Trusting ourselves

One of the brightest gems offered by The Adventurous Lacemakers is Pierre Fouché’s Noobs course for beginners … but this is not just for beginners!

I’ve been following The Noobs course myself so that I can use it with local lacemaking novices.

Starting with one pair of threads wound onto a pair of pens, dowel sticks or bobbins, and a piece of polystyrene, he has recorded simple lessons with his first cohort of students for all of us to follow.

We doodle our own patterns and string together essential first stitches into a series of playful pieces.

South African Lacemaker Carolyn Einhorn joined him as a mentor and became a mentee.  After 30 years of traditional lace, ‘his approach allowed me to find the Lacemaker in me,’ she reflects.

‘We made do with what we could find in our homes.  Each piece we made was uniquely our own. …This was hugely freeing for me. Now I would rather be making my own decisions than following a published pattern.’

There is something very special in this course – for it flips the switch to trust ourselves.

Pierre encourages us to draw what appeals to each of us; we decide which stitches to use where, and how to combine them into a satisfying whole.

Working spontaneously, or planning simple paths to success, it’s a joy every Lacemaker needs to experience.