Arachne's Web Lace Guild

Heraldry
Sable, a spiderweb argent (SCA-wide)
Information
Founded: 03/1978

The Order of Arachne's Web is a guild dedicated to the study, teaching and creation of lace. Keeping this unique fiber art alive through research, instruction and production of lace using forms within the SCA’s historical period and beyond.

Guild Origins

The Order of Arachne's Web was initially founded in March 1978 in the Kingdom of the West by Lady Galina de Keri as a guild for fiber arts, particularly spinning. The order is Society wide with branches in several kingdoms. This Guild is separate from the West Kingdom's Needleworkers Guild, which was started in 1970 and chartered in 1983.

Currently in Caid, there are various regional groups dedicated to the study and creation of a variety of Fiber Arts.

History in Caid

Caid's first Arachne's Web Guild was founded in 1985. The first and only guildmistress was Baroness Cynthia de Wickersham. The guild was dissolved sometime after June 2012.

On July 11, 2018 Dame Lynnette de Sandoval del Valle de los Unicornios put out a call to restart Caid's branch of Arachne's Web. More info can be found on Facebook at "Caid Arachne's Web".

Upcoming Guild Events

• September 15, 2018: The 1st official meeting of the restarted guild will be held at Fall Crown Tournament in Altavia. (Location: Veteran's Park, 13000 Sayre Street, Sylmar, CA 91342.)
• November 3, 2018: We hope to formally present our Charter to TRMs Agrippa III and Dawid for Their review at Calafia Anniversary. (Location: El Monte County Park

15805 El Monte Road, Lakeside, California 92040)

• January 5, 2019: We hope to be formally chartered as a Kingdom guild at the final court of TRMs Agrippa III and Dawid and hold our 2nd official guild meeting at 12th Night/Coronation in Lyondemere.

Guild Structure

Guild Officers

• GUILDMISTRESS / GUILDMASTER
• ORB LEADER (Local chapter leaders

Guld Rankings

In general, membership in Caid’s Order of Arachne’s Web is open to all, regardless of age or skill level. There are no dues. A guild badge with embellishments will be given to members who participate in the guild through service (officers, teachers, researchers, etc.) and/or the completion of various achievements as specified.

The guild’s overall purpose is to foster the art of lacemaking. However, to accommodate those who enjoy having an incentive to learn new lace techniques and increase their skills, the guild provides the following ranking structure:

Guild rank medallions/ L to R: Member / Lace Apprentice, Lacemaker, Lacemaker with black felt background, Guildmistress/Guildmaster

MEMBER or LACE APPRENTICE

Requirements

• The only requirement is an interest in lace and lace making and participation in the guild.

Badge

• The badge is a silver spider’s web on a black background.

LACEMAKER

Requirements

• The candidate will provide two lacework pieces that display an adequate understanding of the techniques.
• The pieces need only be finished sufficiently to determine reasonable competence.
• The pieces should be accompanied with written or oral information about that pieces that will allow the judges to understand that the candidate knows what they have entered.

Sample Options

• Breadth: Samples may be of two different kinds of lacework. An example could be one each of Bobbin Lace, and Tatting.
• Depth: Samples may be of two types of the same kind of lacework using different patterns and stitches. An example would be two samples of different types of bobbin lace, or different materials including linen, silk, and metal.

Judging

• The lace samples’ acceptability will be determined by a panel of three judges made up of Lacemakers, or Lacemistresses / Lacemasters with at least one Lacemistress / Lacemaster.

Lacemakers are encouraged to support the guild and promote interest in lacemaking by:

• teaching and doing research
• assisting with judging work submitted within the guild and/or at various events
• writing for the guild’s online newsletter

Badge

• A silver spider is added to the web.

LACEMISTRESS / LACEMASTER

Requirements

• Know how to do at least four forms of lacework, or four different styles of one form of lacework well and can produce excellent pieces in two of them.
• Know the difference between SCA period and post-period techniques and tools.
• Have, if possible, taught lace related classes within the Society.
• Have served as a judge, a guild officer, or contributed to the guild in another capacity.
• The candidate will provide four completed pieces, each finished appropriately for the intended use, for review.
• The pieces should be accompanied with written or oral information about that pieces that will allow the judges to understand that the candidate knows what they have entered, and that they understand what is and isn’t SCA period in what they have entered.

Sample Options

• Breadth: The samples will be four different forms of lacework. Two well done pieces, and two excellent pieces.
• Depth: The samples will be four pieces with differing styles of the same form of lacework. Two well done pieces, and two excellent pieces.

Judging

• The lace samples’ acceptability will be determined by a panel that includes experts in each of the submitted techniques, if possible.

Lacemistresses / Lacemasters are encouraged to support the guild and promote interest in lacemaking by:

• Continue to promote and foster interest in lacemaking
• Assist the Guildmistress / Guildmaster
• Teaching and/or coordinating guild and local classes
• Examine and review the work of applicants for the rank of Lacemaker, as requested
• Contribute content to the various publications (i.e., articles, bibliography, how-to tips, etc.) including the guild newsletter, The Crown Prints, Ars Caidis and/or various SCA publications.

Badge

• The badge may be given a border of (or be trimmed, or set in) blue.

More Information

The Art of Lacemaking