Online Crochet Courses for All
Whether you're a seasoned crocheter or just starting out, Rita de Maintenon shares the timeless techniques at the heart of heirloom crochet restoration. With over 40 years of experience, she’ll guide you through heritage methods like Hairpin lace, Broomstick lace, and Irish crochet—making traditional fiber arts accessible for all skill levels.
Heirloom Restorations
Heirloom pieces are still appreciated as reminders from the past and they are sometimes in need of repair. Working with thread is my passion and a technique not often seen any more.
Heirloom Fiber Arts Blog
March Musings - The wintery weather continued well into February until the third week, when we suddenly had record warmth in the North Carolina Mountains! A visit to Biltmore Estates with a friend had all the signs of spring: newborn lambs, tiny daffodils, and even the forsythia bushes were trying to bloom. The Creamery was a great place to have ice cream for dinner! A couple of days later, winter came back with a vengeance—2” of snow, 18 degrees on the porch, and a cyclone of snow for my friends up north. Read More
February Musings - Mother Nature really had her way with us in January; I am between last weekend’s ice storm and this weekend’s snowstorm as I write this for the first of February. Thank God for my gas fireplace; our power was out for just one day, mostly due to the extensive work done by Duke Power after Hurricane Helene. The roads were iced over for a couple of days but now we have two to three days before the next storm is coming in. Staying warm by the fireplace was a perfect opportunity Read More
January Musings - Happy 2026! December went much too fast; I would have loved to add 2 more weeks of time with special people and activities! The entire month went in the blink of an eye. My tree was up and the entire house decorated by December 1st. and I was getting ready for our annual Christmas Sale at the Folk Art Center on December 6th. Snowflakes, Victorian glass ornaments and fingerless gloves were the best sellers as usual. But I also sold some of my scarves and larger pieces, as well as some baby items. Read More
Unique, Wearable Fiber Arts
All are my crochet wearable art designs are original. Many feature vintage heirloom techniques, such as Hairpin lace, Broomstick lace, Tunisian lace, Irish lace and thread lace in contemporary application.
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Rita has detailed her techniques in two published books.
Heritage Crochet in a New Light: Enriching Your Designs with Heirloom Lace Techniques
