Re: [lace] Mystery thread

[N.A. Neff]

Lorri,

I'm surprised that the linen threads are fuzzy under magnification. I would
have thought fuzzy would mean cotton. Too late at night now but I will
examine some thread tomorrow. What say the experts? Is my ignorance showing
again?

In any case, what I really wanted to post is not to be shy about posting
questions like the one you did in this case. I, for one, learned from the
discussion, and I enjoyed the opportunity to work on a puzzle. I think
others did too. Arachne is great for good information exchange. Questions
like yours trigger a lot of that. Thank you!

Nancy
Connecticut, USA

On Tue, Sep 4, 2018, 19:57 Lorri Ferguson wrote:
... (10 power)- it is quite 'fuzzy' at that magnification, like a another
known linen. ...

>
> Thank you all so much for your help and next time I will do a more
> complete examination before I ask for help.
> ...

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[lace] Mystery thread

[Lorri Ferguson]

I have now now looked at the thread with a loop (10 power)- it is quite
'fuzzy' at that magnification, like a another known linen.  And it is 's'
twist, I also went thru my linen threads and found 2 that are 80/2 and it
compares in size with them.
So I think the mystery is solved.  I am going with 'Linen'.

Thank you all so much for your help and next time I will do a more complete
examination before I ask for help.
It has been a learning experience.

Lorri

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Re: [lace] Mystery thread

[Lorri Ferguson]

This thread is finer than the DMC Special Dentalies that I have.
I did a burn test with the MT and a known linen and they burned the same, as
did the cotton and MT.  But then all 3 are plant fibers.
I also noticed that in some areas there are small 'slubs'.  But I have seen
that on both cotton and linens.

I think next I will work it up in something and see how it works up.

Brenda,   if I had your address I could could send some to you if you would
like.

 Their 80/2
linen is comparable in size to tatting cotton #80. Bockens 80/2 would be a
bit finer, because Bockens tends to twist their threads more tightly, which
results in a thinner thread.
Lorelei

The cone is plastic and measures 4.5 in. or 11.5 mm. high.  Am I correct
that it is 80/2 cotton?
There is a sticker inside the bottom reading:

FFR Aalst
9052
80/2Wit Blanc
ca 2500M
Brillante

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[lace] fine threads

[Elise Waber Hays]

Hi Pam,

Thanks for bringing up the issue of harvesting-- I had forgotten to mention
it before. It is true that the fibers become increasingly coarse as the
plant ages. For the most pliable linen fibers, my research indicated that
it should be harvested when the stem was still green and only the top
leaves had begun to yellow. It is a fine line between allowing the plant to
grow to its full height to get the longest fibers, and waiting too long and
allowing the fibers to coarsen. I think that is one of those pieces of
knowledge that used to be widespread once upon a time, that we now must
relearn. Of course, to harvest for seeds, the plant will be completely
brown and the seed pods dry. That was the main reason that my first
planting was to harvest more seeds-- you need to plant enough to obtain the
fiber and still have plants left over that you allow to go to seed. And I
didn't have too many seeds in the original packets! I do believe that past
generations harvested at different times depending on market pressures-- if
you could get more money for coarse linen for sacking or everyday linens,
then you would harvest accordingly. If you had a market for very fine
threads for lacemaking, you harvested with that in mind. But I don't think
there was ever a danger of forgoing the harvest of fiber in favor of a
harvest for food, because different strains were (and are) used for oil and
culinary used than for fiber. The seeds of the fiber strains have
significantly less oil in within them and are not well suited for oil
extraction. The strains with a greater oil content that were used for cloth
or linseed oil, were much less suited for fibers. They tend to be shorter,
coarser fibers that made a weaker thread.
I would love to get updates on how your friend progresses with her flax
work. Please keep us posted!

Elise in Maine

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RE: [lace] Working with black thread [was "Thread"]

[J-D Hammett]

Hi fellow Arachnids,

I believe that some black lace was made with white thread and dyed black and
some made with black thread. If you have some old pieces of black lace you do
not mind unpicking you can see for yourselves. Lace dyed after it is made will
be very slightly lighter inside the crossings and twists where the dye has not
penetrated as deeply. Lace made with black threads will be darker inside the
crossings and twists as it will not have faded as much as the outside of the
threads.

Joepie in East Sussex, where Autumn is trying to creep in.

From: Diana Smith


Like Alex I’ve always understood that on the whole black lace produced in the
English east Midlands was worked with white thread which was later dyed.
On the other hand I have old Beds lace prickings on grey card which I believe
were used for work with black thread.
Diana in Northamptonshire


> On 4 Sep 2018, at 16:37, N.A. Neff  wrote:
>
> I have found black thread hard to work with if the pricking is made of a
> card too light in color. <..>
> I have come to greatly prefer a medium-dark red card for my prickings, for
> white, ecru, and black threads all. It is much easier on my eyes than the
> brighter or lighter blue cards.
>
> Nancy

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[lace] Threads

[Shirley MEIER]

I have not had any problems working with black either , however I do work
on a white pricking as it is easier .
Shirley in Corio, Oz

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Re: [lace] Working with black thread [was "Thread"]

[Diana Smith]

Like Alex I’ve always understood that on the whole black lace produced in the 
English east Midlands was worked with white thread which was later dyed. 
On the other hand I have old Beds lace prickings on grey card which I believe 
were used for work with black thread.
Diana in Northamptonshire 

> On 4 Sep 2018, at 16:37, N.A. Neff  wrote:
> 
> I have found black thread hard to work with if the pricking is made of a
> card too light in color. If the contrast is too great, then the eye has
> trouble seeing the details of the black threads. (Same with photographing
> or photocopying black lace.) So it might seem contrary, but using a medium
> to darker color for your pricking or background makes the contrast within
> the black thread paths clearer.
> 
> I have come to greatly prefer a medium-dark red card for my prickings, for
> white, ecru, and black threads all. It is much easier on my eyes than the
> brighter or lighter blue cards.
> 
> Nancy
> Connecticut, USA
> 
> -
> To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line:
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> arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site:
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Re: [lace] Thresds

[Devon Thein]

Alex writes: Because black is so difficult to work with, much of the
black lace was made
using white thread and subsequently dyed black.

However, according to the Bobbins of Belgium, p. 296, "Grammont, or
Chantilly lace is usually made of black silk thread". Also there is a
footnote in Palliser in a paragraph dealing with Caen in Normandy, p.
199, "The silk came from Nankin by way of London or the East, the
black silk called "grenadine" was dyed and prepared at Lyons, the
thread was from Harlaam. Rola de la Platiere."

Is there a particular example of lace made in white thread and dyed black?

Devon

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[lace] Working with black thread [was "Thread"]

[N.A. Neff]

I have found black thread hard to work with if the pricking is made of a
card too light in color. If the contrast is too great, then the eye has
trouble seeing the details of the black threads. (Same with photographing
or photocopying black lace.) So it might seem contrary, but using a medium
to darker color for your pricking or background makes the contrast within
the black thread paths clearer.

I have come to greatly prefer a medium-dark red card for my prickings, for
white, ecru, and black threads all. It is much easier on my eyes than the
brighter or lighter blue cards.

Nancy
Connecticut, USA

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RE: [lace] Thresds

[David C Collyer]

G'day Friends,
> 
> Because black is so difficult to work with, much of the black lace was 
> made using white thread and subsequently dyed black.

Well I certainly have never found black any more difficult to work with than 
white so have trouble understanding this.
David Downunder in Ballarat, AUS

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Re: [lace] Mystery thread

[Brenda Paternoster]

FFR is a brand name - Filature et Filteries Reunies - based in Aalst,
Belgium.
https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en=nl=http://www.ethesis.net/a
alst_textiel/deel_I/aalst_textiel_deel_I_2_g.htm=search


If the thread is fine (Bucks point weight) it will be cotton, if, weight wise,
it’s more like Special Dentelles (tatting cotton) it will be linen.  The
only FFR thread I have seen is linen 60/2.
Being on a plastic cone tells me that it’s a fairly modern thread, and
probably intended for use on overlock/serger sewing machines.

Brenda
>
> I have on an orange cone (true cone not cylinder) of slightly off white
thread
> that looks and feels like cotton.
> The cone is plastic and measures 4.5 in. or 11.5 mm. high.  Am I correct
that
> it is 80/2 cotton?
> There is a sticker inside the bottom reading:
>
> FFR Aalst
> 9052
> 80/2Wit Blanc
> ca 2500M
> Brillante
>
> Can you tell me any thing about it?

Brenda in Allhallows

paternos...@appleshack.com
www.brendapaternoster.co.uk

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