Showing 1335 items
matching 1872
-
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Trim
This sample of lace trim is Torchon lace in the Cluny style with the geometric pattern and the classic wheat ears/leaves appearing between the filled ‘v’ shapes. At 5cm in width, it would be a beautiful trim or insert piece on bed linen and undergarments. It would certainly have been made on a Barmen machine. The Barmen lace machine was developed in Germany on the 1890s. Its bobbins imitated the movement of the bobbins of a handmade lace maker and it made perfect copies of Torchon and other similar bobbin laces. This style of bobbin lace was the simplest to make and therefore the cheapest lace to buy. In the Elizabethan era, the wearing of lace was reserved for the nobility and anyone of lesser standing than a knight who dared to wear lace would be publicly whipped. As the years passed, the restrictions lessened gradually and in the late Georgian and Victorian eras, ladies of the nobility sought to perform good deeds by teaching women and girls of the poorer classes to make lace and thus it became known as beggars lace. Bobbins were expensive and use was made of animal bones and even fish bones to perform as bobbins therefore another common name was bone lace. Many noble women entered a religious order and these nuns would also teach to skill to willing participants as well as making lace for clerical garments. Although the monarchy restricted the wearing of lace for some time, many royal figures in history did a great deal to popularise it. Two noteworthy examples were Queen Adelaide (1792-1849) and Queen Victoria (1819-1901).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 Torchon and Cluny lace trim with both edges similar, v shape design and 8 braid geometric design in centrechurchill island, lace, janet amess lace collection, amess, trim, torchon, cluny -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Clothing - Muff, Seal Fur
After European settlement in 1788 Australian Fur Seals were hunted intensively from 1798 until 1825 for meat, oil and their skins. The growing Industrial Revolution called out for oil which was readily sourced from seals along with their valuable fur. Indigenous people had been sustainably harvesting seals for their meat and their skins .and the European sealers often coerced or kidnapped Aboriginal women for their knowledge of hunting seals. After 1825 the seal population had been decimated and therefore the hunt was no longer economically viable, but it wasn’t until 1923 that the Australian Government legislated to stop the hunting of seals altogether. In the time of the Amess family residence on Churchill Island it was perfectly legitimate to shoot any seal that interfered with fishing and furs were tanned and lined with fine fabrics to create items of apparel. Seal fur has a soft velvety feel when stroked in the direction of growth. A muff was a thick tubular piece of fur or other material used by women and girls to keep the hands warm and it was also used as a handbag, The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess women, see above.Seal fur muff, with lining and some fraying on edges. seal, fur, churchill island, amess fur collection, janet, jane, amess, frances -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Piece
This is an example of machine made Torchon lace which is the simplest form of bobbin lace and is also known as Beggars lace; the Dutch call it Stropkant. The thread used is thicker than embroidered laces and was originally worked with linen thread but is now made of cotton. Due to it being relatively less expensive than other laces and its softness, Torchon lace was used mainly by the middle classes as an insert on nightcaps and nightgowns and as a trim on bed linen as well as undergarments. Torchon is usually the first type of lace that a lace maker learns, but since at least the earliest 20th century commercial quantities have been made by machine and were virtually indistinguishable from those that were handmade. This example would have been made on a Barmen machine which was developed in the 1890s in Germany from a braiding machine. Its bobbins imitate the movement of the bobbins of a handmade 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.The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929length of lace, machine made, geometric design with two selvaged edges, repeat motif of ovals surrounded by crosses.churchill island, lace, janet amess lace collection, amess, torchon -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Trim
This is another machine lace made using a thicker crochet-like thread, quite possibly cotton judging by the texture. The geometric pattern has been made in the style of Torchon lace and it gives the appearance of softness and comfort. This lace is quite narrow (1.1cm) and was not made as an insertion lace but as a trim. It was most likely used as a trim on children’s underclothing and bed linen. It may have been used as a trim on a mob cap for a maid or a less senior member of the household. This machine made lace would have been made on a Barmen machine which was developed in Germany in the 1890s and was capable of making perfect copies of Torchon and other simple bobbin laces.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.Torchon machine lace, coarse crochet like thread. One fairly straight edge with picots. Other edge has clusters of elongated picots at even intervals. Geometric pattern insidechurchill island, lace, janet amess, lace collection, torchon -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Trim
This is a very dense machine made lace reminiscent of a Valenciennes style. The folk art style roses and interconnecting six petal flowers are set into quite a dense net ground. The trim appears to have been made on a Pusher machine - although it was only able to make the lace pattern and the net. Any outline had to be filled in later by hand using an embroidering machine. Nottingham stopped making Pusher lace probably in the early 20th century but it continued to be made in France. The Pusher machine was a variation on John Heathcoat’s Bobbinet machine developed by Samuel Clark and James Mart in 1812. It takes its name from the rods which pushed the carriages through the machine. The Jacquard apparatus was adapted to it in 1839. The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess women. section of lace trim, with very dense valenciennes pattern, small lowers and leaves interwoven with larger motifschurchill island, lace, janet amess lace collection, trim, amess, machine -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Trim, Section
This is a machine made lace made in the fashion of Mechlin lace - one of the best known Flemish laces. Original Mechlin lace is a bobbin lace, where the ground and the pattern are made with the same threads and the outline is picked out in fine silk. Close inspection of this lace section indicates that the net ground is hexagonal with two sides plaited and the other four are twisted. The Leavers machine was capable of producing this elegant section of lace trim. From 1841, this machine was developed to make the ground, the pattern and the outline at the same time. The working thread bobbins would be wound with a fine cotton or silk and the outline bobbins would be wound with a heavier linen thread or a heavier silk. It would be used as a delicate trim on light summer clothes, perhaps a blouse, a summery dress, to trim a parasol or perhaps to trim an elegant evening gown on which the colour of the gown would show through the fine lace.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.Michelin lace - hexagonal net ground with two sides plaited and the other four are twisted. churchill island, lace, janet amess lace collection, trim, amess -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Trim
This fine lace trim at 1.6cm width is quite narrow, the pattern is geometric in style with one side a selvedge and the other a gracefully scalloped picot edging. It appears to be made of cotton although it could be silk, and ostensibly looks to be a Cluny lace style of bobbin lace which is heavily plaited and worked in one continuous piece. Cluny lace is geometric in pattern often with thin radiating wheat ears. This machine made lace would have been made on a Barmen machine which was developed in Germany in the 1890s and was capable of making perfect copies of Torchon and other simple bobbin laces such as Cluny. The machine developed from a braiding machine and uses bobbins which imitate the hand movement of hand-made lace makers. This fine lace trim may adorn a child’s collar and cuffs or trim a finely pleated blouse. It may also trim a mob cap or a shawl.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 lace trim with selvage edge on one side and scalloped edge with picots, geometric interior churchill island, lace, janet amess lace collection, trim, amess, cluny -
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
Clothing - Lace Trim
This is a machine made copy of a Brussels lace applique or Brussels Point border which has most likely been cut from a larger piece, perhaps a wedding veil or a net for a baby’s cradle. There are two main types under the Brussels lace heading, one is Brussels Pillow lace which is a bobbin lace and the other is Brussels Point lace which is needle run. Belgium or Flanders was one of the premium lace making centres in Europe for two reasons, one that the flax grown in the region was of a very high quality and secondly the highly skilled lace workers living in the area. The flax harvest and linen production was jealously guarded and along with neighbouring Holland which in the 16th century was joined to Belgium as Spanish Netherlands, there were many flat areas to lay out the linen for bleaching in the sun. The flax was spun into the finest linen thread in rooms kept damp to prevent the thread from becoming too brittle and the one ray of sunlight allowed was directed onto the thread. The quality of the linen made Brussels lace extremely popular for centuries and it kept pace with the changing fashions of Europe. Not all of the lace labelled as ‘Brussels’ comes from that area, the name has been given as a type rather than a source and there are many types of lace under that name. Because of the quality and the standard of the linen used, Belgian lace was one of the last types of lace to be imitated in the 19th century by mass production machinery. Because of the close chain stitch evident in this piece, a Cornelly machine may have been used to embroider this design onto machine made net.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. Length of lace trim, with finely worked sprays of flowers intertwined with foliage and abstracted branches.Package with note "LIMERICK LACE TRIMMINGS"lace, janet amess lace collection, churchill island, amess, trim -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Piece
This is quite a wide machine embroidered lace and could be used to embellish home wear such as a fichu or an apron. It could also be used for bed linen, undergarments or nightwear. It appears to be cotton or possibly linen with a scalloped edge and broderie anglaise style designs included sparingly. On occasion, it was used as an edging over the mantlepiece to shield the stove's heat and steam from the cook's face and protect items on the shelf.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 scalloped edge lace with small embroidered patterns of acorns.janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, amess -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Clothing - Bonnet, Baby
This beautiful little baby bonnet is made of strips of machine made lace sewn together and attached to what appears to be a muslin cap. The lace is torchon and would have been made on a Barmen machine. It was developed from a braiding machine in the 1890s in Barmen which is now part of Wuppertal in Germany. This machine makes a near perfect copy of torchon lace which it creates in cylindrical form and by strategic removal of threads is flattened into the braid strip. These machines could only make one strip at a time and were limited to 120 threads so people used creative ways to display this type of lace. There are purple and white ribbons attached and a damaged embroidery thread around the top of the lace.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. Machine made lace bonnet, with lilac ribbon and a slightly frayed blue embroidered thread.lace, churchill island, janet amess lace collection, baby, bonnet, amess, clothing -
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 - 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
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 - Lace Trim, Section
This sample of lace trim is Torchon lace in the Cluny style with the geometric pattern and the classic wheat ears/leaves appearing between the filled ‘v’ shapes. At 5cm in width it would be a beautiful trim or insert piece on bed linen and undergarments. It would certainly have been made on a Barmen machine. The Barmen lace machine was developed in Germany on the 1890s. Its bobbins imitated the movement of the bobbins of a handmade lace maker and it made perfect copies of Torchon and other similar bobbin laces. This style of bobbin lace was the simplest to make and therefore the cheapest lace to buy. In the Elizabethan era the wearing of lace was reserved for the nobility and anyone of lesser standing than a knight who dared to wear lace would be publicly whipped. As the years passed the restrictions lessened gradually and in the late Georgian and Victorian eras ladies of the nobility sought to perform good deeds by teaching women and girls of the poorer classes to make lace and thus it became known as beggars lace. Bobbins were expensive and use was made of animal bones and even fish bones to perform as bobbins therefore another common name was bone lace. Many noble women entered a religious order and these nuns would also teach to skill to willing participants as well as making lace for clerical garments. Although the monarchy restricted the wearing of lace for some time, many royal figures in history did a great deal to popularize it. Two noteworthy examples were Queen Adelaide (1792-1849) and Queen Victoria.(1819-1901).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 Torchon lace in Cluny style, with geometric patterns and wheat design, probably on a Barman (Swiss) machine. janet amess lace collection, churchill island, lace, trim, amess, barman, machine -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Clothing - Mob Cap, Budoir
A mob cap was worn over the hair when indoors working and a hat could be placed over it when going outdoors. It was quite reasonable to receive visitors while wearing a mob cap. This cap has been labelled as a ‘boudoir’ cap to be worn over curlers or to keep a lady’s hair in place overnight. It is made of cotton and has beautiful torchon lace inserts with the same lace trim around the edge. This torchon lace is a handmade bobbin lace using soft cotton thread.in a simple design of filled diamonds alternating with spiders. These caps were worn by women in Georgian times and called a ‘bonnet’. The term ‘mobcap’ may have come from the Dutch or French languages but the name was cemented during the French Revolution when most of the revolutionary women were wearing these caps. During the Victorian era they were mostly worn by servants or nurses.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. white cotton mob cap, with central lace section in the form of a crossPackaged with note: "White cotton handmade lace mob cap"lace, lace collection, churchill island -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Trim, Section
This is a length of Leavers machine made lace trim (7.6 x 42cm). The body of the lace having no outline on the floral part is Valenciennes in style but with the hexagonal net and outline on the square pattern is Mechlin in nature. It is a fine example of a machine made lace which was very popular and sought after in the late 19th century as a preferred summer lace at the royal courts of Europe.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.Length of lace trim, with repeating floral and geometric designs. Shorter section, appears to have been cut from a longer length.lace, janet amess lace collection, trim, amess, churchill island -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Fichu, C 1860
Fichu is a term used replacing the kerchief or neckerchief and comes from the French. It was worn over the shoulders to preserve modesty for low necklines or to conceal the bodice hooks or laces used for closing. This hand-made Maltese lace fichu is exquisitely worked in silk. Judging by the photos provided it is quite large and would possible used to cover evening décolletage. It appears to be around 30cm in width and about 70cm in length and being silk would be quite warm for the lady wearing it and indicate social status and wealth. Maltese lace became very popular after being displayed at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851. It began as a needle lace but Lady Hamilton Chichester imported lace makers from Genoa in the mid 1800s and converted the needle lace patterns to be worked on bobbins which made it quicker. The lace is worked on long thin lace pillows and usually includes the 8 pointed Maltese Cross in the pattern, it is made in narrow widths which are sewn together to make bigger pieces such as in this fichu. Another feature of Maltese lace is the “wheat ears” or in this case petals made of plaits or tallies. There is so much work in this piece as all of the flowers are worked so close together that they appear to be solid fabricThe Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess womenBobbin silk Maltese silk bobbin lace 6 petal tallies. Lace fichupackaged with note "Fichu Maltese Lace c 1865"janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, janet, amess, bobbin, maltese, silk, embroidery -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Clothing - Bed Jacket, c 1860
Another delicate item, this bed jacket has been made with machine made cotton net which has seams joined with bobbin tape. The hand appliqued motifs on the back of the jacket are possibly Princess lace which is a type of tape lace made in Belgium in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. There are two types of Princess lace, one is where the tape shapes are sewn on to net and the other is where the shapes are linked together to form a type of guipure lace. This could be an example of the former known as an applique lace. Unfortunately one of the cuffs has become detached. Packaged with note: "Limerick lace bed jacket Janet Amess 1860 from Kel Bright collection with separated cuff" Packaged with note: "Machined lace bed jacket. Janet Amess 1860The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess women.Motifs hand sewn on to machined net; bobbin tape on seams (NGV) Princess machine lace machine made motifs hand-applied Packaged with note: "Machined lace bed jacket. Janet Amess 1860. From Kel Bright Collection with separated cuff".janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, janet, amess, bed, jacket, garment, clothing, hand, sewn, bobbin, machine -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Clothing - French Buttons, Crochet
These are handmade crocheted buttons on the original card which indicates that they are from France. French crochet buttons and Irish crochet motifs were learned by watching another person. Then the onlooker specialized in that button or motif repeating it many hundreds of times. These buttons could be used to fasten underwear, jackets or gloves among other things. Crochet developed as a craft from the early 1800s and this development was accelerated by the industrial revolution. Crochet hooks were made from metal, the use of cotton as a suitable and cheap crochet thread came into being after the invention of mercerization (1844); women learned to read leading to patterns being developed and the publication of women’s magazines such as Godeys Lady’s Book (1830), Harpers Bazaar (1867) and DMC Guide to Needlework (1886). 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.Hand made French crochet buttons on original card crochet, lace, churchill island, janet amess lace collection, buttons, french, handmade -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Clothing - Lace Collar, c 1865
The 8 pointed Maltese Cross is blatantly evident at the centre of the piece being worked in cloth stitch and the plaited tallies or “wheat ears’ form the floral surrounds. At 32cm in length it could be applied to a low necked bodice and form a v shape at the waistline however this beautiful piece appears to have been attached to the bodice at the neckline. It would have been quite elegant on a dark coloured bodice. This type of bib collar may have been originally joined to another section of lace to attach it around 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.Bobbin Silk, Maltese Silk, hand made bobbin lace. Packaged with note: "Lace collar Maltese Lace"janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, janet, amess, bobbin, maltese, silk, embroidery -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Clothing - Neckpiece, Small
Just 23cm in length, this lovely piece is an example of handmade Maltese silk lace. Maltese lace has an interesting history. It began as a needle lace which was developed in Genoa and in 1530 was brought to Malta and Gozo by the Knights who were sons of noble families in Europe. This was a time of great demand and lace was used in the clothing of men, women, children, and the clergy for its decorative element but also as a sign of wealth and status. In the mid 1800s Lady Hamilton Chichester sent lacemakers from Genoa to Malta where they turned the old needle lace patterns to bobbin lace which was much faster. The art of lacemaking is still taught in Malta in evening classes, government trade schools for girls and at the School of the Arts. Maltese lace can be identified by the following characteristics: a) cream silk, b) 8-pointed Maltese cross worked in cloth stitch c) closely worked leaves or ‘wheat ears’ all of which occur in this pieceThe Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess women, see above.Handmade Maltese silk lace lace, churchill island, janet amess lace collection, neckpiece, clothing, garment, amess, maltese, silk, handmade -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Clothing - Lace Fichu
This piece consists of Battenburg machine braid tacked onto net which has been hand appliquéd with lace motifs. The lace fichu was worn by ladies to enhance the neckline of garments and to preserve modesty. Many lace fichus were shaped in a large square which was folded in half and draped over the shoulders like a shawl. They were often held in place with a small fichu pin or tucked into the neckline of the dress or under the apron or skirt at the waistline. This small jabot-like example may have been tied at the neckline and tucked into the bodice. It could also have been used at the front of a skirt and tied at the waistline.The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess women.Battenburg machine braid tacked on to net. Hand appliquéd lace motifslace, churchill island, janet amess lace collection, amess, neckband, garment, battenburg, clothing -
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
Clothing - Lace Neck Piece
This fine lace neck piece has been applied to the neckline of a garment meeting at the front and was designed to lay flat . 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.Neck piece with triangular scallopslace, churchill island, janet amess lace collection, neck, piece, garment, clothing, amess -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Piece Border on Net
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 - Chemise, c 1850
This is an elegant chemise formerly owned by the grandmother of Mrs Janet Amess and dated approximately 1850. It is made of Limerick lace embroidered on to square net (which is now unprocurable) and it opens at the front. The chemise was an undergarment worn against the skin and underneath the corset therefore fine fabrics were favoured. Limerick lace originated in Ireland with tambour lace which was applied on to net using a very fine hook with chain stitch. A later development was run lace where the design was marked out on net using a needle with cotton thread. The design was then filled using darning and decorative stitches. The Limerick lace industry began in the Irish city of Limerick and blossomed in the first Golden Age of Irish lace making (1820 – 1860) before the onset of the depression and the Potato Famine. The handwritten note included with this garment clearly illustrates their ongoing interest and the value that the Amess ladies placed upon the history of lace garments.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.Limerick lace, open at front. Square net.Packed with note"Real Limerick Lace undergarment" and two notes in Janet Amess' writing see 0036lace, churchill island, janet amess lace collection, limerick, square net, amess, garment, undergarment, clothing -
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 - Trim, Black Beaded
At 11cm in width, this lavishly embroidered lace would have been used as a trim or an insertion piece for evening wear, perhaps as a trim on the bodice of an off the shoulder evening gown. It comprises two layers: a strong base possibly machine made and a fine top layer luxuriously embossed with sequins and bugle beads which was possibly done by hand. It appears to have been made using matte black silk which was known as grenadine and used on the Pusher machine which could only make the pattern and the net. The outline had to be put in by hand. Nottingham stopped making Pusher lace in the early 20th century but it continued to be made in France.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. length of black beaded trim with two layers: machine made lace with hand-stitched overlay of sequins and jet cylindrical beads in abstract designs.Packaged with note: "Black beaded trimming (hand beaded)".janet amess lace collection, churchill island, lace, sequined, amess, trim