After all the recent talk about different ways of picking up bobbins, I was interested read this morning in the new Lace Society newsletter, an article by Marjorie Carter about Mrs Janes, a professional Bedfordshire lace maker, taught as a little girl at the end of the 19th century.
"She used only her left hand to move the bobbins, working the stitch with the three middle fingers and flicking the spare bobbins out of the way left or right with her little finger and thumb respectively. Meanwhile her right hand moved the pins and it was quite literally a continuous action of both hands at considerable speed and amazing to watch. After much struggle I did manage to copy it, but painfully slowly; no-one would have wanted to watch me!!" Marjorie also mentions a bit more about a quotation in her collection by H. Massingham (not a name I am familiar with) describing a similar method of working. Very interesting. There is also a delightful reasoning why the Lace Society do not yet indulge in e-mail correspondence, including the fact that you are required to send an s.a.e. for your reply and this is not possible by e-mail. Jacquie, enjoying a much cooler morning. - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
