Contents in This Month's Issue
• A Letter to Our Friends
• Current Exhibit: The Bird in the Textile Arts
• Featured Exhibit in our Museum Shop:
‣ Kuna Molas of the San Blas Archipelago
‣ The Shetland Lace Sampler of Cathy Adair-Clark of Windsor, Colorado
• Ongoing Exhibits: Worn to Dance—1920s Fashion & Beading
• Recently Sold in Our Etsy Shop
• Historical Textile Trivia
• New Products & Publications
• Customer of the Month
• Classes at Lacis
• Textile Arts Calendar
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Welcome to the New Year, everyone! We sincerely hope you all had a chance to create some happy and healthy holiday memories with your loved ones—especially as this past year has proven somewhat difficult for many of us.
Part of the trick of staying optimistic through it all, we find, is forging ahead with courage and intention. So we encourage you all to make lots of ambitious resolutions—especially with regards to your textile and fiber arts work! The time has come to turn our attention to the unfinished projects that have been haunting us... the skills we've been meaning to hone and develop... and tie up all our loose ends, so to speak.
At Lacis we're starting off strong, with an extensive schedule of new classes planned and under development. And of course, we'll always be here for you, not only in terms of keeping you in supplies and helping you improve your needlework and crafting tool kit, but in terms of moral support. We're happy to advise or cheer on our visitors who might be in need of a second opinion, some inspiration—and commiseration when things don't go quite as planned. (Trust us, we've been there plenty of times ourselves.)
It's the least we can do, when the Lacis community has recently shown us so much appreciation! In November, for Giving Tuesday, our manager, Kij Greenwood, initiated a fundraiser on her personal Facebook page on behalf of Lacis.
As a California public benefit, non-profit corporation [501(c)(3)], the Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles qualified for the opportunity for our supporters' contributions to be matched by Meta.
We want to acknowledge the following donors who gave so generously during that precious window of time. As a token of our appreciation, we have mailed you a special gift. Thank you all so much!
LMLT "Giving Tuesday" 2021 Donors:
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Christine Medeiros |
Cindy Lu |
Did you miss out on your chance to participate in this charity event? Don't worry—it's never too late to make your own gesture of support to the LMLT.
Become a member today, if you aren't one already! And if you are, perhaps consider purchasing a membership for your nearest and dearest textile-loving pal, teacher, neighbor, or whomever! It's a unique gift that's ecologically friendly, can't clutter up the home, and supports your community.
Memberships cost $25 annually, and members receive a 20% discount off any books you buy in our shop, 10% off classes and in our Etsy shop, free admission to our exhibits—and you can bring up to four of your friends, too!—special invitations to gallery openings and special events—and, of course, our immense gratitude.
Eleni Johnson Reveals Her "Inner Demons"
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.
Eleni Johnson is the creator of these spectacularly, beautifully bizarre "Inner Demons." They're inspired by 1920s boudoir dolls; Eleni makes them as custom gifts for friends (such lucky friends...!)
They're a combination of embroidery and mixed media, and that's part of the magic, because what Eleni loves most of all about making them is their spontaneity, the raw edges, their wildly experimental nature.
Eleni uses DMC floss, vintage imitation silk, and silver for embellishing these Inner Demons. In fact, almost everything she uses to embroider on them comes from Lacis! We're very proud. You can follow her work on Instagram: she's @MrsNoraCharles.
Long-Buried Secrets and a Suitcase Full of Doilies
We accepted a unique donation this past month when Cora Sue Anthony, on behalf of her friend Helga Gladis, brought us this suitcase full of doilies, and told us the following story.
It was with a terrible sense of urgency that young Helga's aunt buried this suitcase in the ground, full of the family photographs, silver candlesticks and plates, lace doilies.
This proved a prescient action, for it would not be long before Helga's entire family was forcibly evacuated from the Polish ghetto in which they'd been living. Ultimately they were taken to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, and Helga was the only one among them who survived the ordeal.
Helga must have witnessed or assisted her aunt in entrusting this precious cache to the earth for safekeeping, and that sense of urgency made a great impression, for she never forgot the precise location where her aunt buried that suitcase.
We know this because Helga, as an adult, decades later, endeavored to return to Poland after the fall of the Soviet Union, for the express purpose of retrieving the suitcase, along with the soil of her Polish homeland, which she carefully deposited into small glass jars that (with especially poignant resonance) once held baby food.
Yet we can only guess at the full scope of her emotion as Helga carried this beloved burden—native soil, suitcase full of lace, family photos, candlesticks and plates of silver so tarnished they were black as soot—back with her to the United States, where she had resettled, and built her life.
This suitcase is a powerful thing, and Lacis now bears the profound and humbling responsibility of its stewardship. We thank Cora Anthony, Helga Gladis's confidante and neighbor for many years, for looking after it for so long, and now bringing it to us.
It tips the scales with an emotional weight far heavier than its four pounds and eleven ounces. The impact it has had, far larger than its physical dimensions (about 25 inches long by 14 inches wide, and six inches deep) would imply. Its capacity for the inherent lessons it holds for humanity is limitless.
We hope this story travels farther than the suitcase itself has: farther, and further, deeper. We must now all carry together that shared emotional weight that Helga once shouldered alone, for this burden belongs to all of us who can remember, and learn.
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.
If you find you're still hankering for birds after a tour of our Bird in the Textile Arts exhibit, then be sure to take a look at these beauties, too.
These beautiful examples of Mola are representative of a recent donation from Carolyn Stratton Darby Gragg, of Piedmont. They were obtained—literally—in the waters of Panama:
"We spent quite a bit of time there visiting while we were on our sailboat in 2008. We bartered for some of them with fishing gear, i.e. hooks, lines, buckets and with sewing and school supplies."
The Kuna people would navigate their small boats (dugout canoes called ulu) out into the bay of the archipelago, where Carolyn's own vessel was anchored, to make these trades.
A traditional art form of the Kuna people of Panama on the San Blas Islands, the Mola panels are part of their traditional costume, with matching panels worn on the front and back of a blouse.
The distinctive Mola employs a reverse-applique base using multiple layers of colorful fabric, with surface embroidery embellishments that complement the designs.
Themes range from the purely organic to geometric, with the colorful local bird population as an obvious subject—a fitting tie-in to our newly-opened exhibit, The Bird in the Textile Arts. When you get a chance, drop into the Museum Shop to see eight of Carolyn's gorgeous Mola panels on display!
Can't get enough of these electrifying colors, and tales of ocean voyages, exploration and adventure? Blogger Mira Nencheva of The Life Nomadik extensively documented her time among the Kuna people, in writing and photographs—including about their aforementioned style of nautical trading and their Mola-making tradition.
The University of Oregon's Museum of Natural and Cultural History has some nice Molas available to look at online, too.
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.
Now open for tours by appointment!
• Masks are required for all individuals
• Tours are $3.00 per person and must be reserved in advance—calling us at (510) 843-7290 is best
• Tours can be scheduled for Monday, Tuesday or Saturday at 1:00 PM & 3:00 PM
• Tours have a (2) person minimum & (10) person maximum
• For Museum Members and their guests (4 max), tours are free!
• Please note that the second-floor gallery at this time is only accessible via stairs
Almost 100 years ago, with the dawn of the Jazz Age, life changed dramatically for women in America. Suddenly the 1920s woman could vote, drive, spend her own money, smoke and drink in public, cut off her long hair, expose her calves, forgo her corset and—perhaps most iconic of all—she could dance.
The most iconic pastime of the 1920s was dancing in nightclubs and speakeasies. Here women and men could freely socialize to the rhythm of Hot Jazz.
That rhythm is most clearly made visual in the image of the flapper, with her (relatively) short dress, which sparkled in the dim lights, given heft, form and movement by the innumerable beads sewed to its simple shift-shaped form.
These dresses, like the Jazz Age itself, were never destined to last. With the weight of the beads continually testing their union with the fragile silk, their eventual collapse was inevitable, as evidenced by the beads abandoned on the dance floor when the party was over.
This is why, though the dresses remained the quintessential symbol of the times, so few of them remain today. By attentive restoration, we have been able to present examples of these dresses as they appeared when they first shone, as well as fascinating examples of dresses in different stages of the construction process.
From the collection of LMLT; conceived of and curated by the LMLT staff
Running from November 16, 2019—Extended end date TBD
To usher in the New Year on a high note—and motivate us to keep our Etsy game strong going into 2022!—we thought we'd take this opportunity to highlight some of the thoughtful, rewarding reviews our customers left for us last year.
Chandani Smith said of this 1940s wedding veil:
"I can't wait to wear it down the aisle! My friend is a fashion historian and lost her mind when I sent her a photo. Absolutely beautiful!" (April 23, 2021)
Kim Poteet praised her glamorous 1950s full slip: "Very delicate and lovely...I love it. It makes me feel special." (November 8, 2021)
And, as Bianca Esposito of The Closet Historian put it, of her own 1950s bias-cut slip (we have a precious and dwindling deadstock supply of these fabulous, immaculate vintage slips—with several different embroidery designs!): "A treasure from history!" (June 20, 2021)
Engerl remarked, of this 1920s silk crepe de chine dress, with its elegantly dropped waist and long sleeves:
"This is the most stunning dress I have ever had. It is one of a kind. It fits beautifully. The silk is in very good condition and must be high quality. The silk then was of a much better quality than it is today. The cut of the dress is masterly... Thank you very much to LacisMuseum." (March 26, 2021)
Thank YOU, Engerl, Bianca, Kim, Chandani—and all the rest our Etsy supporters! We love reading your reviews and the continuing stories of our textiles. You help to give them renewed purpose, new lives, and we appreciate that very much. It's only right that these lovingly crafted items—already cherished for so many decades—be cherished for decades to come.
Now, Chinese New Year isn't until February 1 this year (it'll be the year of the Tiger!), but Chinese knotwork is a fascinating craft, and we couldn't wait to share it with you.
The Lacis Museum shop has some very large-scale ornamental Chinese knots hanging here and there—now that we've told you that, you're sure to begin spotting them.
They're very good luck, and make excellent presents on special occasions.
In Chinese culture, homonyms inform each other in their usage. For example, mandarin oranges (kam) sound like the word for gold; bat (fu) sounds a lot like the word for good luck. Thus, the practice of exchanging of oranges, and the use of bat motifs in the applied arts. In the same way, the word for knot (jie) is similar for the word for "auspicious" (ji).
Knots bear the names of the things they're thought to resemble: butterflies are common, as are flowers, birds, fish, dragons, and even architectural features. The Cloud knot is very cute, for example. And at Lacis, we have some knots that have distinctive cicada motifs which are really pretty (and blessedly silent).
The swastika knot (or "virtue" knot) in Buddhist theology represents the heart of the Buddha, which resides in all earthly souls. This is the knot of purity, the one you want for transcendence, spiritual discipline, and triumph over evil. The Double Happiness knot one of the ones especially appropriate for lovers and weddings.
In the dynastic periods, there was a quota for how many knot-makers would be stationed in the court, producing cords and knots for the nobility. There was a certain division of labor: cords, knots and tassels were made first individually and then joined together later.
The color of the knot, as much as the shape, influences its aspirational purpose, and this language of colors isn't difficult to interpret, even for Westerners: black and white, in Feng Shui, represents the Yin and Yang. Green (think a blue-green azure or jade color) invites prosperity. Gold (in the case of non-metallic colors, think bright yellow or orange) is the color of nobility and wealth, and in Chinese Buddhism, it represents freedom. Blue knots connote trust, healing, and longevity.
We'll leave this topic on an inspiring note of defiance and individuality. In The Woman Warrior, Maxine Hong Kingston's 1976 wrote, "Long ago in China, knot-makers tied string into buttons and frogs, and rope into bell pulls. There was one knot so complicated that it blinded the knot-maker. Finally an emperor outlawed this cruel knot, and the nobles could not order it anymore. If I had lived in China, I would have been an outlaw knot-maker."
At Lacis, we have everything you need to get started making really intricate knots! We carry colorful rayon rattail and silk cording by the yard, as well as beautiful jewelry hardware for finishing the ends. Get inspiration and guidance from one of these beautiful manuals, full of detailed instructions and thoughtfully-designed illustrations.
 Fun with Chinese Knotting |
 75 Chinese, Celtic & Ornamental Knots |
 The Complete Book |
Don't forget, Lacis Museum Members receive 20% off of books purchased in our Museum shop—
and we have even more new books at Lacis for this holiday season!
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The Tunisian Crochet Handbook by Toni Lipsey |
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Hand Embroidery by Patricia Bage & Jill Carter |
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Icelandic Mittens by Guðrún Hannele Henttinen |
Our talented visitors are always making the most interesting & beautiful things.
We love it when you share your creations & their stories with us!
It took Annie "Not afraid of color!" Krambuhl of San Francisco no less than three months to create this quilted jacket. (No wonder all the corners all meet up so precisely...!) Mainly, she allows, it was time-consuming to PLAN. The arrangement of that incredible color gradient alone looks like a mighty feat.
It's a boxy, quilted, REVERSIBLE jacket based on Pauline Alice Patterns's Ayora Jacket (with some personal touches, like a change to the collar/facings, and Annie's own cute little customized "A" label on the pocket!) Just too beautiful for words, honestly.
According to her Instagram, Annie's "more proud of this coat than anything else I've made... perhaps even more than my thesis in college! I rarely go anywhere without getting complimented and I still haven't tired of saying, 'Thanks, I made it.'"
And we totally understand get that. Not only is the jacket perfectly constructed, but the design choices are super good. Like Edith Head said, a collarless jacket is the most versatile of outer-layer garments, because you can wear a garment with any kind of neckline beneath it, and it'll never look cluttered. Beyond the cut, that bright and gorgeous rainbow gradation looks classic and contemporary at the same time. The whole thing gives off the most cheery, inspirational vibes! And the decision to place the colored triangles facing downwards gives them, compositionally, a freshness and dynamism that's absolutely fantastic. Annie, you get points for pulling off a flawless execution, for creating something totally unique, and even more points for being so boldly innovative. You'd be a strong contender for the Sewing Olympics.
Readers, you should know that Annie (along with Mel Brister, of Nova Scotia) wrote their own super-helpful, insightful article, Fit is the #1 Challenge for New and Experienced Home Sewists Around the World. And the illustrations—by Annie!—have an especially charming appeal. Are you a garment sewist, or trying to become one? We strongly suggest you give it a read!
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!
Pleated Fuschias
with Patrice Krems
Saturday, January 22, 2022 — 12:30 AM to 5 PM
$55 + $20 kit fee (payable to instructor)
You will be delighted watching these fanciful ruffled confections made out of French wired ombre ribbon bounce and twirl like whimsical ballerinas from the ends of the gimp stem. See the ribbon jump to life as you ruffle together the pleated ribbon and insert tiny balls of cotton and stamens to be nestled within each bloom.
These dainty delights are the perfect size to be used as a fob on the end of a delicate embroidery scissor or zipper pull. Create a cluster and wear them as a brooch or use them as fringe on any number of things. Shorten the gimp and they can be turned into delightful dangling earrings. There are endless ideas and uses for these fanciful fuchsias flowers.
Beginning Bobbin Lace
with Eva Gergely
Saturday, January 29, 2022 — 10 AM to 4 PM
$65 + $64 kit fee (-20% for students)
Bobbin lace is the classic lace of Western civilization, captivating virtually every culture since 1500 when it became a very necessary and expensive part of fashionable clothing.
Bobbin lacemaking is a multi-thread technique based on two basic motions working in a plaiting fashion using no more than four threads at a time. The threads, worked in the hands, require minimal eye acuteness, making it accessible to students of all ages.
This class will cover preparation of materials, the basic motions and the basic stitches and grounds based on these motions.
A St. Valentine's Day Tatted Heart
with Kevin Baum
Saturday, February 8, 2022 — 12:30 PM to 4 PM
$45
Come celebrate Valentine's Day with this festive tatting class designed for past students of Kevin's Beginning Tatting Classes. Elevate your tatting skills to create an heirloom tatted Valentine!
Students will need to know the shuttle tatting basics: the double stitch, and how to create and connect rings and picots. Under Kevin's guidance, students will begin their Valentine Day's projects. Students will choose one from several hearts, from easy to advanced. Finishing and blocking your finished heart will be discussed.
Beginning Tambour: A Two-Session Workshop
with Zoya Parkansky
Saturday, February 19 & March 5, 2022— 10 AM to 4 PM
$150 + $50 material fee (plus tax)
The embroidery of Haute Couture has become one of today's most popular techniques. It is particularly suitable for bead and sequin work, fast to execute while encouraging freedom of design.
FIRST SESSION: After a brief history and examination of tambour work, you will be introduced to the
tools, set up and use of the unique needle. By the end of the session you will be working with beads and
sequins on organza fabric.
SECOND SESSION: Working on a selected design, perfecting technique, introduction to new stitches and
developing design ideas.
Easy Lunardi Hats, 1780-1820
with Catherine Scholar
Saturday, February 26 — 12:30 AM to 4:30 PM
$55
Stressed by straw? Bothered by buckram? Worry no more! Finish off your late 18th-century look with a fabulous and easy Lunardi Hat!
These hats were popular during the 1780s and 1790s. A variation called a Capote was worn during the Regency Era. Named after the first person to fly a hot air balloon in England, the Lunardi Hat consisted of a puffed crown over a straw or wire-frame brim.
Together we will make a simple and pretty version of the hat, which you can then trim to your heart's desire to make a confection wholly unique to you.
3-Petal Flower with Vintage Ruffled Edge
with Patrice Krems
Saturday, March 12 — 12:30 AM to 5 PM
$55 + $20 kit fee (payable to instructor)
Learn how to make this exquisite vintage 1920s-inspired, hand-gathered Ruffled Edge 3-Petal Flower with leaves and a bud using thread for the stamens. This dramatic and exquisite flower can transcend an ordinary garment with an over-the-top accessory or can be attached to a pillow, crazy quilt or any other project.
Continuation Bobbin Lace
with Eva Gergely
Saturday, March 26 — 10 AM to 4 PM
$65
Designed for those who have already taken the Beginning Bobbin Lace class, as well as anyone else who is familiar with the basic motions and stitches of Bobbin Lace (Whole Stitch, Half Stitch, Linen Stitch). You will learn how to combine the various stitches and create simple patterns, motifs, grounds and spider stitches; as well as the basics of Torchon Lace and Idrija Lace, and how to use a crochet hook for basic joinings.
Clones Lace: Irish Crochet
with Máire Treanor
April 20—23, 2022 — 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
$300 for all 4 days
(or $100/day with a $200 minimum)
Learn to make Irish crochet lace! Students just need to know how to chain stitch, single crochet, and double crochet. You'll learn how to make the sumptuous, wildly organic motifs that comprise gorgeous Clones lace: the small rose, the large wild rose, shamrock, vine leaves and grapes...
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Hey, lovely lace-makers! Don't forget to check out The Doily Free Zone's incredible range of upcoming classes! |
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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
Any joys and celebrations associated with the start of this New Year are well earned. We have survived a most tumultuous year and have gained strength is doing so. No longer do we just go on with a taken-for-granted norm but we now recognize that the norm is our responsibility to define...and we dream.
Visitors to the BIRD exhibit are grateful to witness the amazing works of textile art as the try to comprehend the seemingly impossible in the creation of these works.
Justifying the purpose of our Museum, which is not only to preserve these works, but to share and witness norms and passions too far from where we now stand...to understand that this is witness to past generations, not that recorded in images and words.
—Jules Kliot, Director
The Lacis Museum of Lace & Textiles
2982 Adeline St.
Berkeley, CA 94703