As usual - I am behindhand with reading the Digests, so hope it is not too late to contribute to the Romanian Point Lace 'thread'. My life is overfull at the moment, which of course is better than being bored. I have just finished one year of my City and Guilds Creative Computing and am now writing a new book on Textiles from Central and South America which is proving very time-consuming. Also I am preparing for the IOLI convention at the end of THIS month when my daughter Jane and I come to teach the Romanian Lace.I have scanned the relevant piece out of the front of my Romanian Point Lace book which may help. I can do this as it is mine.
The original Coats booklet, Doilies in Coats Mercer-Crochet No. 525, published in the late 1960s, gives a pattern for a 'Braid Lace' mat with instructions for making the crochet braid. Anna Burda magazine published a series of articles entitled 'Macrame Crochet Lace' during the 1980s. Clearly, there is confusion over the names. The Romanian Lace Group imports a strong cotton macrame thread from Turkey to make their lace. The crochet braid has a slight resemblance to macrame, which has a knotted structure. During the early 20th century, the term 'macrame crochet' was given to a heavy thread lace similar to Irish crochet. The hem edges of this lace were decorated with fringing, thus linking the word 'macrame' to the Turkish word makrama, meaning fringed towel. A traditional braid is plaited. The longitudinal threads interlink with one another to give a pliable result to the structure. Bobbin lace workers will be familiar with this effect, which is found when working half-stitch patterns. A tape is a narrow woven band. Sideways weft threads are woven between the layers of the long warp threads to make a firm structure. Tape does not bend to fit a curved pattern; instead, it must be pleated or gathered. Technically, the crochet braid used in the Romanian point lace is not a true braid, being a looped structure. Llowever, it has all the properties of braid, in that it is pliable and can be turned in either direction. The crochet braid is worked to form little picot loops at either side. These are essential for linking the foundation threads that hold the filling patterns. In Romanian lace, the crochet braid is sewn to the curved pattern outlines. The spaces in between are filled with either needlelace or needle-weave stitches. The word 'point' means stitch. So 'needlepoint' means needle stitched, whether it refers to lace or embroidery. Needlelace stitches are looped stitches that are worked into each other in different combinations. Needle-weave stitches are woven in and out of foundation threads that are first laced between the pattern outlines. Angela in sunny Worcestershire UK [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
