Does anyone know of existing research or someone doing research on hand made lace vs machine made lace?
I have an embroidery/sewing machine and free standing lace is my latest obsession. Someone on one of the SCA lists suggesting making free standing lace to mimic the bobbin/needle lace made pre-1650. It is my understanding that when machine produced lace became available at the start of the industrial revolution, lace making as a profession almost died out because it was no longer financially viable. I started thinking about it and at it's most basic level, a single set of bobbins with a single thread connecting them and manipulated back and forth looks very similar to the results of a sewing machine if you remove the fabric. With the common practice of making free standing lace on a water soluble backing, I think the replication of hand made lace could be accomplished at the microscopic level. I have design software for machine embroidery, so I can program the stitching. If someone had already done the research, I don't want to step on any toes or reinvent the wheel. Thanks in advance for any help, suggestions, or discussions. Michael Edwards - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]
