Showing 176 items
matching machine made lace
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Blacksmith's Cottage and Forge
Bed Jacket
The bed jacket, a woman's garment, is a waist-length robe worn to cover the chest, shoulders and arms while sitting up in bed. Its short length and cape-like cut allowed it to be put on (or removed) while in bed. Often made of sheer or lacy fabrics and displaying very feminine trimmings and details, it was often used more for seduction, rather than warmth or modesty. It was popularized in 1930s Hollywood films featuring glamorous settings and glamorous stars lounging languorously in their silken bedrooms. Ostrich feather tips, swan’s down, pleated tulle and shirred lace were just a few examples of the extravagant materials that could be used in creating these confections. These garments are currently very popular with people who have been hospitalized or recommended bed rest. (Source: http://www.wikipedia.com) Pale lemon coloured ladies silk bed jacket with silk lace edging. Figured silk bow tie at front neck.home, lace, female, ladies, silk, bed, jacket, bow, made -
Kiewa Valley Historical Society
Apron, Hand Made, late 19th century to early 20th century
This item is hand made possible by a mother for her daughters. It is hand and machine stitched. This style of aprons / pinafore is attached to the two brown dresses that are also in the collection. This item is very significant for the following reasons. Historic and social - it shows what little girls wore during the early 1900's of the Kiewa Valley. It also shows fashion of the times and how these styles of aprons were made. All which is valuable for research on these topics. There are only a few of these aprons in the collection of the KVSH, and therefore would be very rare. The condition is good enough to display, therefore it has good interpretive capacity.Girls apron or pinafore. White linen with crocheted lace around the edge which is continuous around the skirt, sleeve and neck. The shoulders flaps appears that they should be pinned to the dress beneath, and pinned together at the back of the waist. The apron is manual machine stitchedclothing, girls, children, pinafore, apron, kiewa-valley, alpine-shire -
Kiewa Valley Historical Society
Undergarment Child, local seemstress or mother
local manufacture either a seemstress or a mother. Time Circa 1920s to 1940s. Distance from towns with haberdasheries would force local manufacture of garments by highly skilled women.Historical period Circa 1920s to 1940s was before easy access to branded manufactured clothes. Majority of basic clothing was hand made either family or skilled friends and neighbours This is Garment is cross referenced to KVHS 0249 and KVHS 0248 and details the growth of a young childGarment has sleeveless top attached to pantaloons at waist and open crotch and going down inner leg seam to 8cm from bottom. Bottom section of each leg adorned with crocheted lace and two pin tucks around bottom of the legs. Top back of garment has three "Mother of Pearl" buttons and narrow 8 mm wide shoulder cross reference to KVHS 0249 and KVHS 0240 straps. Machine stitched cream in colourvest, underwear, child's clothing -
Kiewa Valley Historical Society
Dress Child
The dress was probably worn at a christening in one of the Kiewa Valley churches (denomination unknown). The importance of the event to family and friends is shown by the quality of the garment. These style Christening dresses were often worn buy several children of the one family , both boys and girls. Other items such as hand made bonnet may have been part of this out fit. "KVHS 0123" The quality of the garment and the fashion style it represents is both historical, not only the time of its manufacture but also of the fashion in that era. It has christian religious implications and values of the time frame of regional life in the early1900s. Girl's white dress (christening event), fine cotton with lace border "broderie anglaise" with a row of lace flowers mid skirt "battenberg".This lace is also inserted in centre front panel and sleeves. Scolloped cotton is also on sleeves, neck and front. Pin tucked skirt. Opening back with drawstring fastening at neck and waist. Short sleeves and machine stitched children clothing, lace-battenberg and broderie anglaise, female clothing, dress, cotton, christening, dressmaking -
Warrnambool and District Historical Society Inc.
Clothing - Girl's Dress, c. 1890
This is a dress for a young girl aged about twelve. It seems to date from the late 19th century and would have been worn at a wedding or a family celebration. This dress is a fine example of vintage clothing and is a valued display item.The dress is made of fine muslin. It has a round neck with lace edging, the gathered skirt has pin tucks with a spoke stitched wide hem. There is lace insertion at the waist and on each shoulder. On the three quarter sleeves there is lace edging at the cuffs. The bodice has machine made embroidery, spoke stitching and tucks. The back has press studs and hooks and eyes .vintage clothing, warrnambool and district historical society collection -
Warrnambool and District Historical Society Inc.
Clothing - Baby's Christening Gown, 1890
This Christening gown belonged to William Edward Housden who was born in Castlemaine in 1890 and died in Warrnambool in 1972. He served in World War One and married Lucy Knowles in 1921. It was on occasions, and still is, a common practice to make a special dress for a baby's Christening or to use a gown that has been handed down over the generations. This is a fine example of a Christening gown made for a baby 130 years ago.This is a Christening gown made of cream cotton. It is high waisted with a gathered skirt and a pintucked bodice with hand embroidered leaves and fine drawn thread work. The draw string waist opens at the back. It has long sleeves with lace and embroidered cuffs. There is lace and draw string tape around the neck. The seams have been machined.william edward housden, christening gowns -
Brighton Historical Society
Dress, 1920s
This dress belonged to Christina Barclay 'Ina' Strahan (nee Guinn, 1889-1974), the mother of donor Sheila Alston (1911-2008). Ina married medical practitioner Dr Septimus Strahan in 1909 and the family lived in a stately home in Moonee Ponds from 1912 until Septimus' untimely death at 56 in 1933. Ina later moved to Sandringham, where her daughter Sheila also settled after her marriage to Peter Alston.Black chiffon and lace dress with long sleeves, scooped neckline. Lozenge shaped lace pattern; machine top-stiched chiffon panels.Label, woven, blue on cream cotton, centre back: MADE IN FRANCElace, christina barclay strahan, 1920s -
Kew Historical Society Inc
Accessory - Tape lace collar, 1890-1910
One of a group of items including lace and crochet collars and pelerines, a jabot, a chid's dress and a wedding dress donated by KHS member, Kathryn (Kate) Gwynne Reeve (nee Marx) that belonged to members of her family. Tape lace is either a hand made (with a bobbin) or a machine woven tape. The tape is folded into the required design and then fixed and embellished with connecting lace or embroidery stitches of various kinds.Tape lace collar. L 17 cm / W 39 cm / Circumference 98 cmaccessories, tape lace, lace collars -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Clothing - Mourning Outfit, jacket, Late 19th to early-20th centuries
This Edwardian era mourning outfit was worn by a wealthy woman from the rural area of Willaura, southeast of the Grampians. It was inherited by the donor from his mother, who had purchased it from a clearing sale in the 1960s. The jacket has a peplum or flounce below the waistline, a fashion that was seen in the 1860s and is still around in the 1900s. The outfit represents the female mourning fashion and wardrobe from the late 19th to early 20th centuries. Such garments were a necessary inclusion as death occurred often to the young, due to illness, accidents and hard work - it was a regular part of life in rural Victoria. Mourning outfits were a part of a person’s wardrobe and often passed from one generation to the next. This particular outfit appears to have been adjusted at some stage to allow for a wider waistline. The original skirt may have been replaced by the one that is now part of this outfit; the skirt is all machine-sewn, unlike the jacket and petticoat. The fabric of the skirt may be silk or it could be a synthetic fibre such as artificial silk or rayon; both were available in the 1800s,but nylon wasn’t invented until the 1930s. This skirt has sunray pleating, which was advertised on skirts for sale in the 1890s, and 1909, and was part of a fashionable bridal gown train in the 1930s. The mourning of death was part of both family and community life, particularly in rural and remote areas. People were bonded through work, religion, disasters, tragedy and social activities, supporting one another. They came together from near and far on such an occasion, giving each other the care that was needed and showing respect for the member who had passed away.This three-piece silk Edwardian mourning outfit is significant historically for its connection with rural Victoria and the social and religious customs surrounding the death of a family or community member. The high-quality outfit is also significant for representing the financial management of the times, being tailored by a dressmaker for a person of means and then adjusted to fit at least one different-sized person. The black silk tailor-made jacket is one of three pieces of a ladies’ Edwardian mourning outfit. It has long sleeves, a stand-up collar trimmed with appliqued black crochet lace, and pleated sashes on the left and right sides from front to back fastened at the shoulder and waist. The jacket has a peplum or flounce below the waistline. The front of the jacket has brass hooks and fabric eye fastenings. The back of the jacket has two tails. The jacket is lined and the shoulders are padded. It has been machine sewn and finished with hand stitching. A white card is tied with a ribbon inside and has an inscription. The poplin skirt on the jacket has been cut up to the waist at the side seams. There is an attached card with an inscription, handwritten in ballpoint pen.“Jenny” and “Mrs Sheila Handscombe, Wallaura, Jenny”flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, shipwreck coast, edwardian era, tailor-made, dressmaker, mourning outfit, handmade garment, mourning dress, death mourning, sunray pleats, sunburst pleats, western district victoria, mourning jacket -
Orbost & District Historical Society
christening robe, C 1900
Christening gowns are traditional outfits made just for baby’s baptism. They are almost always white and can be very ornate, highly decorated garments. Usually, the christening gown is quite long – much longer than the baby being christened, particularly when it is worn by a young or very small baby. Many families keep a “family” christening gown that has been passed down through various family members and is used for the baptism ceremony. This christening robe was probably used by the Cameron family.The christening gown was a late 18th century innovation usually made of white lawn, muslin or net, longer than the baby and fancier than a day gown. The design was a more moderate version of contemporary adult fashion. Most 19th century christening gowns featured lace. All, until the end of the century, had low necklines and short sleeves. This gown reflects the style of christening robes in the early 20th century. A high waisted, short-sleeved long white broderie anglaise christening robe made of fine cotton. It is hand made edged with machine stitched cut work lace. The bodice is pin tucked.christening-robe clothing-childhood -
Warrnambool and District Historical Society Inc.
Textile, Dress, promenade, 1880s
There is no information available on this dress which has been in the Historical Society’s collection for many years. It may have been a wedding dress. This is an interesting item as an example of a woman’s dress worn about the 1880s. It is a wonderful display item. This is a claret-coloured dress with a full length skirt with bustle. It is made of good quality heavy satin mounted on organza with a back fastening. There is a rosette in the same fabric with two pendant panels. There is a matching fitted jacket with hooks and eyes to fasten and full length narrow sleeves edged with claret lace (much tattered). The jacket is faded and torn in parts. Machine and handsewn. claret-coloured dress, warrnambool, 1860's ladies dress -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Piece
... Machine made net with coloured hand embroidery. Cut from larger ...This beautiful piece has been hand embroidered with coloured thread onto a machine made net. The net would most likely have been made on a stocking frame or Heathcoat’s Bobbinet machine and the intricate handwork appears to be a mixture of needle run and tamboured embroidery. Needle run lace is simply outlined in thread and then filled in by darning and other stitches. Tamboured lace is made with a very fine metal or bone crochet hook making chain stitch with the net stretched out over a frame. Limerick lace from Ireland is just such a lace where the stitches used on the machine made net vary considerably. According to Pat Earnshaw, a British lace historian, there was one Limerick lace collar that used 47 different filling stitches. The lace industry in Limerick was started by Charles Walker in 1829 when he brought 20 girls from England to set up a lace making school. Many Irish women who learned the craft worked from home but Walker knew that he would get more consistent and cleaner work if he could oversee the work being done so he built a factory for the women. Limerick lace lost popularity after Walker died in 1842 but was revived in the late 1880s and continued to be made into the 20th century but never reached the heights of the Walker period. This delicate example is from the 1920s and was cut from a larger piece which was most likely attached to an item of sleek underwear. The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by three generations of Amess women - Jane, Janet and Unity. Jane was wife of Samuel Amess, who was the first Samuel Amess to own Churchill Island.Machine made net with coloured hand embroidery. Cut from larger piecelace, churchill island, janet amess lace collection, amess, embroidery, tamboured lace, limerick lace -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Trim, Section
Here we have a delicate example of chemical lace which is 7.6cm x 48cm. This is an interesting method of lace making where the lace is embroidered onto a sacrificial fabric which has been treated (initially chemically treated) to dissolve in a chemical solution on completion without damaging the lace. The chemicals used were not environmentally friendly and consequently this method of lace making has developed to use water soluble base fabrics or fabrics which will disintegrate with the application of heat. A remnant of the sacrificial fabric can be seen on the top of this piece. Originally chemical lace was made on a home embroidery machine but is now also known as Schiffli Lace and made on a Schiffli machine. This machine was invented by Isaak Grobli in 1863 using the same principles as the newly invented sewing machine except that the bobbin of the sewing machine was replaced by a shuttle shaped like the hull of a sail boat, hence the name ‘schiffli’ which means ‘little boat’ in Swiss-German. The Schiffli machine uses two threads and makes a stitch similar to a closely spaced zigzag stitch on a domestic sewing machine. Over time the number of needles and shuttles increased until the present day when some machines can be up to 18 metres in length and use over a thousand needles. Previously the pattern was followed by hand using a pantograph arm where the operator followed the design pattern but the development of computer technology has meant that software designed to drive Schiffli machines can now create a wide variety of stitches and lace designs. The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by three generations of Amess women - Jane, Janet and Unity (Bright - donor). Jane was wife of Samuel Amess, first Samuel Amess to own Churchill Island.Length of lace trimPackage contains note: FICCHU c1860/70 (hand made) [not associated with this item]churchill island, lace, janet amess lace collection, amess, trim -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Jabot
A Jabot, from the French meaning ‘a bird’s crop’, is a decorative clothing item consisting of fabric or lace designed to fall from the throat suspended from or attached to a collar or neckband or simply pinned at the throat. Jabots made of lace were an essential male upper class fashion item in the baroque period but in the late 19th century a jabot would be a cambric or lace bib decorating women’s clothing and it would be held in place with a brooch or a sewn in neckband. This example with its exquisite chemical lace trim could possibly even be clerical in nature. Jabots continue to be worn to this day in the field of Law and in highest formal Scottish evening attire. The lace is embroidered onto a sacrificial fabric which has been treated (initially chemically treated) to dissolve in a chemical solution on completion without damaging the lace. The chemicals used were not environmentally friendly and consequently this method of lace making has developed to use water soluble base fabrics or fabrics which will disintegrate with the application of heat Originally chemical lace was made on a home embroidery machine but is now also known as Schiffli Lace and made on a Schiffli machine. This machine was invented by Isaak Grobli in 1863 using the same principles as the newly invented sewing machine except that the bobbin of the sewing machine was replaced by a shuttle shaped like the hull of a sail boat, hence the name ‘schiffli’ which means ‘little boat’ in Swiss-German. The Schiffli machine uses two threads and makes a stitch similar to a closely spaced zigzag stitch on a domestic sewing machine. Over time the number of needles and shuttles increased until the present day when some machines can be up to 18 metres in length and use over a thousand needles. Previously the pattern was followed by hand using a pantograph arm where the operator followed the design pattern but the development of computer technology has meant that software designed to drive Schiffli machines can now create a wide variety of stitches and lace designs.The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was added to and refined over the course of three successive generations of women.Jabot with chemical lace trim.Package contains note: "FICHU c1860/70 (hand made)lace, janet amess lace collection, churchill island, insert, amess, jabot -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Piece Border on Net
... Textile Machine made net, trimmed with tamboured design in style ...This machine made net (76cm x 38) is trimmed on the edge with a tamboured design in the style of Limerick lace. Machines were so proficient in copying handmade lace that it is very difficult to tell if the trim is done by hand or by machine. Tambour lace was the earliest form of Limerick lace and was worked in chain stitch onto machine made net using a very fine crochet hook, so fine in fact that some practitioners used a sewing needle with the eye cut out and the pointed end inserted into a wooden handle.The lace industry in Limerick was started by Charles Walker in 1829 Many Irish women who learned the craft worked from home but Walker knew that he would get more consistent and cleaner work if he could oversee the work being done so he built a factory for the women. Limerick lace lost popularity after Walker died in 1842 but was revived in the late 1880s and continued to be made into the 20th century but never reached the heights of the Walker period. If this pattern is machine made it would have been made using a Bonnaz machine which was later called a Cornely machine. Antoine Bonnaz (1836 – 1915), a silk machine engineer, produced the first successful industrial chain stitch machine. His patent was finally acquired by Ercole Cornely in Paris who developed a hook shaped needle that could make a line of chain stitches. Initially these machines were only available in northern France but they were so popular that they were eventually exported to the rest of the world and are still being produced today. This lace edging is quite fine and would only be about a centimetre in width and so would be subtle in effect, perhaps to be used on undergarments or as a fichu for day wear.The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was added to and refined over the course of three successive generations of women.Machine made net, trimmed with tamboured design in style of Limerick lace.Note in package "LIMERICK LACE TRIMMINGS"lace, janet amess lace collection, churchill island, amess -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Clothing - Black Lace Front
This lace front is another example of Pusher lace using matte black silk called grenadine. The head opening has yet to be cut out and the panel itself was most likely made for a specific garment possibly in a contrasting paler colour to show off the leafy pattern The Pusher machine is a variation of Heathcoat’s Bobbinet machine and was so called for the rods which pushed the carriages through the machine. There appears to be an outline on the leaves which would have had to be worked either by hand or by embroidery machine.Churchill Island has a large lace collection, which was added to by three successive generations of the Amess family - Jane, Janet, and Unity. The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. Jane was wife of Samuel Amess, who was the first Samuel Amess to own Churchill Island. The examples of lace are notable for their variety, and provide respresentative examples of techniques from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth centuries. Rectangular section of lace with intricate leaf design and a matte circular section. Designs are reinforced with multiple layers of stitching.Packaged with note: "Black lace "Front" with neckline hole"churchill island, lace, janet amess lace collection, amess, machine -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Clothing - Lace Collar
This elegant lace collar with reinforced strips was made with machine net and Battenburg lace. It would have been temporarily applied or tucked in to the neckline of a garment to stand erect on the neck. Battenburg lace was popular in the United States in the 19th Century and was made by attaching inexpensive cotton strips on to net as an outline for the design. This type of lace was named after a wedding in the Battenburg family occurred at around the same time for which the patent was applied in Washington DCThe Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess women.Lace Collar with reinforced strips. Machine net and Battenberg lace. lace, churchill island, janet amess lace collection, amess, collar, battenberg, machine -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Trim
This piece is a filet lace with a hand darned pattern on machine net and embroidered for ribbon to be threaded through the reverse to highlight the design. It is also known as beading lace which is most commonly used in lingerie. Filet lace is a form of decorative knotted netting and as such can be presumed to have derived from fishnet and is similarly made using a shuttle-needle and a gauge stick or rod although this one has been made on a machine. In 1812, the first net-making machine was invented and was in commercial use by 1820. There are pre-made nets available on the market today but there are different types of net, some made especially for filet. The hand darning would have been made by anchoring the netting and using a long blunt needle and thread. Wider pieces of filet with hand embroidery were commonly used to trim clerical vestments.Churchill Island has a large lace collection, which was added to by three successive generations of the Amess family - Jane, Janet, and Unity. The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. Jane was wife of Samuel Amess, who was the first Samuel Amess to own Churchill Island. The examples of lace are notable for their variety, and provide respresentative examples of techniques from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth centuries. Filet hand darned pattern on machine net in repeating noughts and crosses geometric motifs.lace, churchill island, janet amess lace collection, amess -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Clothing - Ruffle with neckpiece
The neckpiece is 35.3cm long and 3cm wide and the ruffle is 35.3cm long and 16cm wide edged with delicate machine embroidery. In the mid to late 19th century, daydresses were made with a closed neckline, while evening dresses were usually off the shoulder. This ruffle was made to be attached to the bodice of a daydress to embellish the neckline.The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess women.Machine embroidery embroidery, churchill island, janet amess lace collection, amess, lace, neckpiece, garment, clothing -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Clothing - Panel of lace pieces x 5
At just 21cm in length and 27.5cm wide these machine lace pieces are most likely a sampler. Four of the pieces are insertion pieces, and the last is an edging piece. These samplers made ordering much more satisfactory than ordering from a catalogue. The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess women.Machine embroidery Noten packaged with panel "scraps of lace found jumbled in with this collection"janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, embroidery, panel, amess -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Trim, Section
This is an interesting insertion piece with machine made copies of bobbin made ‘spiders’ which could be highlighted by ribbon insertion. The eyelets are placed so that the inserted ribbon covers the plain areas and is highlighting the decorative spiders and the fagoted edging would be revealed. This would be another lovely embellishment for baby’s clothes and accessories such as cradle trim, pillows and pram coverings. It would also be highly suitable for the clothing, undergarments and bed linen of children.The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess women.Machine embroidered section of lace trim with recurrent geometric motifsjanet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, amess, machine, embroidery -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Trim, Section
... Textile Machine made length of geometric bobbin lace ...This is a machine made copy of a geometric bobbin lace. It is quite narrow and was most likely made on the Barmen machine which was developed in the 1890s in Germany from a braiding machine Its bobbins imitate the movements of the bobbins of a hand-made lace maker and it makes perfect copies of torchon and the simpler hand-made laces. It can only make one width at a time and does not have the pattern potential of the Leavers machine. This lace was meant to be used as an edging and would not have been gathered.The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess women.Machine made length of geometric bobbin lacejanet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, trim, machine -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Trim
This is quite a fine and dainty trim which appears to have been made with a fine linen thread or cotton combined with another fibre, possibly silk or rayon. It has been made by machine in the Valenciennes style as one can see from the diamond shaped ground. Handmade Valenciennes bobbin lace was very costly and time consuming to produce. One pair of ruffles costing £160 would take a lace maker ten months of fifteen hour days to create. Valenciennes was a lace making town on the French- Flemish border and in 1780 had 4000 lace makers but due to the revolution of 1789 the number was reduced to 250. It was initially Flemish but was claimed by the French however the centre for Valenciennes lace eventually diverted back to Ghent and Ypres in Belgium. Valenciennes lace was simpler to produce than Mechlin lace, and was never used for expensive garments. Instead it was applied to bed linen, lingerie, and the fichu (a woman's scarf wrapped over the shoulders and fastened in front).This lace was favoured by Queen Victoria, the Empress Eugenie and others as a trim on undergarments. The basic undergarments were stays, shift (smock, chemise or shirt), petticoat and drawers although drawers were not in general use until the mid-19th century when the tendency of the crinoline to become airborne or to tilt itself at embarrassing angles made a covering garment for the nether regions essential. Drawers were just two cylinders for the legs, joined at the waist with the lower ends frilled or trimmed with lace. Due to its lightness and neatness Valenciennes was favoured although very expensive. Centres in both France and Belgium were soon producing a neat copy. This specimen is one of the wide variety of machine imitations which were made, some so exact as to be almost undetectable. The best was the Barmen form which used linen thread. Only one width could be made at a time so it was much more expensive than that made on the large Leavers machine. Churchill Island has a large lace collection, which was added to by three successive generations of the Amess family - Jane, Janet, and Unity. The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. Jane was wife of Samuel Amess, who was the first Samuel Amess to own Churchill Island. The examples of lace are notable for their variety, and provide representative examples of techniques from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth centuries. Length of lace trim of Valenciennes lace with diamond shape ground.janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, trim, machine -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Trim, Section
This piece has been labelled by the Lacemakers Guild as ‘Imitation Valenciennes’which leads one to assume that it is machine made and created to look like a handmade Valenciennes trim Valenciennes was a lace making town on the French- Flemish border and in 1780 had 4000 lace makers but due to the revolution of 1789 the number was reduced to 250. It was initially Flemish but was claimed by the French however the centre for Valenciennes lace eventually diverted back to Ghent and Ypres in Belgium. Valenciennes lace was simpler to produce than Mechlin lace, and was never used for expensive garments. Instead it was applied to bed linen, lingerie, and the fichu (a woman's scarf wrapped over the shoulders and fastened in front). It was favoured by Queen Victoria, the Empress Eugenie and others as a trim on undergarments. The basic undergarments were stays, shift (smock, chemise or shirt), petticoat and drawers although drawers were not in general use until the mid-19th century when the tendency of the crinoline to become airborne or to tilt itself at embarrassing angles made a covering garment for the nether regions essential. Drawers were just two cylinders for the legs, joined at the waist with the lower ends frilled or trimmed with lace. Due to its lightness and neatness Valenciennes was favoured although very expensive. Centres in both France and Belgium were soon producing a neat copy and this section is one of the wide variety of machine imitations which were made, some so exact as to be almost undetectable. The best was the Barmen form which used linen thread. Only one width could be made at a time so it was much more expensive than that made on the large Leavers machineChurchill Island has a large lace collection, which was added to by three successive generations of the Amess family - Jane, Janet, and Unity. The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. Jane was wife of Samuel Amess, who was the first Samuel Amess to own Churchill Island. The examples of lace are notable for their variety, and provide representative examples of techniques from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth centuries. Imitation Valenciennes length of white lace trim.janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, amess, machine -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Fragment
This piece is a fragment of machine made net which would be used for needle embroidery. The first machine to produce a twisted net that would not unravel when cut was John Heathcoat’s Bobbin net or Twisted net machine invented in 1808. It was a twisted net that so closely resembled the handmade bobbin net that the two could scarcely be told apart. Heathcoat’s bobbinet machine is so ingeniously designed that the ones used today have suffered little alteration. The gauge of the mesh is calculated by the number of bobbins working per square inch of the machine’s width with the coarsest net being 4 point (or 4 bobbins per square inch) and the finest at 16 point.(cf the Leavers machine at 30 point) Assuming the paper clip to be approximately one inch long this fragment would appear to be towards the finest net that Heathcoat’s machine could produce.Churchill Island has a large lace collection, which was added to by three successive generations of the Amess family - Jane, Janet, and Unity. The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. Jane was wife of Samuel Amess, who was the first Samuel Amess to own Churchill Island. The examples of lace are notable for their variety, and provide representative examples of techniques from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth centuries. Machine net for base of embroidery.janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, amess, fragment, machine, net, embroidery -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Trim
Whether machine made or handmade, this length of trim is dainty and delicate in the true Valenciennes style. Circles surrounding six-petalled flowers with little spiders above and below where the circles meet, it is quite beautiful. The diamond ground is typically Valenciennes as is the pattern of flowers. Valenciennes was a lace making town on the French- Flemish border which in 1780 had 4000 lace makers but due to the revolution of 1789 the number was reduced to 250. It was initially Flemish but was claimed by the French, however the centre for Valenciennes lace eventually diverted back to Ghent and Ypres in Belgium. Due to its lightness and neatness Valenciennes lace, although very expensive was simpler to produce than Mechlin lace, and was never used for expensive garments. Instead it was applied to bed linen, lingerie, and the fichu (a woman's scarf wrapped over the shoulders and fastened in front).This lace was favoured by Queen Victoria, the Empress Eugenie and others as a trim on undergarments. The basic undergarments were stays, shift (smock, chemise or shirt), petticoat and drawers although drawers were not in general use until the mid-19th century when the tendency of the fashionable crinoline to become airborne or to tilt itself at embarrassing angles made a covering garment for the nether regions essential. Drawers were just two cylinders for the legs, joined at the waist with the lower ends frilled or trimmed with lace. This trim is also suited to trimming a mob cap.Churchill Island has a large lace collection, which was added to by three successive generations of the Amess family - Jane, Janet, and Unity. The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. Jane was wife of Samuel Amess, who was the first Samuel Amess to own Churchill Island. The examples of lace are notable for their variety, and provide representative examples of techniques from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth centuries. Valenciennes lace with floral motifs with six petals enclosed within a circular motif.janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, janet, amess -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Piece
This 47cm piece of embroidered lace is quite lavish being 13.5cm in width. The embroidered interlinked squares vie for attention with the rounded forms at the scalloped edge and oval and round holes all neatly embroidered in satin stitch. This would have been favoured as an edging to a petticoat or pantaloons and may have adorned bed linen and night gowns or even cuffs on a day dress. It has been made by machine. The hand embroidery machine was invented in France by Joshua Heilmann in 1832. Later on came the Schiffli machine which borrowed from the sewing machine and the Jacquard loom to fully automate its operation. Schiffli machines have developed over time and are still in use for embroidery on an industrial scale today.The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess women.Machine embroidery (Lace Group Embroiderers Guild 1/3/12) See photos (2) taken 30/12/11janet amess lace collection, amess, lace, churchill island, machine, embroidery -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Clothing - Lace Collar, circa 1870
This handmade lace collar includes Honiton-style motifs joined with bobbin-made brides. Honiton lace is characterised by scrollwork and botanical motifs. Initially called 'bone' lace due to the bobbins being made from bone, it was developed in the small village of Honiton in Devon. It was thought to be brought from the Netherlands by Dutch refugees in the mid-16th century after the Dutch revolt. It grew in popularity after Queen Victoria chose this style of lace for her wedding dress and veil for her marriage to Prince Albert in 1840. It was again chosen for the royal christening gown which is still in use today. Brides, or bars, are the narrow connections between lace motifs that do not have a mesh background. They are ornamented in line with each individual lace technique, in this case with tiny picots at irregular intervals along the bar. Handmade items were highly sought after for their imperfections and irregularities as opposed to machine-made items which were repetitive in their perfection.This collar is part of a 94 piece collection of small lace items accumulated by four generations of Amess women, starting with Janet Amess in the 1850s. Hand-made individual bobbin made lace motifs hand sewn together with bobbin made brides. Cream colouredlace, churchill island, janet amess lace collection, bobbin lace, lace collar, amess -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Trim
A broad and luxurious lace this length would be a beautiful trim on a lady’s gown. It appears to be a copy of a Carrickmacross Irish lace where - when handmade - the motifs are embroidered onto a muslin and net sandwich and the excess muslin is cut away. This 142.5cm length however is machine made and was very likely made on a Leavers machine which was another adaptation from John Heathcoat’s machine with the Jacquard patterning device being adapted to it in the 1830s. It was developed by John Levers in Nottingham but the ‘a’ was added to the name for ease of pronunciation in France. The Leavers machine is one of the most versatile of all machines for making patterned lace and Leavers lace was Nottingham’s chief lace product until recently.The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929Length of lace trim with scalloped edge and straight selvage edge, floral design on net ground. Machine madechurchill island, lace, janet amess lace collection, trim, amess -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Piece x 2
These pieces replicate bobbin lace as can be seen by the fine knots in the diamond shaped net ground and the gimp or outline has been given the appearance of being tamboured in a fine chain stitch. These cotton lace pieces have been cut from a larger piece which by shape and size appear to have been intended for a collar. They are machine made and very likely were woven on a Leavers machine with the chain stitch outline being added by a Bonnaz/Cornely machine. The Leavers machine, once coupled with the French Jacquard machine in the late 1830s, made excellent copies of any handmade lace which could be reproduced much more cheaply and much faster than the time consuming handmade laces. The Jacquard machine was invented by Joseph Marie Jacquard and was first demonstrated in 1801. It worked by threading a series of interlaced punched cards through the machine with each row of holes in the cards corresponding to a row in a textile design. The Jacquard loom influenced the future development of computer technology and its attachment to the Leavers net making machine opened the ability to recreate countless varieties of formerly handmade lace.The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929Two triangles of lace cut from a larger piece, machine made, floral and leaf decorationchurchill island, lace, janet amess lace collection, amess