Thelma Goldring (on right) with BBC reporter Helen Mark "Needlework was my escape..." Thelma Goldring became obsessed with needlework after her husband bought her books on embroidery. She was involved, with a few others, in the setting up of the Lacemakers Guild for Northern Ireland, of which she is now President. Thelma may never have had any formal training, but she still has created the most wonderful pieces of needlework - examples of which you can see below. Through her love affair with lace, Thelma has made firm friends, travelled the length and breadth of Ireland and even spent time in Europe. In 1983 she was awarded a Churchill Fellowship, which enables people to pursue a dream spending up to 3 months anywhere in the world. Thelma's dream was to study lace in Italy - Venice to be exact. There are many connections between Irish and Venetian lace and she wanted to explore these. During her stay she was instructed in the local art of lacemaking. A shared interest in lace overcame any language problems, although Thelma found it hard to dispel their notion that she was a friend of Winston Churchill's! Thelma Goldring NI 1983. Churchill Fellow With opportunities comes responsibility There are five main Irish laces - Irish Crochet Lace, Youghal Needlelace, Inishmacsaint Needlelace, Carrickmacross Lace and Limerick Lace. Thelma's favourite is Limerick, where the stitches are worked on to a net. You can view examples of Limerick, Carrickmacross and Crochet below, pieces beautifully produced by Thelma herself. Irish tatting Irish whitework with drawn thread work edging. Click to enlarge Click to enlarge View close-up View close-up Clones Lace Irish tatting Click to enlarge Click to enlarge View close-up View close-up Limerick lace Carrick -ma-cross lace Click to enlarge Click to enlarge View close-up View close-up christening dress trimmed with tatting and whitework embroidery Wall hanging Click to enlarge View close-up of neckline Click to enlarge Listen listen to Thelma Goldring talking to Your Place & Mine reporter Helen Mark about her interest in lace and her Churchill Fellowship visit to Italy. (To access audio and video on your place and mine you need RealPlayer .) Useful Web Links Northern Ireland Embroidery Guild The Sheelin Irish Lace Museum , situated in the village of Bellanaleck in County Fermanagh, traces the history of lacemaking in Ireland The Guild of Irish Lacemakers Winston Churchill Memorial Trust , offers fellowships to men and women from all walks of life and from every corner of the United Kingdom to acquire knowledge and experience abroad.

Many thanks to the many people who pointed out our lace labeling errors, including Brenda Paternoster, Jean Nathan and Nicky H-Townsend. Hopefully we have got it right now ?

We have sent the perpetrator off to the corner of the office, armed with the various types of lace and tatting to show him the error of his ways! - Editor YP&M

Leslie Sercombe - April '06
I think the lace collar labeled irish tatting is in fact tape lace which could either be handmade or machine made tape with needlemade bars and fillings. This is similar to battenburg lace which is classed as a renaissance lace.

Sally Magill - June '05
The photo labelled "Limerick Lace" is in fact tatting. It is not worked "on to a net" but the whole fabric is worked freely with a shuttle. More examples of tatting can be seen on the Ring of Tatters website; www.ringoftatters.org.uk The collar labelled "Irish Tatting" is not tatting! It is tape lace. Commercially produced tape was shaped into patterns and tacked on to paper. Then fillings and connections between the shapes were worked in buttonhole and other stitches.

Reply from Mrs Narelle Butler - Victoria, Aus. December '04
I am very much sure that you have mixed up the labelling of the tatting piece and the limerick piece. I am Secretary of the Tatters' Guild of Australia , Victoria Branch and I know that the article labelled as limerick lace is in fact tatting. It still is an interesting article though!