Dear Sue M, Where are you located? We keep asking, because correspondents fail to give us an idea of the country in which they live. It becomes relevant when someone tries to be of help. A search (extra time for us to do) for your business brought up Indiana, U.S.A. Is this correct? My lace and embroidery library has some linen industry books that may be interesting to read (a sort of bibliography for your studies). I did not disclose all in my memo of October 17th, but have not neglected collecting books about the fibers used to make lace and embroidery. Because the lace and embroidery organizations to which we belong rarely collect for their lending libraries beyond the subjects of embroidery and lace, my collecting focus was expanded to include "Other Related Subjects" (about 1,000 volumes). You might like to read a report from Denmark: http://ribevikingecenter.dk/media/10424/Flaxreport.pdf This was so informative - about experiments with flax - that I bought a one-inch deep looseleaf binder and made a permanent book for the library. There is a long list of references given, and the book prints to 86 pages. If you'd like to learn about the Belgian flax history, it is doubtful there is anything better than the Bert DeWilde book: "Flax in Flanders Throughout the Centuries - History..Technical Evolution..Folklore". The National Museum of Linen and Lace Museum in Kortrijk (Courtrai, in French) will probably be on the lace tour in 2018, sponsored by the Belgian Lace Group. My Goo...Search came up with an address that showed architectural buildings in Belgium. Perhaps an Arachne member in Belgium can supply an address where we can at least read in English about the National Flax and Lace Museum?? If they do not have a web site, let us ask Santa Claus for someone to volunteer! A variety of museum references is at this private (non-commercial) site, though you may have to search for their web sites: https://www.linenme.com/news/flax-linen-museums/ Your thesis subject reminds of the extensive work Gil Dye has done to replicate early laces from visually studying lace details on early portraits. I hope you have tried to use her bobbin lace instructions to make samples. You mention metal-wrapped threads, which reminded of Lena Dahren's 2010 271 pg. Uppsala University thesis (Swedish language, with English summary) "Med Kant av Guld Och Silver 1550-1640" (Metal Lace of Gold and Silver) 978-91-628-8196-2, $80. Dahren speaks English and is a very approachable OIDFA member. The International Organization of Lace in the U.S. does not have in their library. Perhaps a local lace group would have it, or you could try InterLibrary Loan See? That is why we need to know where you are located when you write to Arachne!!! Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace and Embroidery Resource Center -------------------------------------------------------- In a message dated 10/21/2016 8:42:20 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [email protected] writes:
The process being proposed by Brenda Paternoster is exactly what I have been doing for six years. Yearly, I grow a small plot, harvest, rett, break once my husband finishes building a new break. What is easiest at home is to harvest exactly when ripe. I have read that slightly 'green' flax stalks may produce finest threads. I have a select bunch to test this idea. One issue about saving seed and replanting is that flax must be harvested before the seed heads burst otherwise the fiber strands become overripe and unusable. Hear that the seeds available at harvest are too immature to germinate. I believe back in the day they would have let some flax to fully mature ( over ripen) just for seed. Really, even if the finest flax plants were developed, commercial processing is virtually non existent. Hand processing (not even up to spinning yet) would be impractical and expensive. Add a cottage handspinner and no one could afford the thread. I am in the process of spinning small batches for early bobbin lace thesis. Spinning is tedious, messy, dirty. Then threads need to be plied and then boiled to clean and soften. I thrash to break down the fibers to make them smoother, lustrous and not as stiff. Good news is that a little goes a long way. I am planning on blogging the process as I work on my thesis. Technically, the thesis includes replicating metal wrapped threads but linen thread is also being required. Spinning is the easy part, making lace samples in triplicate will be my challenge as a novice. Sue M. - 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/
