The Ottawa Guild of Lacemakers was formed October 18, 1988 by a small group of people interested in bobbin lace, needle lace and tatting. The members have developed skills in various types of lacemaking either through courses being given by lace teachers from Europe, the USA, or from individuals travelling outside our region to learn further skills. As a result, some lacemakers are able to teach lacemaking locally. A well-stocked library of books and magazines of lace- related materials is available for borrowing.
Gradually, as our numbers increased, we have developed into a bilingual functioning group, providing all meetings, newsletters and lace teachers in French and English. Our guild includes members from the Outaouais region, the greater Ottawa region, Cornwall and other parts of Canada.
Annually we hold a Lace Day to share our work and projects with the public. It is an opportunity to see a demonstration and to try making lace. Lace suppliers come from across Ontario and Quebec. During the summer, members demonstrate their lacemaking skills at various events throughout the region.
Our meetings are held on the second Thursday of the month from September until June. We have a monthly couvige held on the third Saturday of the month, with some exceptions. The couvige allows the members to either work on their own projects and have some assistance, or be involved in an organized workshop.
The lace guild logo featured at the top, was the result of a design competition among the members, with Hélène Bergevin, providing the winning design in May 1996. The following year a second guild competition was held, to make the lace for the logo, with the winner being Gail Young.
