Isle of Man Lace

Recently I was watching a replay of the Isle of Man TT with my husband. One of the British Isles, Isle of Man is located in the middle of the Irish Sea; 83 miles from Liverpool and 90 miles from Belfast. As the motorcycles were flying around the island’s roads I seemed to remember that there was such a thing as Isle of Man lace. I checked several sources, and sure enough, such needlework exists…or rather, existed.

The lace actually produced on the island was pillow made edging lace resembling Valenciennes lace in design and ground. This, however, was not the only lace on the island. A History of Lace originally published in 1864, the Encyclopedia of Victorian Needlework and A History of Handmade Lace published in 1900 all reported that Isle of Man was better known as a smuggling depot for lace. Apparently lace was brought from France (and other countries on the European continent) to Isle of Man. It was then smuggled into England under the name of Isle of Man lace. This occurred at a time when the importation of foreign laces into England was forbidden. Eventually the smugglers moved to the Channel Islands to carry on their illegal activities.

As it turns out, lace smuggling was more active than lace making on Isle of Man. According to all three sources the lace making industry never flourished and, in fact, became extinct.

If You’re in the Neighborhood in November

If you’re in the neighborhood check out the following exhibits. Enjoy!

Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum (http://www.vesterheim.org)

Sacred Symbols, Ceremonial Cloth highlights many symbols that have been passed down from ancient times and explores how they were used in Norwegian family rituals through the 19th century. According to the museum’s website, four themes will explain and demonstrate the functions of the symbols used on textiles and other objects. These include the symbols of sun; matrimony and fertility;  guardians of the home and barn and those that live inside them; and the spirit world. Each theme includes a scene with furniture and enlarged historic photographs. A highlight of this exhibit is the eight textiles on loan from Norway. Vesterheim is located in the Decorah, Iowa. This exhibit runs through February 21, 2010. For museum hours and prices of admission please visit their informative website. 

Baltimore Museum of Art  (http://www.artbma.org)

During the 18th and 19th centuries there was a preoccupation with love and loss in the American school girl embroideries. Mournful Maidens: Love and Loss in American Embroidery showcases samplers that range from mourning the loss of loved ones to lamenting the inevitability of death. This free exhibit runs through February 21, 2010.

Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles (http://www/lacismuseum.org)

Bobbin Lace-The Taming of Multitudes of Threads celebrates “500 years of one of the most humbling achievements of the human soul with a presentation of laces, lace makers and lace making.” This exhibit runs through February  1, 2010. If you can’t visit the museum in person the website features highlights of this exhibit. Click on the Exhibit tab to check it out.

Congress Cloth

Congress cloth, much softer than regular canvas, is a nice substitute for finer count linens and can be used for all types of counted work. This 24 count, or mesh, fabric has been popular for more than one hundred years. In a home decorating article published in the January 1882 issue of Arthur’s Home Magazine the author extolled the virtues of congress cloth referring to it as “a creamy web of diaphanous texture.” It was further noted that it “is also inexpensive and takes embroidery beautifully on its thin canvas…”

While our US Congress might, or might not, be described as a creamy web of diaphanous texture,  that should not stop anyone from participating in one of our greatest freedoms. Today is Election Day–go vote!

Loara’s Pansy-Update 8

We are experiencing some beautiful fall weather in my part of the country. Now that it is November, and feels like fall, I am inspired to complete this project by Thanksgiving! Recently I’ve been feeling a bit overwhelmed with life in general, and this project in particular, so I’m pleased to have actually made progress in the past three weeks. The border of the leaves on the left side is now complete; as well as the border of the pansy. I have begun to fill in the pansy with back and running stitches. Next I will fill in the leaves and that part will be finished. I will then complete the two borders and the verse. I will keep you posted on my progress and I hope you’re having pretty fall weather wherever you are living!

Quote Collection

“…she began with the alphabet and numerals, following them with a Scriptural  text or verse of a metrical psalm. Then fancy was let loose on birds, beasts and trees.—Alice Morse Earle, Colonial Days in Old New York, 1890″

I found this quote in Mirra Bank’s Anonymous Was A Woman. I just have to laugh as I imagine a young girl carefully, studiously stitching those letters and numbers then totally cutting loose with the fancy stitches. I believe I felt the same way as I was stitching the more mundane parts of Loara’s Pansy!!

Witch Stitch

According to the EoVN, the witch stitch is the name given to the herringbone stitch when it is used in fancy embroidery. The beauty of the stitch depends entirely upon the execution. EoVN adamantly states that “every stitch requires to be put in at an exact distance from the last made, and the amount of material taken up upon the needle should always be the same; without this uniformity of execution the work is spoilt.”

Happy Halloween y’all!

Auction Update

The Charles A. Whitaker Auction Company recently held its Fall Vintage Clothing and Textile auction. This past weekend’s sale yielded some interesting results. Individual pieces of lace, lace collars, tablecloths and bed linens sold for far less than their estimated values. Sample books of lace and fabric, however, were the big hit of the auction going for double the estimated sale price or even higher. The two pieces I featured in my October 15th post did not fare as well. The cross stitch embroidered panel sold for $230 and the handmade Normandy lace tablecloth sold for $690; both pieces going for far less than the estimated range. If this trend continues it would be well worth it to check out Whitaker’s Spring 2010 auction. It might be a fine opportunity to pick up some nice lace or textiles at a bargain price.

Note: The accompanying photograph is courtesy of Charles A. Whitaker Auction Company.

Anonymous Was A Woman

♥♥♥

I picked up this interesting little book while at Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles. Published in 1979 and republished in 1995, it is the companion book to a PBS documentary of the same name. The book’s subtitle really summarizes the content nicely. This book truly is “a celebration in words and images of traditional American art and the women who made it.” Mirra Bank, the filmmaker and author, has very successfully brought together examples of 18th and 19th century folk art rendered by the common woman…samplers, quilts, needlepoint and paintings. Accompanying the lovely photographs of the folk art are excerpts from journals, diaries and letters written by women during the same time.

I really like Bank’s comments about needlework written in her introduction. She states that “in the beginning was the sampler. Girls as young as five or six stitched alphabets, numerals and simple rhyme into homely little masterworks that laid down the law for a virtuous life: literacy, piety and needle wisdom. Indeed through the years of growing skill in every kind of handiwork, the needle would be a woman’s most constant companion.”

The book, which is still in print, can be purchased from on-line retailers such as http://www.amazon.com.  

  

Fall Auction at Whitaker Auction Company

Each Spring and Fall the Charles A. Whitaker Auction Company conducts a vintage clothing and textile auction. The 2009 Fall sale will be October 24 and 25. The company’s website http://www.whitakerauction.com features an information packed on-line catalog along with an extensive photo gallery of items up for bid.

This auction features a large selection of lace along with some stitched pieces; in particular, a cross stitched embroidered linen panel from the 19th century. This Central European piece features a red and black embroidered pattern of flower urns, birds of prey, tulips, leaves and snowflakes. The condition is listed as very good and the estimated sale price is between $200-$300.

Also featured is a handmade Normandy lace round tablecloth. According to the auction catalog, this circa 1918 cloth is constructed almost entirely of handmade laces including filet, Bruges, Valenciennes, reticella and other needle laces. The tablecloth, featured in Elizabeth Kurella’s book Normandy Lace Patchworks, was originally won at a society bazaar by a “domestic” taken there by her employer. The original value of this tablecloth was $200. It is in excellent condition and the estimated sale price is between $800-$1200.

Visit the website to see the complete list of offerings along with accompanying photographs. Absentee and phone bids are accepted. Happy Bidding!

Note: The accompanying photographs are courtesy of Charles A. Whitaker Auction Company.

Loara’s Pansy-Update 7

Although it has been several weeks since my last update I’ve not made too much progress. I am happy to report that I have begun the pansy itself…working on the leaves. I’ve been doing quite a bit of cross stitch and am now about to use the running and back stitches. Nothing like a stitch change to inspire one to continue. I wonder what inspired Loara to keep working on her sampler?