Janet
is a member of the
Wessex
Lacemakers, and spends hours painstakingly
producing
Torchon lace. Lace makers use a cushion to support the lace as it is
produced, and the dozens of threads are kept on bobbins. Each bobbin is a work
of art in its own right - as well as plain bobbins made from a variety of woods,
many have tiny paintings on them and some are made of beautifully engraved bone.
Each bobbin has beads (called spangles) wired to the end, to weight them and
keep the correct tension in the thread. Lacemakers collect hundreds of these
bobbins, and perhaps the pleasure of lace making is as much in handling these
little works of art as in the lace itself.
Jan
also paints in watercolour, and sometimes Steve is honoured by having one of his
photographs turned into a painting. The painting you see here is her
interpretation of a view at Triscombe on the Quantock Hills in Somerset
As if all that wasn't enough, Janet makes
the most delightful rag dolls. Each doll has a
character of his or her own, from
those with a cheeky grin to the downright grumpy. Many of these dolls
have been
sold for charity over the years, and it is nice to think they will decorating
children's bedrooms somewhere for years to come.
In
between all this Jan looks after her horse Toby, a young Chestnut Cob who is
being trained for driving, and his companion Whizzer, a friendly little Shetland
Pony. As anyone who has cared for horses will tell
you, it is unrelenting hard work - they need care and attention at least twice a
day, every day, rain or shine, as well as regular exercise.
Finally, Jan makes superb organic wholemeal
bread, in the old-fashioned way - no bread making machines here, this is the
real thing.