mem_somervilleMe evangelizing about the amazing women who made #IpswichLace at a #Rev250 event in #SudburyMA.
My colleague helps someone complete the "catch-of-the-day" beginner piece of bobbin lace.
memsomerville.bsky.socialMe evangelizing about the amazing women who made #IpswichLace at a #Rev250 event in #SudburyMA.
My colleague helps someone complete the "catch-of-the-day" beginner piece of bobbin lace.
#WIPWednesday I was about to say that I just cleared off the pillow for our upcoming lace retreat--we are doing "early lace" samplers and I'm psyched for that.
But I do, of course, have more pillows... And this one is the one I use to demonstrate Ipswich lace. Our lace group is doing a Revolution 250 event in Sudbury MA on the town common this weekend.
Went to a local museum to visit a piece of lace from ~1820 that we think is #IpswichLace. It's a nice small piece--Anna was skilled. But she did not live to complete the lace. I can tell from her bobbins she was planning to....
I can't share the research photos but here's the museum entry.
Actual text message I sent today:
Was in the 18th century before, could not take calls. Home now, can chat.
I recently learned about Elizabeth Perkins Wildes Bourne. She was apparently a talented weaver in #Maine, widely known for her counterpanes (coverlets). Reportedly one was in the White House with the Madisons.
Someone overpainted her portrait at some point, and I want to do very bad things to that person. I cannot fathom why they did this to her.
Painting is at the Brick Store Museum in Maine and I plan to visit her soon. I need to see her lace up close.
This #mural artist puts huge #lace on the sides of buildings. I want one for #IpswichLace so much, but I wouldn't invite anyone from outside the US to come here right now.
Anyway, she's giving a talk for #IOLI soon and I will store that in my cheek pouches for some future grant writing when we get out of this phase.
https://lacelectures.internationalorganizationoflace.org/lace-lectures/nespoon-03-26
The cat who wrecks lace. For some reason, this Belgian lace pillow makes my cat lose her mind. She rubs it with her face, she paws the top from below, she chews the threads and she pulls pins out with her teeth (although she didn't pull pins this time).
I finished this piece, it's a reproduction I'm trying to create from a museum sample. But she didn't help.
Although we have original #IpswichLace samples documented from the 18th century period, we are discovering new ones around New England. We published a couple in PieceWork magazine recently.
I discovered one that is shockingly red! All the other known ones were white linen or black silk. So I've been meaning to re-create the red one. It has this tricky crescent that's hard to trace the thread paths in my photos. It's still giving me trouble, but I think I'm close.
The web article that accompanies our Piecework magazine article is available. We talk about our #Rev250 event last spring with the tale of the Revolutionary lacemakers.
#BobbinLace #IpswichLace #Massachusetts250
https://pieceworkmagazine.com/lace-lives-on-bobbin-lace-in-ipswich-past-and-present/
