Dear Vivienne, If you asked the lace ladies in the Honiton Museum, I think you may have been told that the motifs and small pieces they sell that are inserted in jewelry are from damaged pieces of larger lace - of no collectible value because of overall condition, but recycled as a means of earning money to pay for the museum's expenses. In the 19th C. there were quite a few collectors who tried to obtain examples of all laces (something like collecting postage stamps from many nations). They often organized them, and some of their scrapbooks and other ways of organizing them have been acquired by today's collectors and museums. Some of today's lace collectors do the same thing, usually because they have limited financial resources and cannot buy the "best". Others buy beautiful old laces and cut them up to dress dolls and Teddy bears. All we can do is beg people to stop this practice, but various craft publications and TV programs encourage this and do not tell people that the old laces should be preserved. I am begging - here on Arachne! I've been to Honiton twice, and love the personality of it as a market town. Small shops line both sides of the main street, and the buildings are low in height. Yes, I agree with Julie of Canada that there appeared to be limited accommodations. Perhaps the only real tourist attraction is lace? It is a difficult town in which to park. There are parking lots outside the shopping area. This is true in many European towns. Visiting Honiton when the museum is open is a wonderful experience. Choose a dry day, and you'll love it. Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace and Embroidery Resource Center
In a message dated 10/10/2012 3:07:06 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: I went many many years ago and was distressed to see they took large pieces of lace apart to sell in smaller sections. Vivienne - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003/albums/most-recent
