Manuela Beck - About me

How does lacemaking become a passion?
Even as a child I was very interested in the creative use of textiles. Under the influence of my grandmother and also my mother, both of whom knew a lot about handicrafts, at an early age I tried out various ways of using yarn and cloth. My Barbie doll was always a willing model and sometimes the results were rather daring creations. One day by chance I picked up a little cover that had belonged to my grandmother. I liked it very much indeed and tried to find out how it was made. On the advice of an "expert" I enrolled for my first course in bobbin lacemaking in Spring 1993 - and there I learned that the cover had been made by tatting. Although I had landed in the "wrong" course, I enjoyed bobbin lacemaking so much that I have stuck to it ever since. After this first contact with bobbin lacemaking, I got to know Gisela Wirtz. She has always encouraged me, and from her I have learned a great deal. Over the years I have attended numerous courses and also learned a lot in private study. Since 1996 I have given courses myself at various adult education centres (see under $quot;Courses"). I discovered a love of old lace and began to collect it and reconstruct the patterns. Some of these reconstructions have been published in books produced by the Deutscher Klöppelverband. Soon it was not enough for me to make lace from other people's patterns. I began to try my own thing and to design lace. I very much like to design and make modern pieces (e.g. the competition entry "Spitze im Quadrat" (Lace in a square)), but my particular passion is lace inspired by nature. In 1995 I designed and made my first "own" butterfly in raised work. At that time I was not very generous with the colours or the details, but that changed rapidly. In Summer 2002 I decided to write a book on the subject. It contains 12 butterflies and moths which really exist in nature. I had just bought myself a new camera and taken a large number of interesting photographs, especially of natural objects. I tried to integrate my textile butterflies into natural surroundings and the result was wonderful illustrations for the book.

How does lacemaking become a passion?

Even as a child I was very interested in the creative use of textiles.
Under the influence of my grandmother and also my mother, both of whom knew a lot about handicrafts, at an early age I tried out various ways of using yarn and cloth. My Barbie doll was always a willing model and sometimes the results were rather daring creations.

One day by chance I picked up a little cover that had belonged to my grandmother.
I liked it very much indeed and tried to find out how it was made. On the advice of an "expert" I enrolled for my first course in bobbin lacemaking in Spring 1993 - and there I learned that the cover had been made by tatting. Although I had landed in the "wrong" course, I enjoyed bobbin lacemaking so much that I have stuck to it ever since.
After this first contact with bobbin lacemaking, I got to know Gisela Wirtz.
She has always encouraged me, and from her I have learned a great deal. Over the years I have attended numerous courses and also learned a lot in private study.

Since 1996 I have given courses myself at various adult education centres (see under $quot;Courses").
I discovered a love of old lace and began to collect it and reconstruct the patterns. Some of these reconstructions have been published in books produced by the Deutscher Klöppelverband. Soon it was not enough for me to make lace from other people's patterns.

I began to try my own thing and to design lace.
I very much like to design and make modern pieces (e.g. the competition entry "Spitze im Quadrat" (Lace in a square)), but my particular passion is lace inspired by nature.

In 1995 I designed and made my first "own" butterfly in raised work. At that time I was not very generous with the colours or the details, but that changed rapidly.
In Summer 2002 I decided to write a book on the subject. It contains 12 butterflies and moths which really exist in nature. I had just bought myself a new camera and taken a large number of interesting photographs, especially of natural objects.
I tried to integrate my textile butterflies into natural surroundings and the result was wonderful illustrations for the book.

And about me …