Hi Debbie, when I began learning to make lace 4 years ago I had no interest
in the history of lacemaking at all, just wanted to learn about the stitches
and get on with making lace. What a difference 4 years can make:-) I
really enjoyed reading this email and as my husband and I have recently
taken up researching family history (and are now hooked) I have begun to
enjoy the historical side of the lacemaking too. I also think that I have
developed a huge respect for the lacemakers of long ago and my knowledge of
lacemaking and the stitches has increased.
Sue T, Dorset UK where spring is trying hard to show itself, at last.
I looked in Thomas Wright's book, Romance of the Lace Pillow and noticed
that he acknowledges help received from a Mrs. Dowdy of North
Crawley...probably one of the lacemakers (Isabella Dowdy) in the photo? He
doesn't specify how she helped him, but is listed in a long alphabetical
list of people who helped in various ways.
I first took lessons from a lacemaker who had learned from an older
lacemaker. She had been a friend of the older lacemaker for many years
and had inherited all of her supplies. The lacemaker was now very frail,
and my teacher had taken her into her home to care for her. She was very
sweet and very excited that I was going to learn how to make lace. My
lessons were arranged to be about the time she went to bed, so I didn't
get to talk much to her. I don't think I ever even wrote down her name,
but now I must go through my things and see if perhaps I did. My teacher
shared a pattern, a pin with a glass head, a bobbin, and a tea towel
(covercloth) from this older lacemaker with me when I left England...sort
of a gift from generation to generation. This older lacemaker was in her
90's in 1983.
I hope we are keeping journals of what it is like to be a lacemaker in
this age of lacemaking. What a pity if we don't.
Debbie in Florida (where we did not see any snow yet)
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