SMP Lace
http://www.smplace.co.uk
SMP was first registered in 1964 by Sheila Perrin as a manufacturing company producing computer accessories.
In 1976, Mrs Doreen Wright founded The Lace Guild and in searching out craftsmen to supply equipment for lacemakers she encouraged the young Nicholas Perrin to make bobbins.
He subsequently attended Bucks College in High Wycombe to study furniture making and graduated having written his thesis on the history and manufacture of lace bobbins.
The moulding of polystyrene furniture components was included in his studies with the result that SMP developed the first of many moulds for lace pillow manufacture. In 1977 the name was changed to SMP Lace and they began to exclusively supply lacemakers with a wide range of materials and equipment ever since.
Liz writes:
At my first lace fair, Springetts, September 1989, I met Shelia Perrin. I was carefully watching how much I had to spend and trying to get the most for my small amount of money.
I was trying to work out how to afford pillow, bobbins, books ... well everything and she told me to get my basic bobbins so I could start making but find a maker I really liked and sign up to their bobbin a month club.
Her advice was to buy the most expensive bobbin I could so that in years to come I had built up a collect that meant something to me.
"Even if you just buy one bobbin a month", Sheila siad, "at the end of the year you will have 6 beautiful pairs of bobbins, then at the end of the next year, 12 pairs and so on." I've been making lace for over 30 years. I now have a fantastic collection of bobbins. But those first SMP bobbins, my travel bobbins and my honitons made from different woods are at the heart of that collection and all because Shelia took time to talk with me.
Scroll down for reminiscences of SMP pillows ...
SMP was first registered in 1964 by Sheila Perrin as a manufacturing company producing computer accessories.
In 1976, Mrs Doreen Wright founded The Lace Guild and in searching out craftsmen to supply equipment for lacemakers she encouraged the young Nicholas Perrin to make bobbins.
He subsequently attended Bucks College in High Wycombe to study furniture making and graduated having written his thesis on the history and manufacture of lace bobbins.
The moulding of polystyrene furniture components was included in his studies with the result that SMP developed the first of many moulds for lace pillow manufacture. In 1977 the name was changed to SMP Lace and they began to exclusively supply lacemakers with a wide range of materials and equipment ever since.
Liz writes:
At my first lace fair, Springetts, September 1989, I met Shelia Perrin. I was carefully watching how much I had to spend and trying to get the most for my small amount of money.
I was trying to work out how to afford pillow, bobbins, books ... well everything and she told me to get my basic bobbins so I could start making but find a maker I really liked and sign up to their bobbin a month club.
Her advice was to buy the most expensive bobbin I could so that in years to come I had built up a collect that meant something to me.
"Even if you just buy one bobbin a month", Sheila siad, "at the end of the year you will have 6 beautiful pairs of bobbins, then at the end of the next year, 12 pairs and so on." I've been making lace for over 30 years. I now have a fantastic collection of bobbins. But those first SMP bobbins, my travel bobbins and my honitons made from different woods are at the heart of that collection and all because Shelia took time to talk with me.
Scroll down for reminiscences of SMP pillows ...
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