Thanks, Susan. It is possible that our non-history lovers may not be familiar with 17th C. "Christening Baskets" and "Caskets". If you use the address Susan gave ( way below), and click on the top beaded basket on the right, you will see a view of something quite unusual. This basket (large tray) has 3-D flowers at the corners. There was a revival of this technique of making flowers strung on fine wire in Maine back in the late 1940's. A wretched example (my work) is in my collection! What is not clear about the basket is it's 17th C. use. It is speculated that since it was a large tray, gifts for a baby were placed in it. Perhaps others have read differently in their research? I have seen several of these in museums in the U.K. The most memorable and closest view of one was at St Fagans: National History Museum, in Cardiff. An Arachne member took me there to see a not-to-be-forgotten room full of unusual Welsh needlework, including lace. "Caskets" refers to what we now would call jewelry boxes. The lid could be raised to reveal a storage tray and doors on the front opened to reveal small drawers. In the 17th C. something like today's project kits was available for purchase (by the very wealthy), which included fabric, threads, bits of mica, beads, carved shapes of people and animals, etc. Flowers and scenes were usually pre-drawn on the fabric by an artist. Young girls embroidered (using the needle LACE technique of Stumpwork) Biblical scenes, with 3-D tents, animals, and people dressed in 17th C. clothing. When their work was complete, it was taken to a specialist to be used to cover (upholst er) all surfaces of the casket - thento be used for trinkets, jewelry, little notes and perhaps needlework tools. It is thought that the term "Stumpwork" derived from the carved wooden figures in the kits that were covered/dressed with needle LACE stitches. In other words, worked on-the-stump. You may have jumped to the conclusion that "Caskets" referred to funeral practices in some parts of the 21st C. world. But, I have a friend who draped a lovely piece of her lace over the container holding her husband's ashes during visiting hours and his funeral. Perhaps others have done this? The Author of "Further Steps in Honiton" is Susanne Thompson. Umbellifer is not a word non-botanists use every day. 21 pages are devoted to bobbin techniques for making an Umbellifer, a plant having flowers in umbels: parsley, carrot, anise, caraway, celery. I'm guessing this is related to Queen Anne's LACE, often defined as wild carrot, a name with which lace makers will be more familiar. Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace and Embroidery Resource Center --------------------------------------------------------- In a message dated 8/27/2013 9:23:34 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [email protected] writes:
Worth a look even if it isn't lace-- http://thistle-threads.com/ Scroll down for links to examples.... makes me wonder if there any extant examples of decorated baskets or caskets that featured lace? A bit of lace would further embellish the beads & raised embroidery. Lace content--the interlibrary loan dept. (ILL) managed to deliver Further Steps in Honiton. The Umbellifer on pg. 83 is inspiration to work harder at my pillow. Susan Hottle - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
