tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2547431584538797372024-03-19T03:21:51.881-07:00lacethreadCarol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.comBlogger801125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254743158453879737.post-68887548671282251652024-03-13T08:07:00.000-07:002024-03-13T08:07:57.854-07:00Bobbin lace lappets<p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpY9XRPHxzbPM0oBi7T1lmYAmJGasSHBgTc9iqP_2QuHU35kzxkkttdXpy5aUC-CBGlnqeySTXgl-njWAy7-uMTojxeqBcYLx_zIRBz-dANseKeVFp_7iI5rrqqsZ5nDrst6HRFKPkyxPdqGMk68dLrgFdtqHCQalOxnVlnH-xAGa_Au7Zyk1PgKqT35c/s4000/lace%20lappet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpY9XRPHxzbPM0oBi7T1lmYAmJGasSHBgTc9iqP_2QuHU35kzxkkttdXpy5aUC-CBGlnqeySTXgl-njWAy7-uMTojxeqBcYLx_zIRBz-dANseKeVFp_7iI5rrqqsZ5nDrst6HRFKPkyxPdqGMk68dLrgFdtqHCQalOxnVlnH-xAGa_Au7Zyk1PgKqT35c/s320/lace%20lappet.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>This
beautiful bobbin lace lappet was made in Belgium in the eighteenth century. I
found the image in an interesting old book entitled Old handmade lace by Mrs F
Nevill Jackson, which was published in 1900. Lappets were long strips of lace
or embroidery that were attached to women’s caps, hats or bonnets and then
allowed to fall onto the shoulders, although there was a period when it was
fashionable to pin the lappets to the top of the cap and another when they were
tied under the chin. They were fashionable during the eighteenth and early
nineteenth centuries but despite that I could find few images of women wearing
them.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig0c_TDzeDfgFF-jEB8xAqb5vkkITku5SopgVjEFLinqnmZBPP5jMQ-l5PLtdGhXdbmMWE_7yH7f9eTTr0XZtRz1NdKG4O8RxHUudaFSUkVgaIsAyT9HxFRKmEoCxKNfxC5qeW06lxlrlwMsGFkeLErGHqat5DOge7zf3eweXfI80dDdUrBCGpWKSOVgs/s4000/lace%20lappets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig0c_TDzeDfgFF-jEB8xAqb5vkkITku5SopgVjEFLinqnmZBPP5jMQ-l5PLtdGhXdbmMWE_7yH7f9eTTr0XZtRz1NdKG4O8RxHUudaFSUkVgaIsAyT9HxFRKmEoCxKNfxC5qeW06lxlrlwMsGFkeLErGHqat5DOge7zf3eweXfI80dDdUrBCGpWKSOVgs/s320/lace%20lappets.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">The cap and lappets on the model above were displayed in the V&A
Museum in London. They show round ended lappets attached to the sides of a fine
fabric cap falling down the back. Alternatively side lappets could fall either
side of the face or lappets could be attached to the back of the headwear and hang
down the back of the gown. They varied in width, length and type of lace but always
came in pairs. Both the lappets in the images have round ends but square ended
lappets were also made. There are also examples of caps and lappets made
entirely of lace (see an image in my blog post of 5 October 2022). Many lappets
survive in museums and lace collections, probably because they were made to be
closely examined and admired and are therefore exquisitely worked and so the
owners found them too beautiful to dispose of. Also, once they were no longer
fashionable, they were easy to detach from the headwear and small enough to
keep in a drawer.</span>Carol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254743158453879737.post-491082595173823352024-03-06T10:32:00.000-08:002024-03-06T10:32:38.662-08:00Celebrating mothers on lace bobbins<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBVxeJXQlkqVpkZL0RbVD2RCts2dSwelDh03amIdmOsLWwom3WI4NNq2z4eB8SKe9RCYlleuQKxDrAM94Cx5rHy-yHrdzYPce1CV6-63qfp1KbwRdpYmVFSpGYF07YUKjizzqnPhYkmkmFwdQkJp256TFpAA-fcjeLgZ-zfHQ2wNrbfDmh0l1kiIYNao/s4000/mother%20lace%20bobbins%20carol%20quarini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBVxeJXQlkqVpkZL0RbVD2RCts2dSwelDh03amIdmOsLWwom3WI4NNq2z4eB8SKe9RCYlleuQKxDrAM94Cx5rHy-yHrdzYPce1CV6-63qfp1KbwRdpYmVFSpGYF07YUKjizzqnPhYkmkmFwdQkJp256TFpAA-fcjeLgZ-zfHQ2wNrbfDmh0l1kiIYNao/s320/mother%20lace%20bobbins%20carol%20quarini.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">As it’s
Mothers’ day in the UK on Sunday I thought I’d write about lace bobbins
celebrating mothers this week. The bobbin with the blue spangle is inscribed
Dear mother and the other one says Sarah Ions my D mother. It looks as if the bobbin
maker was running out of space so he just squeezed D on at the end of the line
to represent dear. Or perhaps Sarah’s daughter forgot to ask him to include
dear and wanted him to fit it in later. Both bobbins were made by the person called
the Blunt end man by the Springetts in their research on bobbin makers and
their techniques. He seems to have links to Bedford and was definitely making
bobbins between 1860 and 1874, so these two bobbins are about 150 years old.
The Blunt end man used simple lettering in straight lines, rather than the
spiral inscriptions other bobbin makers favoured. He produced a large quantity
of bobbins including many personal ones like Sarah’s but also had a good stock
of simple inscriptions such as Dear mother, as well as those for other
relations such as father, sister, brother, aunt and uncle. What a lovely gift
it would have been to receive one of these lovely bobbins on Mothers’ day.</span><p></p>Carol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254743158453879737.post-14233110289750029122024-02-28T12:09:00.000-08:002024-02-28T12:09:54.265-08:00Prickings<p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrvP3nfRLo0GKBRgEfSW0fwvPpqnrO-LQaR2ZglTU1lBHd4-WxRkxv9QDSmjaSFmdk1Hz7mlKEDE6-n4c0n1Fiq6S-6x_eqqmLm4svUU9tIbQ1RiqHBTEQlXTB7VaE6OiX3TGyYKRT4FthgiwfrPFQ8UWoiKI9z66OrE19qAnsqDgC8EU4Ork84KatDs/s2576/lace%20carol%20quarini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2576" data-original-width="1932" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrvP3nfRLo0GKBRgEfSW0fwvPpqnrO-LQaR2ZglTU1lBHd4-WxRkxv9QDSmjaSFmdk1Hz7mlKEDE6-n4c0n1Fiq6S-6x_eqqmLm4svUU9tIbQ1RiqHBTEQlXTB7VaE6OiX3TGyYKRT4FthgiwfrPFQ8UWoiKI9z66OrE19qAnsqDgC8EU4Ork84KatDs/s320/lace%20carol%20quarini.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Prickings are
the patterns of dotted holes that lacemakers follow to make bobbin lace. Technically
the pricking shown in the image is only half complete as I am pricking the
holes for the pins as I work the lace. Traditionally, the pattern would have
been pricked in its entirety before the actual lacemaking began. Most prickings
were made from an existing pricking or a copy of the pricking. Copies were made
by placing a piece of thin paper over the reverse side of the pricking then
rubbing over it with something like heel ball to leave an impression of the
dotted pattern on the paper; in the same way as brass rubbings are produced.
The reverse of the pricking was used because pushing pins through card or
vellum leaves the top feeling smooth but causes a rough surface on the
underside where the pins have displaced the card.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJIiw03nTQflRt0P8Rqn9ryFm8xCrQcgYh7jQKVfYpyO3xe4BXoYpytHpO7bCQ1nXBoTTucF99vEJOSfbnt_T1TqNAKOKNMWjOgwtYKpJCPX96pmwLt-hBXJ-6e8zem88UAqhyphenhyphen92QmUKbz1RaQqy21x96xNER2nhmd0RU0mQT04u5zUvFcGKhpL22Y9U/s4000/pricking%20carol%20quarini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJIiw03nTQflRt0P8Rqn9ryFm8xCrQcgYh7jQKVfYpyO3xe4BXoYpytHpO7bCQ1nXBoTTucF99vEJOSfbnt_T1TqNAKOKNMWjOgwtYKpJCPX96pmwLt-hBXJ-6e8zem88UAqhyphenhyphen92QmUKbz1RaQqy21x96xNER2nhmd0RU0mQT04u5zUvFcGKhpL22Y9U/s320/pricking%20carol%20quarini.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">Copies were
made by placing the original pricking (or the rubbing) over a new piece of card
on a cork base, then pushing a pin through the existing holes of the pattern or
the marks on the copy to produce a new pricking underneath the original. This
was done using a pin permanently fixed into a holder, like a bobbin shaft, or
using a pin vice (shown here) which holds the pin firmly in place. Using a pin
on its own would be extremely fiddly and probably hurt your fingers as pricking
lace patterns requires firm, precise, pressure. This image also shows how a
pricking for a length of lace can be cut so the two pieces interlock and a continuous
length of lace can therefore be made by alternating them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">Sadly the
phrase “By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes” has
nothing to do with lace prickings. It is said by one of the witches in Macbeth
and is used to describe an ominous premonition, so it’s a creepy feeling rather
than an overuse of lacemaking equipment! <o:p></o:p></span></p>Carol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254743158453879737.post-57694161513277590382024-02-21T06:48:00.000-08:002024-02-21T06:48:23.161-08:00Bungalow lace curtains<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxgJmHBW7w3UE1gCzzKPUYoxCmcpbIlrR6xLFknBDninPKLhfDVNuvOOrvUZjZsJ5oPPCL-0gBd4XKqQzO7flHu0YLhIb8b8ir5MZU8earcwTpNQvEYtiEr85_3dKjh9ddixBk3S7_t53ssFCNP18o1pWfk0YPdPZQXxN4A1p5Ac2LB6kIM8fSgFbEH7o/s3120/curtain%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxgJmHBW7w3UE1gCzzKPUYoxCmcpbIlrR6xLFknBDninPKLhfDVNuvOOrvUZjZsJ5oPPCL-0gBd4XKqQzO7flHu0YLhIb8b8ir5MZU8earcwTpNQvEYtiEr85_3dKjh9ddixBk3S7_t53ssFCNP18o1pWfk0YPdPZQXxN4A1p5Ac2LB6kIM8fSgFbEH7o/s320/curtain%201.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">I discovered
these ‘bungalow’ lace curtains in a </span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Lace furnishings</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> catalogue for 1933-34.
What unique features they have that makes them suitable for bungalow windows I
do not know, but the period between the two world wars was a peak time for
bungalow construction in the UK, which would correspond with the publication of
this catalogue, so perhaps the manufacturers were just trying to tap into a new
market.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVGTVOHes-zZki3JuetGjV4hz_V_boPZGjzKuydPih0IyJHbJgZEm8H6FcusQTTgW7LHTgGnc37XbCkGUcMGSuQ4lk4FOeznDp7OUBEcRi2-_vuUJk3GNIgYoxna2b85uPMNhjnTlzk2hwseniAa-YoRjJWI1t5AzXPl7q8mYtIIKCahOysi0w1hFXoI/s3149/curtain%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3149" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVGTVOHes-zZki3JuetGjV4hz_V_boPZGjzKuydPih0IyJHbJgZEm8H6FcusQTTgW7LHTgGnc37XbCkGUcMGSuQ4lk4FOeznDp7OUBEcRi2-_vuUJk3GNIgYoxna2b85uPMNhjnTlzk2hwseniAa-YoRjJWI1t5AzXPl7q8mYtIIKCahOysi0w1hFXoI/s320/curtain%202.jpg" width="305" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">There are six
designs and they are all floral, with side borders that tend to take up about a
quarter of the curtain each, and a bottom border of the same width. They range in
size from 35 inches wide to 40 inches and are all 2.5 yards long and are sold
as a pair. However, four of them are also available as fabric bought by the
yard, presumably so the homeowner could make up curtains to their own specifications.
The other designs in the catalogue seem very similar but they tend to be wider
and longer than the bungalow curtains. Unfortunately no prices are given for
any of the curtains.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Carol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254743158453879737.post-89985323764669300412024-02-15T01:35:00.000-08:002024-02-15T01:35:31.172-08:00Miss Channer’s lace mat<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_0_mrdXHlRRYwAg1YoCri0g7XLeVj17WHrILU630Wn7f6P2f0Ou6CtG4obW1tSNKiiSldQSex4fhR6xw0Qj5czS6hKbXqo2B-YF4eJZ0iRR-6_kLiTuxslSJ8QGkRxrMa9JDqVV946zRQjvV0YgC-CnBOUEtNPf8iDcOL3M2LtC_b7pnTFTHm1BFOqEg/s4000/channer%20detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_0_mrdXHlRRYwAg1YoCri0g7XLeVj17WHrILU630Wn7f6P2f0Ou6CtG4obW1tSNKiiSldQSex4fhR6xw0Qj5czS6hKbXqo2B-YF4eJZ0iRR-6_kLiTuxslSJ8QGkRxrMa9JDqVV946zRQjvV0YgC-CnBOUEtNPf8iDcOL3M2LtC_b7pnTFTHm1BFOqEg/s320/channer%20detail.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Catherine Channer was actively
involved in the revival of the East Midlands handmade lace industry in Britain in the early
twentieth century. She was a lacemaker, teacher and researcher and I’ve written
about some of her work in this blog before. Today I’m looking at Miss Channer’s
mat which she designed in the early 1920s using the technique for pricking the
ground that she had developed following research into old lace patterns and
their origins (see this blog of 24 October 2023). An image of the mat was published
in her book </span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Practical lacemaking </i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">published in 1928 which was one of the
few textbooks for students and gave instructions and patterns for Bucks point
lace.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbkxU6VehsIcmigeg-FADt1qd2ueQpgECWimDTQ86vDBVSe8BVvtYRMyaPiE1659usFy2zcEwceq0XYKp9VN8CbX5GZjpcZLuM_7_dDdCSCGMHs8EtnktCLQG6xp0wbhEBDIxeYtCEQYsMDcl-7G84mJOwXXhKZna936dGxeXBdpbfYcHm2auCWqR0lI/s4000/channer%20mat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbkxU6VehsIcmigeg-FADt1qd2ueQpgECWimDTQ86vDBVSe8BVvtYRMyaPiE1659usFy2zcEwceq0XYKp9VN8CbX5GZjpcZLuM_7_dDdCSCGMHs8EtnktCLQG6xp0wbhEBDIxeYtCEQYsMDcl-7G84mJOwXXhKZna936dGxeXBdpbfYcHm2auCWqR0lI/s320/channer%20mat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">The mat in
the book had been worked by Mrs Dixon of Clapham, Bedfordshire in about 1926
and is now in the collection of the Cecil Higgins Art Gallery in Bedford. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">The mat
became famous as a challenge for skilled lacemakers in 1991 when Ruth Bean
published Anne Buck’s book about Miss Channer entitled </span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">In the cause of
English lace</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">. A supplement was published at the same time comprising an
image of the mat and a full sized pricking of it, which had been adapted by
Patricia Bury from an earlier version in her collection. Since then many
lacemakers have worked it and their handiwork can be seen by searching for ‘Miss
Channers mat’ on the internet. No instructions were given for the original mat
or for the version published in 1991 so it is also interesting to see how it
has been worked by different lacemakers and the varying number of pairs of
bobbins they used to complete it. I have never made Miss Channer’s mat but I do admire the skill and patience of those who have.</span></p>Carol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254743158453879737.post-33364791219301374702024-02-07T09:43:00.000-08:002024-02-07T09:43:23.196-08:00Admiral Nelson inscribed lace bobbin<p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhoWyWYDZQGl1sFeUNtOLqH7rJxdSHhIALtSQR-eyee0pEyq5zAoRxRAu3cyz_tJMX5gUWjdHachKw3fT1bkdiqDcFhyjcw8Bdng7Q4xPI5rH7S3YrYNSploEDnfsYEpn3Q7BAtDEZHVEeOzdpgYp3uZKesjYTHHvrQCwnRrRzGDMMw2AHuJnYThj8Eo/s4000/bobbin%20carol%20quarini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhoWyWYDZQGl1sFeUNtOLqH7rJxdSHhIALtSQR-eyee0pEyq5zAoRxRAu3cyz_tJMX5gUWjdHachKw3fT1bkdiqDcFhyjcw8Bdng7Q4xPI5rH7S3YrYNSploEDnfsYEpn3Q7BAtDEZHVEeOzdpgYp3uZKesjYTHHvrQCwnRrRzGDMMw2AHuJnYThj8Eo/s320/bobbin%20carol%20quarini.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>This lace bobbin
is inscribed 'Nelson' in a spiral reading from the base to the top and is a patriotic
inscription celebrating the famous admiral. Nelson was born in 1758 and died at
the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. He commanded the British fleet against the
French during the Napoleonic wars and after winning several victories,
including the Battle of Trafalgar, he was shot by a French sniper and died on
his flagship HMS Victory. His body was returned to England and he was given a state
funeral and buried in St Paul’s Cathedral in London. Several years later it was
suggested that a memorial to him, funded by public subscription, should be erected
in Trafalgar Square in central London. The competition for the monument was won
by Willian Railton and work on his column and the statue of Nelson (made by E H
Baily) began in 1840. The column was completed and the statue raised on to it
in 1843.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">I think this
lace bobbin was made by James Compton because the style of lettering is
unmistakably his and the dark red and blue colours are also typical of his
work. I assumed that the bobbin had been made to commemorate the death of
Nelson, but James Compton lived from 1824 to 1889 so he could not have been
making bobbins in 1805. Having done some research into the redevelopment of
Trafalgar Square and the competition to produce a memorial to Nelson I now
think that the bobbin was probably made during the early 1840s when Nelson’s
column was installed. This would have been of national interest and there would
have been images of it in newspapers and magazines. Also, at that time, James
Compton would have been in his late teens and well established, helping his
father as a bobbin maker.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Carol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254743158453879737.post-14744432406235766662024-01-31T04:17:00.000-08:002024-01-31T04:17:31.884-08:00Renaissance lace on Elizabethan dress<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1TYQxb87J_ZXywoWfkvwRCvi73-xDf2COWVLfsiXPSf_jx7p4DsSdlnncE7vNNCLB8YFnVrxRIuOhNSYU0DeewrkYOKJofcgOh7eClh5WjDR27pu5GwfXhSQtGugdvNW0im_lEpimPxLKuwZjbqItgEBpYhr8KjSDBn1FM5nkpnODDKSG6sjjWEXa-U/s2576/ruff%20lace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2576" data-original-width="1932" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1TYQxb87J_ZXywoWfkvwRCvi73-xDf2COWVLfsiXPSf_jx7p4DsSdlnncE7vNNCLB8YFnVrxRIuOhNSYU0DeewrkYOKJofcgOh7eClh5WjDR27pu5GwfXhSQtGugdvNW0im_lEpimPxLKuwZjbqItgEBpYhr8KjSDBn1FM5nkpnODDKSG6sjjWEXa-U/s320/ruff%20lace.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">This lovely lace on the edge of a ruff is depicted on the Rainbow portrait of Queen Elizabeth, which was painted in
about 1600, probably by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger although there is a
possibility that the painter may have been Isaac Oliver; it can be seen at
Hatfield House.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcA4ftXUzumj7oP6Z60q7akywaR7hsm42eFhtaxo61HgmzU48DSi9LPnN_obXwxuLvT8kr2DSjMan8HwMe0xeK-_1An-MPraiBZKFZW1qcny7GxrEHM_lwEoK8e5oOoxbBJn69WMYb7SXUjrW42BDig39hfCIzwgK2iodoZv3QdBEFCrl1SmPEJzlFNLY/s2576/bodice%20lace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2576" data-original-width="1932" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcA4ftXUzumj7oP6Z60q7akywaR7hsm42eFhtaxo61HgmzU48DSi9LPnN_obXwxuLvT8kr2DSjMan8HwMe0xeK-_1An-MPraiBZKFZW1qcny7GxrEHM_lwEoK8e5oOoxbBJn69WMYb7SXUjrW42BDig39hfCIzwgK2iodoZv3QdBEFCrl1SmPEJzlFNLY/s320/bodice%20lace.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">Early needle lace
developed from cutwork, in which fabric was cut away from a background, leaving
a pattern of threads that were then oversewn. Eventually the background fabric
was dispensed with and the pattern was laid out in threads which were then
joined by stitching. The lace on the edge of her ruff shows a combination of
these two types of needle lace, with cutwork on the lower part of the lace and
a free edging around the outer part of the lace where the stitches were worked
on free loops of thread. Early bobbin lace developed from the plaiting of cords,
using thread wound on bobbins, to become a more open design and the figure of
eight edging round the bodice may be a plaited cord. Patterns for both types of
lace were available in pattern books that circulated widely in western Europe. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBHQnm7mpUpLMFRS90QYaZNUdc3K6SJ7Xb1xkEY0dJ4EEm5RBxYEYgDJDV69ve5geO17hBu2ptlZNcTDkk92JhjuGAqXpPPnnZGbQSML1J9JaxDC4y90Dnf6eNvQjXL293rdYvDwNzbdMx0OC_7hoox7IPaLiEEfLO9o2eQgASEs-bf81KHKCnIVH-Kw/s4000/vinciolo%20pattern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBHQnm7mpUpLMFRS90QYaZNUdc3K6SJ7Xb1xkEY0dJ4EEm5RBxYEYgDJDV69ve5geO17hBu2ptlZNcTDkk92JhjuGAqXpPPnnZGbQSML1J9JaxDC4y90Dnf6eNvQjXL293rdYvDwNzbdMx0OC_7hoox7IPaLiEEfLO9o2eQgASEs-bf81KHKCnIVH-Kw/s320/vinciolo%20pattern.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">This pattern comes
from Frederic Vinciolo’s pattern book for needle made laces, first published in
France in 1587 and dedicated to his patroness, the Dowager Queen of France, Catherine
de Medici, who had brought her knowledge of lace from her native Italy. It is
similar to the edging on the Queen Elizabeth’s ruff with two layers of lace patterning
and a more freely worked picot edging. This type of work was also known as ‘punto
in aria’ (stitches in air) and as the book does not include instructions we
must admire the lacemaker who could conjure such wonderful lace seemingly out
of the air. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Carol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254743158453879737.post-40721223345370887402024-01-24T04:31:00.000-08:002024-01-24T04:31:23.224-08:00Filet lace dress decoration<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLo3FwxfLE4iISY8dDHg-vCLZpNmWNrcsc-YB6IKgnbJOgB23nFANT1FwJawH6h9uIhAxSd8KrgXDxjDqGx7zD8JI_7cVNU-sRv8Qr9YEpLjLj0QqjXvdoPi-Mj6H1k4IRewz2N8nV_u6d9NWFqkdQixIRZcvjPWX3D1CLkv_M2awjzU2Ke2y_LO3memA/s4000/animal%20filet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLo3FwxfLE4iISY8dDHg-vCLZpNmWNrcsc-YB6IKgnbJOgB23nFANT1FwJawH6h9uIhAxSd8KrgXDxjDqGx7zD8JI_7cVNU-sRv8Qr9YEpLjLj0QqjXvdoPi-Mj6H1k4IRewz2N8nV_u6d9NWFqkdQixIRZcvjPWX3D1CLkv_M2awjzU2Ke2y_LO3memA/s320/animal%20filet.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Filet lace
was popular for dress decoration at the beginning of the twentieth century, as
these images show, and many were made by the home dressmaker. A special issue
of the magazine </span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Needlecraft</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">, dedicated to filet lace, notes that stock
collars (high neck collars as shown in these illustrations) ‘give an air of
distinction to the simplest dress’. The magazine gives detailed instructions
for making these collars, including the types of thread required, how to make
the foundation net, and a variety of patterns, from the simple to the
intricate.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIH4ASduYY00JKMaNUHoM1imBnzzlBR9zWzaCWjtttdYTLCkbYqJhSIORgoa752AUeQCdOfdKRRdlHnD7RI_y-XN5MqRC4ULRAyWsMtDcakkh-HUVzBVBd00eckv6TBoULdqivMvxQPS3AsMzxri1DwMzrjZh-9z-Fc4BgDYzQUmi1uxhthSPBePTdlEE/s4000/filet%20lace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIH4ASduYY00JKMaNUHoM1imBnzzlBR9zWzaCWjtttdYTLCkbYqJhSIORgoa752AUeQCdOfdKRRdlHnD7RI_y-XN5MqRC4ULRAyWsMtDcakkh-HUVzBVBd00eckv6TBoULdqivMvxQPS3AsMzxri1DwMzrjZh-9z-Fc4BgDYzQUmi1uxhthSPBePTdlEE/s320/filet%20lace.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">As well as
stock collars, both of the blouses shown here also have a filet trim running
from the neck to the waist. One is based on an antique border pattern and the
other is composed of square animal motifs. The magazine suggests that longer matching
lengths of filet lace could also be made to trim a ‘dainty skirt’. It estimates
that about 3 or 4 yards of lace would be required and should be placed 8 inches
above the hem. If that doesn’t sound enough work, it also suggests that tucks
above and below the lace would form a neat frame for the lace and that the
material behind the lace should be cut away so the filet lace ‘shows
transparent’. It does not suggest this cutting away of fabric for the lace on
the blouse – in fact it explains that the animal motifs are worked in white thread
and backed by pale pink material. It also advises that the animal motifs are
separated by floral or geometric patterns because ‘too many quaint animal
patterns together have a tendency towards the comic, which is most undesirable’.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Carol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254743158453879737.post-89569551649543485112024-01-17T06:47:00.000-08:002024-01-17T06:47:42.493-08:00Needle-run lace<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7buX54z64ZkVrcyeIEj4HS7-umeyeUT3J3FVyh3ZzTs45q_Oh7UXGKSPpAkMBFTKWHKZhAmqTBViuUH9Q05QL1m5bloXZblDJZWN04SmgQ7gSKotg5JU7VFAhwKiNpnsjhm-LIQ3ZeZ-dZ_rbPYEA5RBnetxXiI586z1jNz6ZYd5WC-h6QqUNu3WPe_M/s4000/Marriage%20bond%20Carol%20Quarini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7buX54z64ZkVrcyeIEj4HS7-umeyeUT3J3FVyh3ZzTs45q_Oh7UXGKSPpAkMBFTKWHKZhAmqTBViuUH9Q05QL1m5bloXZblDJZWN04SmgQ7gSKotg5JU7VFAhwKiNpnsjhm-LIQ3ZeZ-dZ_rbPYEA5RBnetxXiI586z1jNz6ZYd5WC-h6QqUNu3WPe_M/s320/Marriage%20bond%20Carol%20Quarini.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Needle-run
lace is essentially embroidery on net, which combines the beauty of stitching
with the lightness of lace. It can be used to make quite large pieces of lace
far more quickly than can be done using traditional handmade bobbin and needle-lace
techniques. Needle-run lace was very popular in the early nineteenth century
when lace machines could only produce net, but not patterned lace, so lace ‘runners’
were employed to embroider the net to make veils, stoles and collars.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgecO0y0quVHNxXtIYI7V0C0AMgH_KB3rBGvTWFokD8nT0b3wzLFXj11uratApSDd-sYJn7cgPeyub_c8WRan_YPSjHBUM2LJXcgxAX1pRqvK_jo0RkhSN1F5_p6qamFosgKEAExfYRLJoqcQENWcVxMoFfyfwKWrdvqi5-tocxuoBv7wJWfmb-dlyIrA/s4000/Needle%20lace%20veil%20Carol%20Quarini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgecO0y0quVHNxXtIYI7V0C0AMgH_KB3rBGvTWFokD8nT0b3wzLFXj11uratApSDd-sYJn7cgPeyub_c8WRan_YPSjHBUM2LJXcgxAX1pRqvK_jo0RkhSN1F5_p6qamFosgKEAExfYRLJoqcQENWcVxMoFfyfwKWrdvqi5-tocxuoBv7wJWfmb-dlyIrA/s320/Needle%20lace%20veil%20Carol%20Quarini.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">To work
needle-run lace the net background has to be stretched in a frame to keep the
work taught. The pattern can be drawn in water-soluble ink on to the net or
drawn on paper and tacked underneath it. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKdvZxURUJYwLK3OfXCGKISEhgPgIY4pkYlreAdAmJ1Okq2Np7wWNc0PXEmwieHMeH6LmqtwCPyyEuXRdzEuhbLcyNtC5h1_IuTPN-02iZrS-zjHs_traU5FTp5jXePgYhnoJcvVQAqKssdgt3No6fXSmnzGMTZqPI-TczunFtc3CUVfvo_78siq2YDY/s4000/Needlerun%20lace%20Carol%20Quarini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKdvZxURUJYwLK3OfXCGKISEhgPgIY4pkYlreAdAmJ1Okq2Np7wWNc0PXEmwieHMeH6LmqtwCPyyEuXRdzEuhbLcyNtC5h1_IuTPN-02iZrS-zjHs_traU5FTp5jXePgYhnoJcvVQAqKssdgt3No6fXSmnzGMTZqPI-TczunFtc3CUVfvo_78siq2YDY/s320/Needlerun%20lace%20Carol%20Quarini.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">The design is
then worked using a blunt-tipped needle and thread, first by outlining the
design in a running stitch and then adding decorative stitches to produce
shading. </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I
enjoy making needle-run lace because it allows me to produce quite large pieces
of lace with bold designs fairly quickly. For example, I used this technique in
the series of mats that make up the body of work in Marriage bond, my research
into Amy Atkin, the first female Nottingham machine lace designer who had to
give up work on marriage; and you can see an image of one of the mats at the
head of this blog. </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Carol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254743158453879737.post-3706332792155626852024-01-10T09:03:00.000-08:002024-01-10T09:03:27.362-08:00Harry Cross: Nottingham machine lace designer<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcdx56nhOFqPJUF_bxTF_5K82tLGNE_Qc4h3RvbbSSLNpdyFAA-t9LolkKa3dlTluG0-mmK1VWETTK_hyphenhyphenies-WNKBy8Gbu2N2iWTRorEBlpHIEzXi_0FJQoqBxiJRkP-b8wuRRG8G7S8-cmcGFpK4PUz4kWEJ397DoqGMfmcK99TAAmYSqNHPa6LMG-LU/s4000/Battle%20of%20Britain%20lace%20Carol%20Quarini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcdx56nhOFqPJUF_bxTF_5K82tLGNE_Qc4h3RvbbSSLNpdyFAA-t9LolkKa3dlTluG0-mmK1VWETTK_hyphenhyphenies-WNKBy8Gbu2N2iWTRorEBlpHIEzXi_0FJQoqBxiJRkP-b8wuRRG8G7S8-cmcGFpK4PUz4kWEJ397DoqGMfmcK99TAAmYSqNHPa6LMG-LU/s320/Battle%20of%20Britain%20lace%20Carol%20Quarini.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">I’ve been
interested in the work of Harry Cross ever since I was commissioned to produce
a response to his famous Battle of Britain commemorative lace panel and was
introduced to the beautiful paintings he made of his designs for that iconic lace.
I have written several articles about the Battle of Britain lace panel, but Harry
Cross also left an archive of many other machine lace designs for curtains,
tablecloths and bedspreads, as well as some beautiful sketch books, and I felt
these should be more widely known about, hence my recent article in </span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Text</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">,
the magazine of The Textile Society. The image above is a page from that
article showing the completed Battle of Britain lace panel and two preparatory
designs for it, one of the bombed Guildhall and the other of the lower section
of the panel.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUh6fgG7vPHBl0tcBBany-USE4fXLqgcA2tWDoMChmvy1G22hBTDTdg8xQHMdWWJykHfidNQP-yl2a90T43kEAwgfLO8qgN61duRUQfB_39ALx3ZouGE_D_OzrEqvvd_jPzMWhZ6xQVZkA9bY6XiQDRQ33VUTz37Gw15rgJujP3TPZmX64EiqwtEF6-g/s4000/Lace%20Carol%20Quarini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUh6fgG7vPHBl0tcBBany-USE4fXLqgcA2tWDoMChmvy1G22hBTDTdg8xQHMdWWJykHfidNQP-yl2a90T43kEAwgfLO8qgN61duRUQfB_39ALx3ZouGE_D_OzrEqvvd_jPzMWhZ6xQVZkA9bY6XiQDRQ33VUTz37Gw15rgJujP3TPZmX64EiqwtEF6-g/s320/Lace%20Carol%20Quarini.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">However, the focus
of the article is not the Battle of Britain panel but rather how Harry Cross
went about designing his work. It considers his art school training, and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>how he learnt to develop pattern repeats and
used his sketchbooks to play with designs and jot down ideas. It then looks at specific
examples of his designs for lace fabric, tablecloths and curtains to explore
his working practice, showing how he built up designs, how they developed from
ideas in his sketchbook and how he presented the options to possible buyers.
The final section about the Battle of Britain panel shows how Harry Cross
developed his designs for the side columns from photographs of bombed London scenes
and how he amended the words from <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Winston
Churchill’s famous speech about ‘the few’. It was particularly interesting to
see how designs were produced before computers were available both for research
and for designing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">My thanks to Barbara
Cross (the granddaughter of Harry Cross) and the Lace Archive at Nottingham Trent
University for access to the archive and The Textile Society for publishing the
article.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Carol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254743158453879737.post-55682158663721187732023-12-13T08:44:00.000-08:002023-12-13T08:44:59.517-08:00Gift inscriptions on lace bobbins<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPPnsZsE0mmDEALr66pojEWp_KnpeF_KF_WzUWuraFYuRK6e1qz3P4yLkizD_BgpcRCuBwFSz3hbhCjSykUp-G_AZf1lt5IMn973vQcvwmGyK2FTZBsO041ayrSXBL2RegRcfZEoOqaHwpM-EWV1fhcGLgikX2OTWilL_syVerJn-sxn_vIvLD4n1ymw/s4000/inscribed%20lace%20bobbin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPPnsZsE0mmDEALr66pojEWp_KnpeF_KF_WzUWuraFYuRK6e1qz3P4yLkizD_BgpcRCuBwFSz3hbhCjSykUp-G_AZf1lt5IMn973vQcvwmGyK2FTZBsO041ayrSXBL2RegRcfZEoOqaHwpM-EWV1fhcGLgikX2OTWilL_syVerJn-sxn_vIvLD4n1ymw/s320/inscribed%20lace%20bobbin.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">This lace
bobbin is inscribed with the words ‘A present from my father 1836’. I’m not
sure of the date as it is indistinct and could also be 1896, however I think
the bobbin was made by Jesse Compton who died in 1857 which makes the earlier
date much more likely! Jesse Compton and his son James were both bobbin makers and
their styles were similar but Jesse’s tended to be thinner probably because handmade
lace was made of finer thread during the early part of the century. This meant
that the bobbins didn’t have to be very heavy, and as more were required to
make the lace the thinner they were the better because more would fit on the
lace pillow. However, this fine thread looped round the head of the bobbin
often tended to produce a groove in the neck and weaken it and many of Jesse’s
bobbins have lost the upper part of the head; as is the case here.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">Gift
inscriptions were quite common on lace bobbins such as ‘A gift for Mary’ A
present from Charles’, The gift is small but love is all’ or even the simple ‘A
gift’. The bobbin collector and historian T L Huetson records one bobbin which
read ‘A present from James Sinfield my grandfather born April 10 1804
Lidelington a gift in 1864’ luckily by that time lace bobbins tended to be
larger than the one in the image to accommodate all that text! Although many
lace bobbins were given as presents one expressly stating the fact and naming
the giver is a lovely thing to own. I certainly treasure my lace bobbin which
was indeed a present from my father who found it in an antique shop.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Carol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254743158453879737.post-91211750177386559422023-12-06T09:25:00.000-08:002023-12-06T09:25:02.400-08:00Fragments of angels wings in lace<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsSIX7KmVp9jlW1r85qXvhr1QDo7KoB2rjolXbhun-QgaGuFZrh6LyLLqdkxiaYeOpEAQf7dkI0GIDKzBtlutU_7THgGqjBO4N2ekL0U5kdgNb88UcF8H13_xQpVWjOeIo_9vJN-AT-APHUu0qbtFYx-Dfunaq7RCkpKrGtot49uaCuCdyxoOBRUo-lj4/s4000/angel%20lace%20carol%20quarini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsSIX7KmVp9jlW1r85qXvhr1QDo7KoB2rjolXbhun-QgaGuFZrh6LyLLqdkxiaYeOpEAQf7dkI0GIDKzBtlutU_7THgGqjBO4N2ekL0U5kdgNb88UcF8H13_xQpVWjOeIo_9vJN-AT-APHUu0qbtFYx-Dfunaq7RCkpKrGtot49uaCuCdyxoOBRUo-lj4/s320/angel%20lace%20carol%20quarini.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Looking for something
festive to write about I decided to show you images of some free bobbin lace I made a while
ago based on angels’ wings. The original piece was an installation of ten of
these fragments of lace, each mounted on a separate piece of iridescent sheer
fabric. They were joined together by ties of the same fabric and hung so that
there were four along the top row then three, two and one in the subsequent
rows forming an upside-down right-angle triangle to approximate the shape of an
angel’s wing.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwuX3THDezTBcWSRizw6R_-kg00SndyxPU-OMMgx8IUA_n9I0n4wE5dV2lkPLEGAs7yDMBDE04nU7cTeSBchORUIDBLSZyH8FQ9TYFhlIPdIuF2HIxfCfEBOXJQ8y1opfua4LOE89YZvH2m6ACk8IMjw-hB5c_2vKSF6JyVe5PiXoT36DETOVRcNyxbA/s4000/angel%20wings%20lace%20carol%20quarini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2824" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwuX3THDezTBcWSRizw6R_-kg00SndyxPU-OMMgx8IUA_n9I0n4wE5dV2lkPLEGAs7yDMBDE04nU7cTeSBchORUIDBLSZyH8FQ9TYFhlIPdIuF2HIxfCfEBOXJQ8y1opfua4LOE89YZvH2m6ACk8IMjw-hB5c_2vKSF6JyVe5PiXoT36DETOVRcNyxbA/s320/angel%20wings%20lace%20carol%20quarini.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">I was pleased
with the installation but then decided to use the separate elements to make
panels that could be hung individually. I therefore removed them from their
fabric backing and remounted them on crinkled blue tissue paper to suggest
movement and added some torn scraps of silk paper to reference wings and framed
them as individual pieces. They can now be used as Christmas decorations and I’m
delighted to have made two different types of work from the same pieces of lace.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Carol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254743158453879737.post-78413898339404241122023-11-29T02:08:00.000-08:002023-11-29T02:08:42.162-08:00Tanders and Catterns lacemakers' holidays<p> <span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIuG3K_Zd04ZKObvjJ5DcUPMPe_UioM-2p9UPyZ1qWCJqnM0iQEJHUbQGtLwBvH7VRfHngfqqWcyBSqPtkVJQ0nJE7pyhXAnf-qpPzd3fhXV-xoc3rYdyWnxMZh6BKD0ts7uf7IzvxpDaPLb6_WNUmRR82yy_BufrCdv0pfHiXUOAN1x1oNlJe9Sk2IOk/s4000/Bucks%20lace%20Carol%20Quarini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIuG3K_Zd04ZKObvjJ5DcUPMPe_UioM-2p9UPyZ1qWCJqnM0iQEJHUbQGtLwBvH7VRfHngfqqWcyBSqPtkVJQ0nJE7pyhXAnf-qpPzd3fhXV-xoc3rYdyWnxMZh6BKD0ts7uf7IzvxpDaPLb6_WNUmRR82yy_BufrCdv0pfHiXUOAN1x1oNlJe9Sk2IOk/s320/Bucks%20lace%20Carol%20Quarini.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Tanders and
Catterns were holidays celebrated by lacemakers in the East Midlands of England
and both occurred at the end of November; Tanders on St Andrew’s day (30) and
Catterns on St Catherine’s day (25). St Catherine was the patron saint of
spinners and was adopted by the lacemakers as their patron saint too. Both days
were celebrated with fun and games, dancing and special food and drink. Cattern
and Tanders cakes were made of dough and caraway seeds, and the ‘wigs’ eaten by
those in Wendover (Buckinghamshire) were gingerbread cakes with caraway, while
in other areas apple pie and figs were the traditional fare. In Olney, frumenty
(wheat boiled in milk) was eaten and metheglin (a mixture of honey, spices,
malt, toast and yeast) was drunk. There was dancing accompanied by the music of
a fiddle and games such as jumping the candlestick. The latter was no mean
feat. The girls and boys danced round the tall lacemakers candlestick, in a
ring holding hands and singing<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Wallflowers, wallflowers
growing up so high,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">All young
maidens surely have to die;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">Excepting [the
name of one of the children], she/he’s the best of all.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">She/he can
dance and she/he can skip,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">And she/he
can jump the candlestick.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">Turn, turn, turn
your face to the wall again.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">The child
mentioned had to turn to face out from the ring. Once they had all turned round
they each tried to jump over the lit candlestick, which could be 65 cm
high plus the height of the flame. Another game was apple bobbing using the
crossed blades from the bobbin winder hung from the ceiling, with pieces of
apple and candle attached to it. Each person in turn was then blindfolded and
attempted to eat a piece of apple rather than amusing their friends by eating a
piece of candle. In some areas the end of the holiday was marked by ringing of
the church bells at midnight when all the games stopped and tea and cakes were
eaten.</span></p>Carol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254743158453879737.post-65214137702624860962023-11-22T02:41:00.000-08:002023-11-22T02:41:46.697-08:00Lace store curtains<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3ykTxD5NWHG06_IWpwr7P7eLkkgft_ZvGooGHoPdQfixVigFwm1qFYnrg90F6TnW0YCdinzvIksqph0bvute6dgYx8ir3nukA7uGx85ARXbKtfHPMbgZJz_WS7KyTvFryuy5p6KIhqVoIdGVJQ1795S5DpudWDzlu1csY3ggoNBtXnloTwgzwW9qmhY/s4000/curtain%20lace%20Carol%20Quarini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3ykTxD5NWHG06_IWpwr7P7eLkkgft_ZvGooGHoPdQfixVigFwm1qFYnrg90F6TnW0YCdinzvIksqph0bvute6dgYx8ir3nukA7uGx85ARXbKtfHPMbgZJz_WS7KyTvFryuy5p6KIhqVoIdGVJQ1795S5DpudWDzlu1csY3ggoNBtXnloTwgzwW9qmhY/s320/curtain%20lace%20Carol%20Quarini.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">This lovely
store curtain was made on a Nottingham lace curtain machine, not necessarily in
Nottingham, as much curtain lace was made in Scotland in the Irving Valley, but
it was probably bought in Nottingham. The lace curtain machine works on a grid system
so the patterns are based on a series of squares, this sounds quite limiting,
but as you can see from the image it can be used to produce lovely scrolling
designs.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigUZYHA41d6vqmdpEbVQFJqeiXwcCxS6fKkHP6Q5N10wX3aWyi1chkGLG1fi78YivkOIx311JLjBRppJhrullkktpqFhUu5OHufC37j5lSv5HT1Wur6cUV5GuLd2AfqnJldx1vTZCA-qyxoLMdzIMMN6PGP9Laxq87lCm2vafsKeyuLXij6I1gwLCgkOA/s3818/lace%20curtain%20Carol%20Quarini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2636" data-original-width="3818" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigUZYHA41d6vqmdpEbVQFJqeiXwcCxS6fKkHP6Q5N10wX3aWyi1chkGLG1fi78YivkOIx311JLjBRppJhrullkktpqFhUu5OHufC37j5lSv5HT1Wur6cUV5GuLd2AfqnJldx1vTZCA-qyxoLMdzIMMN6PGP9Laxq87lCm2vafsKeyuLXij6I1gwLCgkOA/s320/lace%20curtain%20Carol%20Quarini.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">Store
curtains were made to be used flat or slightly gathered across the window so
the pattern was designed to be seen in its entirety. This image shows the lower
part of the curtain showing the wide band of scrolls and flowers in contrast to
the centre of the curtain which is more open with cartouches and small floral motifs.
This is a typical design with a wide lower border, a thinner top border, side
borders similar to the lower one but narrower and a central more open area. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1_tA0BxmhDzJImIOwe5zT_vKHh4A6a9UCqF9jO3oN5Dtf2dtNZDeHVIYmFLziHTQsJyMVX-IN5PL3TYOiu5sJmv63kKIrMU6fGiue9rLpcl5lCiUwsXSS_wcHxB2f5PSAZL9-4LvHOsCsFYvgH9FeAR5NDLrcne3RYxKlAPlaUMcLimHc4YcXwpVEG8/s4000/heading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1_tA0BxmhDzJImIOwe5zT_vKHh4A6a9UCqF9jO3oN5Dtf2dtNZDeHVIYmFLziHTQsJyMVX-IN5PL3TYOiu5sJmv63kKIrMU6fGiue9rLpcl5lCiUwsXSS_wcHxB2f5PSAZL9-4LvHOsCsFYvgH9FeAR5NDLrcne3RYxKlAPlaUMcLimHc4YcXwpVEG8/s320/heading.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">The heading
of the curtain includes small openings through which a fine rod could be
inserted to hang it. This image also shows the scalloping which runs right
round the curtain and was made as part of the machine production.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHx5ahpwUhU4IZ5f3wL-spAB5KgYz-hljF2JiWuHpm3cBqBRBiogWWgQ0Vyq3dQTCGmt7LmHjfq6FiHWg-kyyE5GJ27Oa9rvwMjM07ubNv5-1qiD0rJHLw9CJ82u63lGxRbdTIqpSv9GjA0TfswoufbQ7wNTS7y2VjVyZdPZNpaYsoAV2iDNyZDbjYIg/s4000/curtain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHx5ahpwUhU4IZ5f3wL-spAB5KgYz-hljF2JiWuHpm3cBqBRBiogWWgQ0Vyq3dQTCGmt7LmHjfq6FiHWg-kyyE5GJ27Oa9rvwMjM07ubNv5-1qiD0rJHLw9CJ82u63lGxRbdTIqpSv9GjA0TfswoufbQ7wNTS7y2VjVyZdPZNpaYsoAV2iDNyZDbjYIg/s320/curtain.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">This image
from about 1895 in <i>Die Praxis des Tapezierers und Decorateurs</i> shows how store
curtains would have been used under outer curtains. This elaborate assemblage from
a decorators manual includes intricate swags and curtains of two-tone satin and
damask, but most homes would probably have had straight curtains tied back at
either side and perhaps a fixed pelmet above to hide the curtain poles. In both
cases however the lace curtains would have been hung flat so that the lovely design
could be appreciated.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Carol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254743158453879737.post-1547966800467869302023-11-15T09:12:00.000-08:002023-11-15T09:12:36.784-08:00Cell lace from Plauen<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5i_m8WjfUwIrZKmcoHGN8Bn4nL2VJqdsBPABdbWg5bXueDjAw4J6yCvubr7XdDqO3tYfniBQ51iQpu9rWMUZOOmMUoB528DBhrm7GlXIYmQ-jZNkxVttJ_RqvjtSPqYbQhQUczRv9EkEz0Txl7lHZJ4ZFITRUwy2bF_v_n5evqywwXpxvG_d6edbQPkQ/s4000/20230926_141303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5i_m8WjfUwIrZKmcoHGN8Bn4nL2VJqdsBPABdbWg5bXueDjAw4J6yCvubr7XdDqO3tYfniBQ51iQpu9rWMUZOOmMUoB528DBhrm7GlXIYmQ-jZNkxVttJ_RqvjtSPqYbQhQUczRv9EkEz0Txl7lHZJ4ZFITRUwy2bF_v_n5evqywwXpxvG_d6edbQPkQ/s320/20230926_141303.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">I came across
a short article about cell lace in a 1920 edition of </span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">The lace and embroidery
review</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> and was intrigued to find out what it was. It seems to have been an
initiative by the Plauen lace manufacturers to produce a new type of lace
suitable for the post-war period. The main idea seems to have been to create ‘as
much lace with as little material as possible’. The article states that lace
manufacturers can no longer make the type of lace they produced before the war
because that lace requires more material than the industry can now afford. This
aim to produce more cost-effective lace seems to be related to a scarcity of raw
materials and a consequent rise in prices. </span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">The lace and embroidery review</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">
was a trade publication and this new type of lace design would have been of
interest to manufacturers and lace retailers. The article notes that the designers
aimed to create a machine-made lace that would be almost as good as handmade
lace ‘regarding artistic value and technical production’ while keeping costs
down, basically ‘a lace whose artistic merit would appeal to the select and
whose price to the multitude’. The lace shown in the image was designed in the Richard
Roeder studio and it is in keeping with the new styles of lace proving popular in
Europe and America. However, I have never heard of cell lace so perhaps the
term did not catch on or it was just a name used in the manufacturing trade and
not by consumers.</span><p></p>Carol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254743158453879737.post-37829962860128718612023-11-08T06:10:00.000-08:002023-11-08T06:10:19.651-08:00Development of English bobbin laces<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikuCDzUbiBsXQLvFlmDYQmp0Gge7NiedOIetqx5_nDjzmEkeQsS_51H-p5_B85GWAa84KKZh161TKwk-TvakEBDmSLYsdT4CcPGIoOqKZ4BC295I2ZJ9NDSBMdGIFjIqBuN5cme3MuAasws8Vta_kBnUtckWdrHwL0THhI0LbB1uIJwbqzbSWVwanzxMI/s4000/Bucks%20point%20lace%20Carol%20Quarini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikuCDzUbiBsXQLvFlmDYQmp0Gge7NiedOIetqx5_nDjzmEkeQsS_51H-p5_B85GWAa84KKZh161TKwk-TvakEBDmSLYsdT4CcPGIoOqKZ4BC295I2ZJ9NDSBMdGIFjIqBuN5cme3MuAasws8Vta_kBnUtckWdrHwL0THhI0LbB1uIJwbqzbSWVwanzxMI/s320/Bucks%20point%20lace%20Carol%20Quarini.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">I’ve been carrying
out more research into Miss Channer, who made and studied lace at the turn of
the 19th and 20th centuries, and she has some interesting ideas about the developments
of the English handmade lace industry. She notes that in continental Europe most
of the finest lace was made in convents, which provided a ready access to money
and ability, in the form of cultured patrons and a resource of talented, hard-working,
young women who could be taught how to make and design lace. In effect the
convent took on the roles of ‘manufacturer, merchant, capitalist and instructor’.
In contrast, with few convents, the English handmade lace industry had little
capital or organisation. Teaching was undertaken by village lace schools which was
variable and depended on the ability of the lace teacher, and design remained
in the hands of a few families. Lace was generally made by villagers in their
spare time to supplement their family income and bought by travelling lace
buyers or local retailers. Miss Channer praises English lace designs and the
dexterity of the lacemakers but laments the lack of organisation and that there
were few places to learn design and little time for the lacemakers to
concentrate on their work amid the other calls on their time.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5TF_ab00zEpR57tJrhZfAVeia6IOL2SOy_CC5TpCca9XJEuV0FailKukakA1YnS6ypy6nNSJl7EGU4VWA1tugXrnMWs4wz-lRXPuVuCiCQM1Nxro1LIbepR9jhniATHt37-MObBDAr7no85Cdx_1nHc6h_tN52-IIU9u6jZ6spv8I9NE_fseVPxb574/s1550/Beds%20detail%20Carol%20Quarini.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1550" data-original-width="1323" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5TF_ab00zEpR57tJrhZfAVeia6IOL2SOy_CC5TpCca9XJEuV0FailKukakA1YnS6ypy6nNSJl7EGU4VWA1tugXrnMWs4wz-lRXPuVuCiCQM1Nxro1LIbepR9jhniATHt37-MObBDAr7no85Cdx_1nHc6h_tN52-IIU9u6jZ6spv8I9NE_fseVPxb574/s320/Beds%20detail%20Carol%20Quarini.JPG" width="273" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">She notes
that most English bobbin laces were originally attempts to copy foreign styles that
were adapted by the local lacemakers to produce lace styles that became
typically English. She gives as examples Honiton pieced lace which was
introduced to Devon from Flanders in 1662, French point ground lace introduced to
Buckinghamshire, and Maltese guipure lace taken up in Bedfordshire in the
second half of the 19th century. All these laces were developed and altered by
the local lacemakers to produce the three distinct types of English laces known
as Honiton, Bucks point and Bedfordshire. The image at the top shows a typical
Bucks point lace with integral ground and outlining gimp thread, and the lower
image is an example of Bedfordshire guipure lace.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Carol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254743158453879737.post-24937822078693199492023-11-01T11:08:00.000-07:002023-11-01T11:08:03.655-07:00Decorative tape lace doilies<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKb1EAXLwrxfImRk4Hn678iN8oGOl1I6vhOw-2Khp3LRi0Qn-i12X3IjTdRvU_UHM0EwwLnS5quZ7s-Oi49d7DerDY1B30Fq9XKXEn1X5QHxP8-XMqKEnbwKZTVHyDouuUj2yO5UNdiKjA2BieJk88FjgTjLMEPEzKMsW2o7m9xkKsRN7nRhOWlQSIVLI/s4000/sogni%20d'oro%20Carol%20Quarini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKb1EAXLwrxfImRk4Hn678iN8oGOl1I6vhOw-2Khp3LRi0Qn-i12X3IjTdRvU_UHM0EwwLnS5quZ7s-Oi49d7DerDY1B30Fq9XKXEn1X5QHxP8-XMqKEnbwKZTVHyDouuUj2yO5UNdiKjA2BieJk88FjgTjLMEPEzKMsW2o7m9xkKsRN7nRhOWlQSIVLI/s320/sogni%20d'oro%20Carol%20Quarini.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Seeing some coloured
tape lace on an 1890s opera cape yesterday made me consider what a quick way it
is to make a bold decorative statement. Of course it can also be used for small
dainty lace, using handmade or machine-made tapes with needlelace or bobbin
lace fillings, and much continental eastern European lace is also based on the
tape lace format. However, my focus today is on contemporary, coloured, handmade,
bobbin lace doilies that are purely decorative and non-functional. In both the
pieces shown here I worked within an oval mat shape, first designing a
continuous swirling tape pattern that worked its way in and out of the centre
of the mat ensuring that the tapes touched the sides of the next tape at some
point and all lay next to each other at the centre. For the doily in the main
image I then made a surrounding outer oval shape using scraps of various gold
fabrics stuck on to a base. Once the oval was dry I pinned it over the pattern
and worked the tape lace, attaching it to the adjoining areas of lace and the
edge wherever they touched. </span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirxRdzLxB79FodcHwSleoyzKaskRmARX5Wkn_74u0Y60M68-rcSfZsxsAdUeiTlCXald7HJEMLq_fK94nWeveJo6boWL-MZS4n9q5n7uFUHCNrfbWG5kHnwM5YCcQGwo-MQAwTokT7GluiIgk6hKF15nfxftxMyvBsShsVTfjDEMpdG7tr-98BmE4M9gE/s4000/Detail%20lace%20mat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirxRdzLxB79FodcHwSleoyzKaskRmARX5Wkn_74u0Y60M68-rcSfZsxsAdUeiTlCXald7HJEMLq_fK94nWeveJo6boWL-MZS4n9q5n7uFUHCNrfbWG5kHnwM5YCcQGwo-MQAwTokT7GluiIgk6hKF15nfxftxMyvBsShsVTfjDEMpdG7tr-98BmE4M9gE/s320/Detail%20lace%20mat.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">To do that I used a crochet hook to pull one thread
from the worker pair through the lace or fabric and linked the thread from the
other worker thread through the loop. Once the basic swirled outline had been
finished I used simple bobbin lace to add filling stitches in the open areas
and added scraps of fabric to mirror the fabrics round the edge.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBfVCNEMJKpLlZBJ2_Qz1Ci3NboPbwtD2Xf-vszNPqvFkoWY3arrD3vv7g04Krsbh48WyJjUR73PeBJGzY7mE13HZe9EasPbzFz8RCAn2We2KkZdve_ISYKMRBAGYCttxmdKIYy1-wjAE-g7XM4MXuM_8EC6kaRufTVkoY669f_3rUDQ4Z2bVxJDnbfM/s4000/flower%20doily%20carol%20quarini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBfVCNEMJKpLlZBJ2_Qz1Ci3NboPbwtD2Xf-vszNPqvFkoWY3arrD3vv7g04Krsbh48WyJjUR73PeBJGzY7mE13HZe9EasPbzFz8RCAn2We2KkZdve_ISYKMRBAGYCttxmdKIYy1-wjAE-g7XM4MXuM_8EC6kaRufTVkoY669f_3rUDQ4Z2bVxJDnbfM/s320/flower%20doily%20carol%20quarini.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">The second
tape lace doily was worked without an outer surround and therefore the edge is
less rigid than that of the first one. I could stiffen it with starch but have
decided to leave it as a more fluid design. It also has scraps of iridescent fabric
incorporated into the lace work to add a shimmer of colour and to make it
non-functional, as I like to think of these doilies subverting the role of
passive, put-upon lace mats.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Carol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254743158453879737.post-59835847308939353532023-10-24T09:27:00.003-07:002023-10-24T09:27:39.731-07:00Miss Channer’s research into pricking lace grounds<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTi9OQccKCXStkFzHimsObcVY9ecaFsvK_F6Y_NbMH65MNU4bDGV5_YAxgWZtjQa7lK94MKMbclZcfRzPR-KRck0btGV8-aYU4_XDMnXMpZ94-vR8XCeWwxzqbvjuXrG-NTTUckSmvgkRYIqmEBK_q7XU_WGWvKTZ1iEI3KuoSJxt8FGJVrdw94lEMtBk/s4000/Bucks%20lace%20Carol%20Quarini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTi9OQccKCXStkFzHimsObcVY9ecaFsvK_F6Y_NbMH65MNU4bDGV5_YAxgWZtjQa7lK94MKMbclZcfRzPR-KRck0btGV8-aYU4_XDMnXMpZ94-vR8XCeWwxzqbvjuXrG-NTTUckSmvgkRYIqmEBK_q7XU_WGWvKTZ1iEI3KuoSJxt8FGJVrdw94lEMtBk/s320/Bucks%20lace%20Carol%20Quarini.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Miss Catherine
Channer was a lacemaker, teacher and researcher who was actively involved in
the revival of the English East Midlands lace industry in the nineteenth
century. As well as teaching lace, as part of the revival, she collected lace
patterns and recorded information from older lacemakers with a view to
preserving the history of the lace trade. Reading about her work recently I
came across her ideas about the origins of some East Midlands laces. She
considered that most of the designs had been brought to the area by lacemakers
from Flanders and had since merely been altered and adapted by the local
designers. She reports that when she asked some old designers in Buckinghamshire
and Northamptonshire how they pricked the grounds (the patterns for the background
net) of their patterns, they replied that they used the ‘cards’. She asked what
these cards were and was shown some white cards pricked with holes in the
correct placement for working point ground (the simplest net background also known
as Lille ground); with different cards for different sized meshes. She asked
where the cards had come from and was told “We’ve always had them”. She suggests
that the cards had been brought from Flanders by the original lacemakers. Miss
Channer was impressed by the accuracy of the cards and after analysing them discovered
how to prick the ground on graph paper for the benefit of designers who did not
have access to the cards. She explains how to do this in her 1928 book ‘Practical
lacemaking’ and explains how to use the pricking for point and honeycomb grounds
(both shown in the lace in the image above) as well as kat stitch. I think this
shows not only that Miss Channer was a remarkable woman but also the importance
of a researcher knowing the craft she is studying and therefore realising the
importance of her discoveries. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><p></p>Carol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254743158453879737.post-72324021346368460002023-10-20T01:44:00.008-07:002023-10-20T01:44:55.453-07:00Spelling on inscribed lace bobbins<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6TUOInDRn7niJczNv67DpVVWIsavyoZoZCYe-uRmKMRJfUFJbZdwBSZgz9F1YUuhH1NYjpYG0-Vc4nvLVFxxcILEzRDlobD2fxW00dK3qnNmO1I784e_IIMQEYr9COjueUT2jWDxVJem-xzVI8ZsCOqZzr3F0rjPzoLcQiinmy4dmJRupjCaPtJ5QwwA/s4000/lace%20bobbins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6TUOInDRn7niJczNv67DpVVWIsavyoZoZCYe-uRmKMRJfUFJbZdwBSZgz9F1YUuhH1NYjpYG0-Vc4nvLVFxxcILEzRDlobD2fxW00dK3qnNmO1I784e_IIMQEYr9COjueUT2jWDxVJem-xzVI8ZsCOqZzr3F0rjPzoLcQiinmy4dmJRupjCaPtJ5QwwA/s320/lace%20bobbins.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">The spelling
on many inscribed lace bobbins is phonetic which is not really surprising as the
lacemakers who bought the bobbins and the bobbin makers who made them may have
had little formal education. It was not until 1880 that school attendance, in
England, was made compulsory for those aged 5-10 years old. T L Huetson, the
historian and bobbin collector notes that the dates on the inscribed bobbins in
his collection range from 1797 to 1879; well before the start of compulsory
education. Bobbin makers would have learned how to spell the simple phrases on
common bobbins such as Dear Mother, I love you, and common Christian names but
even then I have seen Louisa spelled as Lueza and Charlotte as Charlot.
Certainly phrases like those in the bobbins in the image would have been more
complicated. However, even with their inventive spelling ‘Wright my altard true
love’ [write my altered true love] and ‘Love dont be falces’ [Love don’t be
false] convey the message the lacemaker intended. As do ‘Absent makes the hart
groe fonder’ [Absence makes the heart grow fonder] and ‘My hart hakes for you’
[My heart aches for you]. Falces or falcs for false, and hart for heart were
common alternative spellings throughout the period. Research by the Springetts suggests
that the man known as Bobbin Brown of Cranfield, who was working in the 1840s and
into the 1860s, was a poor speller and indeed the two bobbins illustrating this
post are his work, however they concede that although his spelling was poor his
lettering was very neat.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Carol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254743158453879737.post-15969415139748254562023-10-13T01:20:00.006-07:002023-10-13T01:20:53.019-07:00Medallion braid crochet lace<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCYef4nBagpJiqTKwDIQlDCl-UZ7pIEtbnnRpZClOrCj7_e5Kam05eW_Epk3ysrxABqfyT54KQW6MZIIs0_iA0PAPjMDzy7Xhn7-HK0mM4j226L7RDIIqKQR5Q1mPdFqcfiWSxCA7Yh0bmDjhMbsMm_TqCDSje4-m3ZislkK_jWv4rzcMlHrUsHNEZ14/s4000/detail%20crochet%20lace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCYef4nBagpJiqTKwDIQlDCl-UZ7pIEtbnnRpZClOrCj7_e5Kam05eW_Epk3ysrxABqfyT54KQW6MZIIs0_iA0PAPjMDzy7Xhn7-HK0mM4j226L7RDIIqKQR5Q1mPdFqcfiWSxCA7Yh0bmDjhMbsMm_TqCDSje4-m3ZislkK_jWv4rzcMlHrUsHNEZ14/s320/detail%20crochet%20lace.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">This lace is a mixture of machine-made braid and handmade
crochet and was popular in the early twentieth century as a hobby lace. In the
piece of lace in the image the braid actually makes up quite a substantial part
of the design and the crochet is used to fill the central area of the flower,
join the gaps between the flowers, and make a picot edging around the edge of the
complete doily.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHXiTN8Bkx3NPeWCC9K8CCKuv__VkHRG7Sroh9Wyy-1lAX7krsZkStZK2b4y_ct7bqhRKeTGFdosP8jCq1-s36E5hOBpmQjJ5AI1yD9W4Fr_yTahGKKKmh-sl8KQc-eguRupQjjxHlNJmwfw7lWEyMfMVzX7QwssTN5at3yIxT-oGVuv7Tu2gRaMdIeY/s3283/medalion%20braid%20lace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2116" data-original-width="3283" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHXiTN8Bkx3NPeWCC9K8CCKuv__VkHRG7Sroh9Wyy-1lAX7krsZkStZK2b4y_ct7bqhRKeTGFdosP8jCq1-s36E5hOBpmQjJ5AI1yD9W4Fr_yTahGKKKmh-sl8KQc-eguRupQjjxHlNJmwfw7lWEyMfMVzX7QwssTN5at3yIxT-oGVuv7Tu2gRaMdIeY/s320/medalion%20braid%20lace.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Therese de Dillmont gives instructions in her <i>Encyclopedia
of needlework</i> for making this type of lace and the illustration gives a
better idea of how the outer picot edge would have looked when the doily was
first made. Also, the piece in the book uses a continuous tape of the medallion
braid, which would have made the work quicker, while the maker of the doily has
cut the braid and joined it in separate rings to make the individual flowers. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVpF2vS43FG7VSbkfb9P6bje2xYB43pTC_-N431SY9nvutWO_ugtf7OIpqaxkcb47m5T4_OFU1WTrKR95O3cHrz5lYTOUCGSZbKYpQ-3ZOIBNKGzgRMrGce80sv5-PZdH7wnN4lMkLr2rL3mDMvabz4UVXsOsINPUaoje80HJy_5q-2o783QSqwiqdUs/s4000/crochet%20lace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVpF2vS43FG7VSbkfb9P6bje2xYB43pTC_-N431SY9nvutWO_ugtf7OIpqaxkcb47m5T4_OFU1WTrKR95O3cHrz5lYTOUCGSZbKYpQ-3ZOIBNKGzgRMrGce80sv5-PZdH7wnN4lMkLr2rL3mDMvabz4UVXsOsINPUaoje80HJy_5q-2o783QSqwiqdUs/s320/crochet%20lace.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However, I think she probably worked in this way so she
could make the flowers individually and then join them all together at the end
of the project and finally complete the lace by working an outer crochet edging
all the way round the doily. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Carol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254743158453879737.post-40754290517286426062023-10-06T03:12:00.006-07:002023-10-07T04:22:43.994-07:00Chinese handmade lace<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG8O1DD0SHSf5TqEXoBytht2WI9_QZ1nBbe9OUMFClPmh_ukKQgbYiWKht3M35JrCf87ZcezLgHsHeH041jXXuAl3ZnitIUXGsod-A3b_Yj1y3_Xr-uPtKPaJTOl0Ufkb_WEMh52L5ljD3sWb53LMfex-0FR4W86lZYWI-BMhX4bGJ6k1cEWLAwdTNc0I/s2158/copy%20lace.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2158" data-original-width="1618" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG8O1DD0SHSf5TqEXoBytht2WI9_QZ1nBbe9OUMFClPmh_ukKQgbYiWKht3M35JrCf87ZcezLgHsHeH041jXXuAl3ZnitIUXGsod-A3b_Yj1y3_Xr-uPtKPaJTOl0Ufkb_WEMh52L5ljD3sWb53LMfex-0FR4W86lZYWI-BMhX4bGJ6k1cEWLAwdTNc0I/s320/copy%20lace.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Browsing a copy of <i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">The lace and embroidery review</i><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">
recently I discovered that there had been an extensive network of handmade lace
workers in China in the 1920s. According to an article in the 1926 edition of
the magazine, the lace trade began in 1895 when Christian mission schools were
set up in Chefoo and the surrounding area of Shantung to give girls a basic
education and teach them lacemaking so they could earn their own living. By
1926, in the eastern part of Shantung 300,000 girls and women were earning a living
by making bobbin lace.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlebPsU9xhpZlFSWLWX-kPcQa2G3_vWyOFIwhSCNPVwqpwmblhajjiBXLTh9BaYLkyupklw1Am5RMV4lI93Cv3MtqN9-T85csEoQXipv8CsfwA6SAhyLz4tRAuyHtYKp6tO67vIgDgX7XVXyxg1-ObbFLa74RBmbnyTQoJHbh8iKHd14uA4tRIhO5TCT8/s3497/second%20lace.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3497" data-original-width="2442" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlebPsU9xhpZlFSWLWX-kPcQa2G3_vWyOFIwhSCNPVwqpwmblhajjiBXLTh9BaYLkyupklw1Am5RMV4lI93Cv3MtqN9-T85csEoQXipv8CsfwA6SAhyLz4tRAuyHtYKp6tO67vIgDgX7XVXyxg1-ObbFLa74RBmbnyTQoJHbh8iKHd14uA4tRIhO5TCT8/s320/second%20lace.jpg" width="223" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The lace and embroidery review</span></i><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
was quarterly magazine, which was published in the USA, aimed at buyers of
lace, embroidery and trimmings. Most of the articles and advertisements are
from American companies but several European lace firms also advertise in them.
The Alfred Kohlberg company of New York are regular advertisers promoting their
Chinese laces. As well as premises in Shanghai the company also has
representatives in Swatow, Chefoo and Wusih and they advertise a variety of
laces including torchon, filet, Irish crochet, Point Venise, Cluny, hand
embroidered net, and Binche lace. They highlight that their lace is ‘Made
entirely by hand by Kwantung girls and women whose ancestors have been
needleworkers for 4000 years.’ In another advertisement they promote Chinese
crochet by unashamedly explaining that if they were paying their workers
American unionized wages the cost per yard of lace would be $108.22 but the
actual cost is a only few cents. They note that it takes the same number of
hours’ work to make a yard of fine crochet lace as it does to make a Ford automobile.
The advertisement concludes with the words ‘What will happen if the unions win,
we prefer not to contemplate’. I do not know if this refers to the Chinese
workers wanting to set up unions or the US unions appealing against unfair
competition but it does seem that the workers on both sides are being exploited
by the middlemen. A later advertisement notes that ‘Civil war and the
anti-foreign boycott in Swatow have stopped all production of Irish lace’.
However the Alfred Kohlberg company assure their clients that they still have
stocks of most types of lace, but buyers are required to buy edgings and insertions
and they will not fulfil orders for only one type of lace. In the years after
1926 there are fewer adverts for Chinese lace so it seems that the events in
China led to a reduction in the export trade in handmade lace. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Carol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254743158453879737.post-13453037183045646742023-09-29T02:51:00.000-07:002023-09-29T02:51:08.445-07:00Subversive doily project<p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4ee14Txx7iKiza_XvL4Kz_PcXaCTYPBd_TZa2EhVsbaysiiCYbtuvfxFZt1Ou8sAKLrx3apGy8kLFX55Y9TkH_tNgXa0UWLSStuQsb7no-Up2RAkrPnRItk427c8i6ocD9MsCN64-2Q_QSNdzgKz9Wo3Obs6-ZHVUe6h0hbtMj9is7jCtzqn2kZcUH0/s4000/doily%20project%20carol%20quarini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4ee14Txx7iKiza_XvL4Kz_PcXaCTYPBd_TZa2EhVsbaysiiCYbtuvfxFZt1Ou8sAKLrx3apGy8kLFX55Y9TkH_tNgXa0UWLSStuQsb7no-Up2RAkrPnRItk427c8i6ocD9MsCN64-2Q_QSNdzgKz9Wo3Obs6-ZHVUe6h0hbtMj9is7jCtzqn2kZcUH0/s320/doily%20project%20carol%20quarini.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>I’m back working on my subversive doily project which has
been a running project for many years that I add to gradually as time allows. I’ve
recently finished writing a couple of papers and a chapter for a book and although
I have a very interesting practice project in the pipeline, the curators are
still finalising the funding so I can’t make a start on it just yet, hence I’m
working on the latest doily. I’ve already finished the central area which includes
the wording (f off in this case, which seems to me just the expression a doily
would use when employed to look attractive, keep quiet and be used as a mat!).
This part of the lace has been worked using Bedfordshire lace techniques, which
I find give me the freedom to work lettering as well as a background of leaves
and plaits. I’m making the wider edge of the doily using a tape lace technique
which means I only need a few pairs to work the lace but I do have to make lots
of joins into previous worked areas so there are pros and cons to the technique
although on balance I think it’s quicker than Bedfordshire, for example, and
the finished results are just as pleasing. It’s certainly good to be getting on
with the project and I hope soon to have made enough doilies to exhibit and
write about them.<p></p>Carol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254743158453879737.post-47945096778668322672023-09-20T08:42:00.000-07:002023-09-20T08:42:34.539-07:00Thinking through practice – Amy Atkin and The marriage bond<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGKsLClfo2yeZQK93DBr3afohLbv8DpYIFEIDcjrxkQ9fijW5n-N5XI1Y-9_5agI2Vgch4ZQO_iArO9AUew-YWuYyUy0UAe5SBgNeDQJw0lDwEyVQhB1R8yrh45U6AE5z-TImiSJwHr4DYB3-1spdI10dmKAOYXCLeGwDJX3wY643e_RxJbTg-yjaozA/s4000/worse%20lace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGKsLClfo2yeZQK93DBr3afohLbv8DpYIFEIDcjrxkQ9fijW5n-N5XI1Y-9_5agI2Vgch4ZQO_iArO9AUew-YWuYyUy0UAe5SBgNeDQJw0lDwEyVQhB1R8yrh45U6AE5z-TImiSJwHr4DYB3-1spdI10dmKAOYXCLeGwDJX3wY643e_RxJbTg-yjaozA/s320/worse%20lace.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Much of my
work involves practice-based research and this study of Amy Atkin, the first female
Nottingham machine lace designer, combined written research and a series of
lace table mats inspired by her lace designs. Amy’s lace designs are beautiful but
she had to relinquish her career on marriage, which I thought seemed a great
waste of talent. I made four lace table mats to include the words from the
marriage ceremony ‘for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer’ to reference
her loss of work following her marriage. The idea of using table mats came from
the work of the second wave feminist Judy Chicago who used place settings to
commemorate inspiring women in her famous installation ‘The Dinner party’. The
lace in my table mats is only tacked in place to indicate the temporary nature
of Amy’s career and show how quickly women’s livelihoods can be torn away from
them. If you are interested in reading more I published a paper about the
research in <i>Textile: the journal of cloth and culture</i> entitled ‘Neo-Victorianism,
feminism and lace: Amy Atkin’s place at the dinner table’ which you can access
at </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/YYE6JXYJEBRQA3IRC5YR/full?target=10.1080/14759756.2021.1933346">https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/YYE6JXYJEBRQA3IRC5YR/full?target=10.1080/14759756.2021.1933346</a></span><p></p>Carol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254743158453879737.post-89134416622928548282023-09-13T09:21:00.002-07:002023-09-13T09:21:37.895-07:00Winding lace bobbins clockwise and anticlockwise<p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYclv7OLdIhww5bsc4dblMiV8KJOZeROolSF5todoQ3UO5bH0-pgOVkdVpx2XHAJNhr4R9VGvEJTacj1otmFGeBAEraokzPXc-khS2ql9ZVd-_1b2Ygj4qHvd-GluOLUwJwQCYpSd8DVGUdSk5X6VPb6BmpJ7jwLhsGy2c7nsqmaPeBtCZ45B9-7YyVg/s4000/lace%20bobbins%20carol%20quarini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYclv7OLdIhww5bsc4dblMiV8KJOZeROolSF5todoQ3UO5bH0-pgOVkdVpx2XHAJNhr4R9VGvEJTacj1otmFGeBAEraokzPXc-khS2ql9ZVd-_1b2Ygj4qHvd-GluOLUwJwQCYpSd8DVGUdSk5X6VPb6BmpJ7jwLhsGy2c7nsqmaPeBtCZ45B9-7YyVg/s320/lace%20bobbins%20carol%20quarini.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Traditionally
English lacemakers wind the thread on their bobbins in a clockwise direction
and continental European lacemakers wind theirs in an anticlockwise direction –
why the difference? According to Pat Earnshaw, in her book on Threads of lace, It
is all linked to the S and Z twists on the threads they used. She notes that in
the nineteenth century, continental lacemakers generally used a hand-spun Z
twisted, S plyed linen thread, while English lacemakers had easier access to
mechanically Z spun cotton threads. The twist of the thread is important in
bobbin lacemaking as the cross and twist of the basic stitches itself
introduces an S and Z twist, respectively, as the work progresses. Therefore
each twist will partially unwind an S spun thread while each cross will restore
its stability. Thus English lacemakers were attempting to counteract the effect
of their Z spun thread by winding their bobbins in a clockwise direction. Pat also
suggests that the ring of beads, or spangle, that is used as a weight on English
East Midlands bobbins may also have been a response to counter the twisting of
the thread on the bobbins.<p></p>Carol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254743158453879737.post-43084700954947541942023-08-24T12:34:00.000-07:002023-08-24T12:34:19.819-07:00Machine lace Schiffli designs<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSGLsGIho6oc3-6qSuMuUiO4iiza31olC3sqYPw1AtFZYbdJpArFfjn7pPMn7TOoQDyOopnyZIuHKKlaHo6xBQEVxzfaR5WsBVIQnupr967qzzQ_DZ-CeqCammACpDMC-cDRDVd1XZCcrxQHh7zfObf28eEJEu56uWXrAAVtPGOrB4uTcnWXkGUC_Qck/s3645/First%20lace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3645" data-original-width="2375" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSGLsGIho6oc3-6qSuMuUiO4iiza31olC3sqYPw1AtFZYbdJpArFfjn7pPMn7TOoQDyOopnyZIuHKKlaHo6xBQEVxzfaR5WsBVIQnupr967qzzQ_DZ-CeqCammACpDMC-cDRDVd1XZCcrxQHh7zfObf28eEJEu56uWXrAAVtPGOrB4uTcnWXkGUC_Qck/s320/First%20lace.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">These lovely
lace designs come from a catalogue produced by the Christian Stoll company of Plauen
from the late nineteenth century. These laces would have been made using a
Schiffli embroidery machine. This machine could embroider on to a machine net
background to imitate handmade lace or could produce guipure lace by
embroidering onto a ground fabric that was later destroyed to leave only the
lace behind.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSDaK6uJ9kHZBC5H5WgLoUtWl5MTwaRQtKR3w6RsiAGAgB1C3yLis7FALg4sdR2sNIit6yZwN56tO5xaJbn2vHIsCbCP3-pWDXi_me8qotpwXogLkbw7UcXVzhhzIPtSPRJMMxVW-JTNjIgGsoPA6anrOx186ljZo_7O8S3OsVmH0d4aEf6M5rScUxmsQ/s3547/second%20lace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3547" data-original-width="2764" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSDaK6uJ9kHZBC5H5WgLoUtWl5MTwaRQtKR3w6RsiAGAgB1C3yLis7FALg4sdR2sNIit6yZwN56tO5xaJbn2vHIsCbCP3-pWDXi_me8qotpwXogLkbw7UcXVzhhzIPtSPRJMMxVW-JTNjIgGsoPA6anrOx186ljZo_7O8S3OsVmH0d4aEf6M5rScUxmsQ/s320/second%20lace.jpg" width="249" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">At the end of
the nineteenth century there were several methods for disposing of the backing
fabric including treating the ground fabric with dilute acid before
embroidering it then putting it in a hot room where the ground threads
deteriorated. Alternatively the thread could be treated with an alkali such as
ammonia then the embroidered fabric could be place in an acid bath to remove
the ground. A cellulose base could also be used which could be removed by heating
or acid treatment after embroidering. The number of patents relating to the
disposal of background fabrics at the end of the nineteenth century shows how keen
inventors were to find the ideal method. If these guipure techniques were used,
the designer had to ensure that all parts of the lace were attached to other
areas or include bars of thread joining the separate elements of the design so
the lace remained in one piece once the background had been removed, alternatively
the lace could be applied to a net background to keep the elements of the
pattern in place. The Schiffli lace machine was invented in the 1860s in
Switzerland and ‘Swiss’ lace became very popular throughout Europe at the end
of the century for curtains and clothing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Carol Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17436038872533462456noreply@blogger.com0