Fabric sale

[Lotti D.]

for anyone dreading irish lace curtains or dust:
irish lace curtains are beautiful - if you havn't notices - just take a look at one covered with morning dew (ok this is bit difficult inside your house, but try the garden...)
and dust is NOT considered as dirt: dirt you can grow things in, just try planting a seed in a bit of dust - i'd bet it won't germinate, and although it is often greyish, it won't get moudly either

[Rita C.]

And here's some of my grandmother's Irish (Limerick) lace!


If anybody knows how to fix the holes I would be very grateful. I tried a couple of Irish websites that Cindy Needham had links to but they didn't reply.(A singularly Irish approach to business I am sorry to say.)

[Rita C.]

I think that there could be something in Therese de Dillmont's book - I'll double check and get back to you, but your fun will be tracking down the thread to do it with!

[ANNE E.]

Rita if you Google "Limmerick lace" it takes you to lots of web sites one of which is a museum in County Fermannah( don't know if that is the right spelling)they have a contact address.
Your Grandmothers lace is lovely, it would be nice if you could get it repaired.
Good luck and let us know how you get on
Anne

[Rita C.]

Hi Anne, thanks but I have emailed the people in Fermanagh and they just don't respond and the phone number seems to be out of commission too! I have also contacted a company in Kerry but again no response.

It is the only piece of my grandmother's that I have. Apparently she had the house full of lace and fine crochet but it has disappeared over the years and that was all my mother had. I am glad that I am now the custodian of it. I want to repair it and frame it to keep it for the next generation, hopefully. Rita.

[Rita C.]

Hi Rita,

I've found the reference, it was in the Complete Encyclopedia of Needlework by Therese de Dillmont a free copy herehttp://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20776. (bother, it doesn't show the illustrations if you read it online).

Found a better source!
http://encyclopediaofneedlework.com/index.htm
This copy has different chapter headings to mine, ignore the chapter called Irish Lace but go to
http://encyclopediaofneedlework.com/...4.html#fig_139
Chapter 16, Practical Directions also has some interesting information, about halfway down it deals with laundering of lace.http://encyclopediaofneedlework.com/chapter_16.html

If you want to go ahead with trying to mend the collar, you will in all probability need a magnifying glass, lots of time & lots of patience (I would also suggest practising the technique on a separate piece of net that you have made a hole in). You will need a pad (6-8 layers of calico tacked together?) to pin/tack the collar on to, to support it and keep it in shape whilst working it and I would recommend that you have some plain light/mid blue glazed chintz (furnishing fabric) directly under the lace, as it will give you a nice smooth surface to slide the needle along & make it easier to see the lace. For threads you would need to track down some lacemakers. I can send you a sample of some fine cotton thread that I have, but you would need to identify whether the collar is made from cotton or linen. Apart from the thread thickness, you could also have the problem of thread colour - how many different shades of white/cream can you find?

These are some of the the questions/solutions that I can come up with after a nights pondering.

For an easier but more ££ option I would recommend contacting Jacqueline Hyman athttp://www.textilerestoration.co.uk/ I went on a weekend course she ran on ecclesiastical textiles, it was excellent and she is really nice.

[Rita C.]

Rosemary, thanks so much for taking the time and trouble to find this information for me. I am going to bury my head in it all now and see what I can find. Many thanks, Rita.