*Yellow* "starched ruffs and bands"? *Yellow* ruff (on Mrs Turner)? Yellow??? What "gives" here, does anyone know? Does Planche mean "gilt" (metallic), or yellowed linen? And, if linen, how come it was allowed to get yellow? This is the first time I've *ever* heard of yellow lace and here he seems to be suggesting it was commonplace...
I have heard of this before; that the linen didn't "yellow" on its own, it was deliberately treated in some manner so that it became bright yellow. I don't know how long the colour lasted - linen is notoriously difficult to dye, and I don't think the colour change was due to a dye so much as some kind of yellow starch being used, which would of course wash out.
Of course the novelty of yellow linenwork made the process extremely popular, but the fad ended quickly. The story I heard was that the only woman who knew the recipe grew rich from it and then murdered somebody and was hanged and her secret died with her, but that seems too melodramatic to be true.
Adele North Vancouver, BC (west coast of Canada) - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
