Genesee Country Lace Guild was founded in the fall of 1981.
There was a renewed interest in lace and lace making in the 1970s but in the US lace teachers were few and far between. During that time, after taking a correspondence course with a teacher in England, Edna Gifford began to dream of gathering people together who shared her interest in lace making. She noticed that lace courses were being taught at The International Old Lacers, Inc. Convention, Ypsilanti. Michigan, and registered to attend.
Ruth Holroyd, a teacher of bobbin lace, and VernaBelle Freund, a bobbin lace maker, had also registered. Although all three were from the Rochester, New York area, Edna had not met Ruth and VernaBelle. The three arranged to meet before the Convention and discovered that they shared both a love of lace making and the desire to form a guild. Upon returning from Ypsilanti, they began making plans to start a lace guild. They sent notices out to prospective members. More than two dozen people responded and so the lace guild was born. In the Fall of 1981, the membership officially named the group the Genesee Country Lace Guild.
For many years the Guild met at Ruth Holroyd's home. Early membership included not only local Rochester lace makers, but also lace makers from Buffalo, Ithaca and Syracuse. Many of the members who joined stayed as part of the guild for many years. They prepared programs and displays for meetings and shared their talents and enthusiasm for lace.
Thanks to the foresight and passion for lace of these three women, Edna Clifford, Ruth Holroyd and VernaBelle Freund, today's lace makers, lace making teachers, collectors and those who simply love lace have an opportunity to gather at the Genesee Countmy Lace Guild's monthly meeting and share their interest. All types of lace are appreciated: bobbin, needle, tatted, crocheted, knitted, Battenburg, tambour, teneriffe, netted lace and others. Meetings are presently being held at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Pittsford, NY.