Hi All, In "The Identification of Lace" Pat Earnshaw is kinder to Battenberg lace than in the "Dictionary of Lace". I'm so used to the unkind remarks that I was just kidding <G>. In some book I got recently there was a piece of *very* open tape with *very* loose twisted threads holding it together. The caption said something about an "unfortunate period" for B'berg laces <G>.
Anyway, what interesting thoughts on the earliest tape laces. In "The Illustrated History of Lace" by Judyth L. Gwynne, ISBN 0-918898-86-2 there is a listing under "Bobbin-made tape lace & other unnamed tape laces, including early Flemish & North Italian that talks about BL made tapes. Some of the pieces are just the tapes but some had NL filling stitches. One piece mentioned is "an attractive early C17 tape lace" at the Cooper- Hewitt. She also says that sometimes the tapes were woven or they used linen fabric. One picture shows BL tape with no edge to it (no footside). Of course using fabric or rickrack carried on into the 20th Cen. Actually I think I recently saw some couture dresses made with bias binding and fagotting (Russian stitch, Herringbone stitch) so it extends to the 21st Century! Jane in Vermont, USA where the leaves are still green and it's been lovely! [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
