President - Rosalie Bares
I began making lace after I attended a Connecticut Lace Day around 11 years ago. I just loved the lacemakers. Although I brought my needlework, I was welcomed by a host of talented women.
I began taking classes at retreats, and at workshops in Vermont. I’m still in the beginner stage but keep working at it.
You can reach Rosalie at NELGPresident@gmail.comVice President - Clare Settle
I began making crocheted lace in my teens, learned to knit and weave over the next couple of decades, and in 1994, I began making bobbin lace. As many people do, I started with Torchon, and then continued to Point Ground laces. Having become fascinated with Binche at an early point in my lacemaking, I have studied it, and now predominantly focus on making and designing Binche.
My first encounter with NELG began when I met Jill Hawkins and Barbara McGuire as they demonstrated at the Big E in 1994. The organization continues to be an invaluable resource to me. It provides many opportunities to learn, to develop connections with friends, and to share knowledge. I’m excited to be involved in Programs, as they provide a chance to learn through hands-on instruction and education into the history and ongoing development of lace.
You can reach our Vice President at NELGPrograms@gmail.comTreasurer/Membership - Barbara Morrow
I discovered bobbin lace at a craft festival in Stratford, CT where a woman was standing at a pedestal in colonial dress making lace. Then the Arachne e-mail list came along and from there a teacher was found who had beginning classes at Marymount College. That was the start of a sometime casual, sometime intense interest in lacemaking – supplemented by lace knitting. Retirement and many classes later, Barbara has recently had more time has been spent making lace.
Always ready to travel, I have combined many trips with the opportunity to take classes, including IOLI conventions, retreats and a trip to Denmark in 2013 to learn more about Tønder lace. I have previously been a member of NELG’s Executive Board, including Vice President and Member-at-Large. Questions should be sent to the following:
Treasurer: NELGTreasurer@gmail.com; Membership: NELGMembership@gmail.com
Librarian - Mary Mangan
Mary is a fan of many textile crafts and of American history. She came to lace through volunteer work at an American Revolutionary War site in her hometown of Somerville, MA. When she grasped the important role of lace in fashion and in the economy in that era, she was determined to learn how it was made. A beginner class with NELG in 2019 has opened up many opportunities to learn new skills and unearth new stories of lace history, and a class with Ipswich lace expert Karen Thompson began her training in Ipswich lace. She has also received a grant in 2024 from the Wikimedia Foundation to improve the quality of lace information in Wikipedia. In 2025 Mary was awarded a Massachusetts Cultural Council grant as a "culture bearer" for lace history in the state.
Requests to borrow books from the NELG Library should be sent to NELGLibrarian@gmail.com
Newsletter Editor - Donna Canepari
In 2016, I attended the Big E where I was first introduced
to the art of bobbin lace. Winann Steinmetz was there, graciously demonstrating the craft
and inviting attendees to try their hand at it using her "try it"
pillow. Her warm and welcoming nature made the experience enjoyable, and she
extended an invitation to me to attend the next lace day at her home.
Returning home, I was inspired to learn more about bobbin lace. I immediately started researching the craft, eager to understand what supplies were needed and how to get started, so I turned to the internet to learn the basic techniques, particularly those related to Torchon lace.
When I attended lace day, I was greeted by a group of friendly and welcoming women. Their kindness and enthusiasm for bobbin lace further drew me in, and since then, I have been completely hooked on this beautiful craft.
Donna can be reached at NELGNewsletter@gmail.com
Webmaster and Member-at-Large - Jill Hawkins
I have been a member of NELG since 1986 and have twice served as President. I have always had an interest in fiber arts - my mother was a seamstress, and I learned at a early age to sew, knit, embroider and crochet. Lace making has been my passion since I learned bobbin lace in 1985 while living in Glastonbury, England. While I have tried many different types of lace, my favorites are Bedfordshire, Bucks Point and Milanese.
I have been Webmaster for NELG since 2010 and was elected Member at Large in 2019.
Jill can be reached at NELGWebmaster@gmail.com. For Member-at Large issues, please use NELGMemberAtLarge@gmail.com
Clerk - Carolyn Wetzel
Lace caught my interest in elementary school when the librarian set up a display of tatting in the library showcase. My mom bought me a shuttle, ball of crochet cotton, and Coats & Clark’s “Learn to Tat” booklet, and my lace making avocation was launched. It wasn’t until I moved to Ithaca, NY, for graduate school and found the Finger Lakes Lace Guild that I expanded into bobbin and needle lace. Several moves around the country later I landed in Massachusetts in 2002 and was introduced to NELG by a friend from Ithaca. I was NELG Vice-President/Program Chair for several years. I’ve attended numerous workshops, retreats, and IOLI conventions as a student and more recently as a needle lace teacher. I’ve written several lace-related articles for Piecework Magazine and the IOLI Bulletin, and am always on the lookout for another topic to write about. When I was a poor graduate student I was impressed by people who could travel to Europe to study lace – now I am one of them, and enjoy meeting and learning from lace teachers in Italy and Spain. Groups such as NELG are vital to the continuation of our craft (“craft” used in the historical sense of fine craftsmanship) and everyone’s involvement in NELG is greatly appreciated by me and the other Executive Committee members!