Historical information

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.

Significance

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.

Physical description

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 inside