GIL DYE
Gil is a founder member of the Westhope Group having been actively involved in the Lace Guild Education sub-group that drafted the City and Guilds lace syllabus and organised the first exams.
She has been playing with threads since she was a child, making her first crochet lace mats when she was seven and having a knitted lace cloth displayed in the Art Needlework shop in Oxford when she was eleven. As a young mum she discovered bobbin lace at an Adult Education class in Newcastle (where she still lives) and she has since explored and taught a wide variety of laces.
A Lace Guild bursary in 2010 allowed Gil to study surviving 16th and 17th bobbin lace which has become her particular interest. She has written a series of books on early bobbin lace (published by Cleveden Press between 2012 and 2017; instructions for the saffron fan, which was based on a 17th century lace collar, are in Book 4). Studying the ‘Archdukes’ coverlet’, a unique bobbin lace cover made in the early 1600s and consisting of more than 200 panels, led to Gil working an interpretation of one of the two pelican panels. A 1/12 scale copy of the coverlet is displayed as it would have been on a state bed.
Examples of Gil’s contemporary work include ‘White elephant meets white mouse’, winner of the miniature section of ‘Contrasts’, the Lace Guild’s 2019 competition, and ‘Ghosts of the Tyne’, part of the Westhope Group’s exhibition ‘Let the River Flow By’ in 2019.
 A family tree 2023by Gil Dye Descendants of Gil's parents |  Bobbin and Needlelace Flowersby Gil Dye |  Silver streamby Gil Dye Metallic thread, made for fun several years ago |
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 16th and 17th century booksby Gil Dye A series of instruction books that also give the background to many early bobbin laces. |  Miniature of Archdukes’ Coverletby Gil Dye A 1/12th scale fabric-print of the Archdukes’ Coverlet displayed as it would have been on a state bed. |  Camel with side bandsby Gil Dye Early attempt at working a camel, one of the 10cm figures in the Archdukes' coverlet. |
 Winged camelby Gil Dye Work in progress |  Spring hangingby Gil Dye |  White elephant meets white mouseby Gil Dye Needlelace elephant, bobbin lace blanket Winner of Miniature award in the 2013 Lace Guild 'Contrasts' exhibition 10cmx10cmx10cm |
 Saffron fanby Gil Dye 17th century bobbin lace, linen coloured with saffron W20cm |  Not the Galapagos, Iby Gil Dye Tortoises on the Galapagos Islands helped Charles Darwin formulate his ideas of Divergence of characteristics; working this collection of tortoises has allowed me to explore a divergent range of shapes, materials and techniques. 45cm x 45cm. Exhibited at Divergence, 2008 |  Hiddenby Gil Dye Joint work with Derek Earnshaw, part of the 2001 Onetree project Exhibited in Lace in a Barn, 2005 |