When I was doing lace City and Guilds in 1987 (unfinished at that time as it was interupted by a fairly major car accident) one of my fellow students did some research on the use of fish bones and thorns as pin substitutes. I am fairly sure that her conclusions were that mostly they were not any use because if they were fine enough for the lace, they were too fragile to push into the pillow. Perhaps another of the people who were on that course with me, or AnnDay our tutor, could fill in the gaps I have in my memory from that time.
On a similar theme, I have this week found the 1981/82 IOLI annual bulletin in a local second hand book shop. Among the pieces I have read so far is an article about Arlene McKinnel of Brecksville. Relevant to this topic is a reference to the early English Midlands lacemakers who "had no access to standard equipment and so were forced to use the bones from sheep for bobbins and the fine fish bones to make their prickings." Obviously no NEC lace fair then! In the same article is a reference to American Ipswich lace bobbins being made of bamboo. A quote from here says "It's thought that the five inch bobbins were brought into Ipswich Bay on trading ships, perhaps as part of the packing used to transport Oriental goods safely across the sea to New England." Although I remember this lace being discussed on occasion on Arachne, I don't remember bamboo bobbins, but I love the idea that bobbins could have been used as an early form of polystyrene chips; somehow though, I think the author got the idea a little mixed up. But it is perfectly possible that the bamboo used to make early packing cases could have been recycled into bobbins (and lots of other things) once in America. So, were Ipswich bobbins made of bamboo? And all of them or just some? Finally, in the July 1982 edition there was an article about a lace collection owned by a Mrs. Laurena Senter, shown to the Columbine IOL Lace Club of Denver. I would like to ask if anyone knows any contact details for either Mrs Senter or (as it is 20 years on) the current owner of this collection. Many thanks in advance, Jacquie - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
