January 2025

Linda Kay Benning

The Artist:

Linda Kay Benning has been on a fiber journey her entire life, exploring work done primarily by women. She believes fiber work enriched their lives with color and beauty, often based on the natural world around them. Around the world, women’s skills often provided supplemental income for the family.

“I am an inch deep and a mile wide in in the realm of fiber arts, focusing primarily on heritage skills,” Linda recently explained. “My understanding and appreciation grow every time I try something new!” She is president of the Chesapeake Region Lace Guild, serves on the Administrative Council of the International Bobbin and Needle Lace Organization, a member local chapters of EGA, SAGA, and a member of Nellie’s Needlers.

Guild Meeting/Program: The History of Lace: an Economic Engine

Whether lace originated in Flanders or Italy is still being debated as more historical records are uncovered. Most scholars agree, however, that at one point lace was more valuable than gold. This parade of pictures will show how fashion helped increase the value of lace, creating competition across regions and sometimes even countries.

Date/Time: January 11, 2025 10:30 AM (following Guild meeting)

Location: St. James Episcopal Church, 11815 Seven Locks Rd, Potomac, MD 20854