More Than Lace at Lacis

Lacis in Berkeley is a huge store with an almost unlimited variety of things to sketch. Founded in 1965 it has over 500 bolts of lace, buttons, ribbons, trims and 3,000 books on textiles. It is part grandma's attic, part community hall and part boutique. In the windows are parasols, handkerchiefs, dresses, lacey gloves, doilies, aprons, hats, knickknacks. Inside, lace and silk dresses hang from the high ceiling; a display case by the cash register houses vintage beaded bags; classes are held in such obscure crafts as Victorian corset making. There are shelves and shelves of vintage tablecloths and other linens; lots of jewelry, loads of buttons and ribbons, both vintage and contemporary, and a wall full of beads so you can make your own baubles. Another room houses hundreds of bolts of lace.
— Cathy McAuliffe

Lace and other textiles at Lacis

Lacis in Berkeley is a place I have driven by thousands of times and never gone in. What a mistake! Today we had a great time sketching in the store and museum. See Ceiny's post below for more sketches and information. And do go in to see all tht they have in this amazing place.

Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles

To raise the $1,500 she needed to emigrate to the US from post-war Germany, Kaethe Kliot feverishly knitted large lace doilies and sold them to American soldiers to bring home to their families.  Years later, in 1965, Kaethe and her husband, Jules, founded the Lacis Retail Store in Berkeley as a haven for all involved in the textile arts.  The store grew to over five times its original size and in 2004 merged with the Kliots' extensive collection of lace and textiles to form a museum representing 40 years of dedication to the preservation of the finest of human handiwork.  Thanks to Erin and the staff for a warm introduction to all the beauties of Lacis.