Waxing thread for sewing goes back a good many years - probably hundreds -and was a standard *must do* for buttonholes, especially heavy 'tailored' garments. They were done with linen, cotton or silk thread depending on fashion and fabric. I'm sure that if it caused the thread to rot away after even quite a while it would have been spotted at some stage, and have become common knowledge. It was used to strengthen the stitches long term, not to weaken them.
Waxing the silk thread is also a normal thing to do for Goldwork embroidery. As a lot of the heirloom style church vestments are embellished with Goldwork, once more I think it would have been discovered by now if bees' wax is not good for silk thread long term. Although I don't think it's something we use much in lacemaking, I do know that at least some of the 'disappearing' ink type pens (that quilters use to draw the stitching lines on fabric), weaken the fibre and long term have left damage on quilts. As this takes some while to show up, I hope that the more modern pens no longer have this effect. As I write this, I am wondering what Tamara and others were using to draw their designs on the tulle (net?) for tambouring, and if this is the same sort of thing. Jacquie in Lincolnshire - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
