~ Reed Gold Mine ~
~ Saturday, December 5th, 2009 ~
Many lacers love to demonstrate the craft and do so almost whenever asked. Reed Gold Mine is a favorite site and numerous members of the Golden Bobbins have demonstrated there for more years than I care to remember. When possible, several members of the group demonstrate not only for the annual Christmas event, but also on one or both of the two days dedicated to tours for school children every spring.
The Christmas event always features local choral groups in the auditorium, and the enthusiastic volunteers who support the Reed special events furnish wonderful cookies, hot cider, and more for visitors and demonstrators. Demonstrations this year included a weaver, a woodworker, locally collected Native American and Civil War artifacts, and hand-quilters.
Pat Rigsby is not only an accomplished, experienced bobbin lacer, but she is also very active in her church and community when not off to parts unknown with her husband in their airplane. She works with a variety of lace styles and techniques, both traditional and innovative. She does not hesitate to work with vibrant colors and exotic threads. Fortunately for her lucky friends and relatives, she loves to 'gift' her lovely work to those who understand and appreciate the love and time that goes into these wonderful pieces.
Marg Harbaugh, like Pat, enjoys the challenge presented by new lace patterns and techniques. She is also innovative with both color and threads. Although employed full-time, she manages to find leisure time which she shares her with her cats and still has time to bobbin lace, tat, quilt, and more.
I (Pat Blackwell) typically work with Torchon lace patterns. I tell visitors that I must have a 45° brain, because my most successful pieces have been in that grid style and angle. Other lace techniques and styles use different grids and angles, which I find more unwieldy. Any lace pattern I work that is not Torchon will likely be a tape lace. Unlike Pat and Marg, I work almost exclusively with white linen thread, though sometimes step outside my usual style and play with metallic or colored threads. Pat and Marg work often with set pieces while I almost always work a 'strip' lace on a roller pillow, not having the nerve to try the big bolster pillows often seen in paintings of yore. Although my lap is undoubtedly sufficiently large, I cannot imagine working with a bolster in my lap and trying to control bobbins, threads, the pattern, and simultaneously make lace - always picturing myself chasing bolster and errant bobbins around my work area - and probably injuring myself in the process (not a pretty picture).
One of the problems with demonstrating and trying to learn the history of the venue, is that there isn't time for both during the event. Another problem is that so much information is available on the internet that it becomes difficult to cease-and-desist looking for more, one interesting website leading to another and then another. But that extra knowledge adds so much to the demonstrators' appreciation of the location and its history - and broadens what we can offer to the visitors beyond just the craft that we love.
Several years ago my older son and I were privileged to go on a private, pre-Christmas event tour led by the director of the facility. If I had known then what I have learned in the interim about Reed Gold Mine and its place in the history of both North Carolina and the later gold rushes which are more famous, the experience would have been even more illuminating. As always, the more you know, the more you want to know.
Reed Gold Mine
There is no fee to visit Reed Gold Mine, located about 35 miles ENE of downtown Charlotte. The guided tour of the mine is free, and the grounds are fairly extensive. The tunnels date to the 1830s. There are a number of interesting structures at the site, including the millhouse and whim house. These are connected structures with a Cornish pump in the center. These buildings and equipment date to the 1880s. The stamp mill is from the 1890s, functional, and is operated from April - October. There are a number of walking trails around the grounds of Reed. The visitor's center has an extensive display of gold mining related ephemera.
Gold panning is available for $2.00 a pan and there is, of course, a gift shop for souvenirs.
9621 Reed Mine Road, Midland, NC 28107
704.721.4653
Reed Gold Mine website
Email Reed Gold Mine
MapQuest Driving Directions
Lots of general information.
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A nice page about Reed Gold Mine with quite a few good pictures.
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Interesting information and some nice illustrations.
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