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Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Trim
This is a lovely length of machine made lace trim which combines broderie anglaise diamonds with a subtle embroidered design. It is an insertion trim which would provide an understated embellishment to undergarments, bed linen, children’s clothing and is particularly suited for use on mob caps and aprons. Broderie anglaise patterns and techniques were copied by St Gallen embroidery machines from the 1870s onwards.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 length of lace trim with recurring diamond patternsLabel stuck on one end "4 1/2"janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, 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 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
Textile - Lace Trim, Section
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 a machine made copy of a bobbin lace featuring ‘spiders’ and double picots on the edge. It appears to be cotton and would be a pretty trim on a mob cap, a fichu or children’s clothing. 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 machineThe 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 bobbin lace trim with double picots, slightly ivory in colourjanet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, amess, machine -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Piece
This unusual lace is a chemical lace most likely produced on a Schiffli machine. Chemical lace which is sometimes referred to as Schiffli lace is a form of machine made lace. The design is embroidered on to a sacrificial fabric which has been treated to disintegrate or dissolve away leaving the delicate pattern seen here. This design is somewhat like a miniature Tudor design and is quite delicate and decorative. Schiffli machines came into use in the late 19th century and nowadays the lace is made on a multi head or multi needle Schiffli machine. The pattern is designed to form a series of interlocking threads that can stand alone when the sacrificial fabric has been removed. This lace would make an elegant edging to a collar or cuffs among many other uses.The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess women.Chemical lace in a miniature Tudor stylejanet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, chemical -
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 Piece
This piece is a beautifully preserved machine made copy of Valenciennes style lace as can be seen from the diamond shaped ground. This would have been 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 the hand-made lace maker and it makes perfect copies of 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. 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.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 made Valenciennes lace with diamond groundjanet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, machine -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Piece
This piece is amachine made copy of Valenciennes bobbin lace with many-legged spiders and a simple oval and circle pattern. Again it is worth noting that hand-made Valenciennes lace was very costly and time consuming (e.g., a pair of ruffles valued at £160 would take the lace maker ten months of fifteen hour days to complete) therefore the advent of machine made copies was welcomed although the Barmen made lace was more expensive that that made on the Leavers machine. 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.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 made Valenciennes lacejanet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, amess, machine -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Trim
This trim is a delicate example of tatting which is a form of knotted lace. The lace is made by hand using a small shuttle which could be made of bone, tortoiseshell, steel or more recently, plastic. The shuttle is double sided with shell like sides which point towards each other at the ends to ease passing through loops of the larks head knot which is the main stitch used in tatting. The centre of the shuttle has a shaft with the thread wound onto it. Knotted laces have been made for several centuries but tatting is believed to have originated in the 18th century by the knotting of embroidery threads in preparation for couched work. This was done by ladies to relieve the monotony of long coach journeys sometimes using a shuttle for ease of manipulation. This knotted thread could be formed into circles and stitched together using a needle and thread. In the 1870s there were two major developments, first the introduction of picots which added daintiness to the work and secondly the use of a second shuttle with a separate thread to join the loops into a pattern of circles, squares, triangles and diamonds. Needle Tatting is another form of this craft where the work is done using a needle which the same width all along including the eye. This results in a different structure and slightly thicker end result than shuttle tatting as the needle must pass through the work. There is also a version called Cro-Tatting where the craft is created using a needle with a crochet hook on the end but again the hook must be the same diameter as the needleChurchill 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 tatted lace.janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, amess, tatting -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace Trim
This trim is a delicate example of tatting which is a form of knotted lace. The lace is made by hand using a small shuttle which could be made of bone, tortoiseshell, steel or more recently, plastic. The shuttle is double sided with shell like sides which point towards each other at the ends to ease passing through loops of the larks head knot which is the main stitch used in tatting. The centre of the shuttle has a shaft with the thread wound onto it. Knotted laces have been made for several centuries but tatting is believed to have originated in the 18th century by the knotting of embroidery threads in preparation for couched work. This was done by ladies to relieve the monotony of long coach journeys sometimes using a shuttle for ease of manipulation. This knotted thread could be formed into circles and stitched together using a needle and thread. In the 1870s there were two major developments, first the introduction of picots which added daintiness to the work and secondly the use of a second shuttle with a separate thread to join the loops into a pattern of circles, squares, triangles and diamonds. Needle Tatting is another form of this craft where the work is done using a needle which the same width all along including the eye. This results in a different structure and slightly thicker end result than shuttle tatting as the needle must pass through the work. There is also a version called Cro-Tatting where the craft is created using a needle with a crochet hook on the end but again the hook must be the same diameter as the needle.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. Delicate length of tatted lace trim.janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, janet, amess, tatting -
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 Trim
This length of machine embroidered insertion was most likely intended to be sewn into children’s wear, women’s undergarments and nightgowns or as an embellishment for bed linen. Fagoting is a stitch used to join two hemmed edges together or an embroidery done by pulling out horizontal threads and using the vertical stitches to decorate the gap. This fagoting is quite dainty and the satin stitch four leaved flowers add further decoration. This would have been created on an embroidery machine most likely in the early 19th century. The first known use of the word ‘fagoting’ was in 1868 and relates to small sticks of firewood tied into bundles.The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess women.Length of machine embroidered lace trim, with thick bands of plain white material and small insert of white lace.janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, janet, amess, machine, embroidery -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Textile - Lace
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
Textile - Crochet
This small hand crocheted motif is a classic example of Irish crochet. It has been made to look like bobbin lace with the diamond shaped ground but with delicate picots resembling Clones knots and the flower design made with half trebles and trebles. It appears to be one motif of a series to be attached to a fabric to form a decorative edging. The hypotenuse of the triangle has plain loops for attachment whereas the other two sides have the scalloped edges with picots/Clones knots. Irish crochet was developed in the mid-19th century by the Ursuline nuns in County Cork but was soon being taught in every convent in the country. It was taught to women to give relief from poverty.The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess women.Small triangle piece of Irish crochet.janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, janet, amess, hand, crotchet -
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 - 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 - Camisole, c 1870
This delicate camisole was donated with a note enclosed stating the following : “hand embroidered cotton camisole c 1870”. However it is believed to be silk net with silk machine made lace insertions and silk hand embroidery (Lace Group Embroiderers Guild 1/3/12).The camisole came in to being in the Victorian era. The wearing of corsets to ‘improve’ body shape was mandatory and the chemise being long was considered too bulky to cover the corset. The camisole was developed being short and light and was worn over the corset and under the bodice of the outer garment. This beautiful camisole would most likely have been used under evening wear.The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess womenMachine lace insertions; silk embroidery (NGV) silk net, machine embroidery (Lace Group Embroiderers Guild 1/3/12) See photos (5)Packaged with note; "hand embroidered cotton camisole c 1870"janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, janet, amess, camisole, machine, silk, cotton, 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
Textile - Bed Jacket, Cuff, 1860
This is a fine cotton bed jacket decorated with beautiful whitework embroidery. Whitework is any type of embroidery where the threads worked are the same colour as the base fabric. It is usually worked on white linen but this could be worked on Hardanger fabric which is 22 thread count cotton. The embroidery is a combination of types but drawn thread work and Hardanger work can be clearly seen on this garment.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.Bed Jacket with open frontPackaged with note: "Limerick lace bed jacket Janet Amess 1860 from Kel Bright collection with separated cuff".janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, janet, amess, bed, jacket, cuff, garment, clothing, princess, machine, bobbin -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Clothing - Bed jacket
The names of the Amess women who owned the lace are: Jane Amess (nee Straughan) – donor Unity’s great grandmother (pet name Janet, but not used as it will confuse with Unity’s mother). Jane was the wife of Samuel Amess, first Samuel Amess to own Churchill Island. Frances Amess (nee Turnbull) – grandmother, married Robert Lisle Straughan Amess, 4th child of Samuel and Jane Janet Jickell (nee Amess) – mother, 2nd of two children of Robert and Francis, married James Jickell Unity Mary Bright (nee Jickell) was the donor, 2nd of two children of Robert and Francis. 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.See photos (4)Packaged with note "Fine cotton bed jacket. Hand embroidered scalloped edge."janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, bed, jacket, amess -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Clothing - Petticoat
This elegant petticoat has been made with rows of hairpin crochet interspersed with traditional crochet. Hairpin crochet is worked over a ‘loom’ to keep all of the loops the same length. What a special wedding petticoat this is and perhaps the bride had worked it herself to keep in her ‘hope chest’ or trousseau. The thread used for this project is a machine braid. Note that this is only a half petticoat as the bride would have worn a camisole under the bodice of her gown.The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess women. white petticoat, with crochet trim, and a machine made elasticised waist bandPackaged with note: "Wedding petticoat. Hand crocheted. Handmade button holes. Pure cotton. Machined waist band".janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, janet, amess, petticoat, garment, clothing, machine, braid, crotchet -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Clothing - Camisole
This may have been the camisole worn by the same bride as in 0087. It would be worn over her corset and under the bodice of her gown. This fabric must have been bought with a camisole in mind and the machine embroidery in place. It would have been embroidered on a Schiffli machine. It is interesting that the seams are hand stitched which may indicate that it was an item from a trousseau. There are ribbon insertion points along the top and bottom of the garment and although there are satin shoulder straps they could easily be tucked away or removed so that this could be worn under an off the shoulder gown. Packaged with note: "White cotton camisole hand stitched seams. Probably purchased fabric pre 1900".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 with small floral motifs Packaged with note: "White cotton camisole hand stitched seams. Probably purchased fabric pre 1900".janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, janet, amess, jane, corset, cover, machine, embroidery -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Note
The names of the Amess women who owned the lace are: Jane Amess (nee Straughan) – donor Unity’s great grandmother (pet name Janet, but not used as it will confuse with Unity’s mother). Jane was the wife of Samuel Amess, first Samuel Amess to own Churchill Island. Frances Amess (nee Turnbull) – grandmother, married Robert Lisle Straughan Amess, 4th child of Samuel and Jane Janet Jickell (nee Amess) – mother, 2nd of two children of Robert and Francis, married James Jickell Unity Mary Bright (nee Jickell) was the donor, 2nd of two children of Robert and Francis. 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.See photocopy. Packaged with items 0011 to 0019"To whom it may concern:- my apologies for this jumble. It is just as it was left to me and i have no knowledge as to whether there is anything of interest or not. Please do as you see fit with it. U Bright."janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, note, amess -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Notes from donor
The names of the Amess women who owned the lace are: Jane Amess (nee Straughan) – donor Unity’s great grandmother (pet name Janet, but not used as it will confuse with Unity’s mother). Jane was the wife of Samuel Amess, first Samuel Amess to own Churchill Island. Frances Amess (nee Turnbull) – grandmother, married Robert Lisle Straughan Amess, 4th child of Samuel and Jane Janet Jickell (nee Amess) – mother, 2nd of two children of Robert and Francis, married James Jickell Unity Mary Bright (nee Jickell) was the donor, 2nd of two children of Robert and Francis. 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.2 pieces of notepaper See photocopy Packaged with 0025-26 and 00291) "The effects of my Great Grandmother Janet Amess, wife of Samuel Amess. Dated back to 1850s-60s. Unity Bright." 2) "To whom it may concern. My apologies for the creasing, discoloration and markings but they have inevitably come with age and I hope that someone with the skills to rectify the conditions somewhat can improve them. Thank you very much. U Bright"janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, notes, amess -
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Clothing - Blouse, 1970s
This bed jacket was, as the enclosed note stated, “probably hand made in Asia” and has been identified as Chinese 20th century by the Lace Group Embroiderers Guild. The insertions at the wrist are very fine handmade Irish crochet with the treble fans and Clones knots visible. The embroidery on the reminder of the jacket has also been executed by hand. Being white work is quite unusual for Chinese embroidery as it is traditionally colourful or monochromatic such as red work or blue as in the willow pattern. Perhaps this was made with the Western market in mind.The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess womenChinese 20th C Hand crocheted insertions. Hand embroidery. White blouse/bed jacket.Packaged with note "Light bed jacket. Probably hand made in Asia c 1970 judging by size tag '14'"amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, frances, janet, jane, amess, embroidery, cotton, chinese, hand, crotcheted -
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
Clothing - Strip, 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 or was unlucky enough to come ashore on the Island. Furs were tanned and lined with fine fabrics to create items of apparel because seal fur has a soft velvety feel when stroked in the direction of growth. This strip appears to be around 22 inches in length and would be suitable to use as a belt for a tiny waisted lady or girl or it could have been used as a collar.The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess womenA narrow strip of brown seal fur with grey backingjane, amess, janet, frances, seal, fur, churchill island