
And don't forget—it's only a $50 deposit to reserve your spot!
Nautilus Cockade
with Patrice Krems
Tatted Snowflakes
with Kevin Baum
Our friends at the Camron-Stanford House have a very special exhibit to share with you this holiday season! Explore the 19th-century origins of the wintertime traditions we all love so much—and enjoy this historic house beautifully decorated for Christmas!
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The Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. We are a unique legacy museum located in Berkeley, California. We host a wide range of hands-on workshops, several galleries of rotating exhibits, and our Museum Shop carries an extensive supply of vintage goods, craft- and costume-related books, and needlework supplies.
Our purpose is to:
• Preserve lace and textiles of all cultures from all periods
• Provide a resource center for research and documentation of these objects
• Educate and disseminate knowledge of lace and textiles
For just $25.00, you can become an official, card-carrying Lacis Museum Member for a year—and enjoy exclusive benefits! Get your membership via our Etsy shop, or alternatively, contact us in a number of other ways to join this vitally important circle of Lacis friends. We thank you for your support!
• 10% discount at our Etsy shop for purchases over $50
• 20% off books purchased at the Lacis Museum shop
• Free museum admission for you and up to (4) guests
• Special invitation to show openings
• Class discounts
A Message from Our Director
December is special. It welcomes the Solstice, the end of a cycle where we witness the shortest day, ready for the upturn soon to be noticed. Our hope and dreams are for a parallel occurrence in our tumultuous world where all things must get better if survival is our goal and knowing that Spring will follow.
With this knowledge, we celebrate, we create holidays that express joy, not for what we left behind but for what is ahead. Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas, and joy to the almighty in whatever form we can understand.
—Jules Kliot, Director
The Lacis Museum of Lace & Textiles
2982 Adeline St.
Berkeley, CA 94703