A suprise :-)

When i checked the mail today i found a lovely suprise. My friend in Seattle, Gail, sent me a letter. It was a little bit bulky for a letter, and when i opened it up i found this Gorgeous antique doily. (i'll wash it and iron it flat later on...but for now, pictures!!!)
Here is all of the doily i could fit on the scanner...

I believe it is chemical lace, but for sure, it is a manufactured lace, however, this is the finest manufactured lace i have in my collection. It looks like they were trying to imitate figural handmade lace, possibly needlelace. (i think needlelace as i have seen some Glorious figural pieces from several hundred years ago, and this reminds me of them, especially the mermaids)
My lace identification and history books are all in storage at the moment, but when we are reunited...i will try to pin down wether this is indeed chemical lace.(Or, transversly, i could bring it along to the next Lace Makers Of Puget Sound meeting....lots of experts there:-)

A closer look at the design...


To make the day even brighter, my assessment of my sample poppy was Very positive, and i've the green light to carry on with the next piece. I will start writing down the length of time i sit and work on a piece to give you all a better idea of what Honiton lace is about.

love jen

It's About Time!

Yes indeed...here i've been busy at work with the madness that is American retail around a holiday(the Fourth Of July) and i've not posted anything in a month! So here we have a finished lace sample (FINALLY!!!)

This is Honiton lace, a Poppy flower sample, sepals and stem in whole stitch, top petals are half stitch with coarse thread crossings. Leadworks fill the sepals and pin and a stitch is the filling in the center. By no means a Finished piece of Lace, but definately a finished Sample of lace :-)
I'm quite pleased to be working onward again with the Honiton lace. I've also tatted enough of the edging for two sides of my sisters hankie.
Outside of these two minor accomplishments, i've just been working and playing with my delightful kittens, who are now a year old! Time flies.... oh, yes...and Sudoku. After spending the last year or so thinking people who did it were nuts(i Really Really do not get along with numbers :-( I picked up a book of the strange little number puzzles yesterday and have finished the first 20 puzzles(i had to spend some time at the doctors today...i should have been tatting...) I find it remarkable easy and even enjoyable, it's as if you are spelling a 9 character long word, over and over. (think me a simpleton if you must, but i do have a mathmatics hang up, while in elementary school in Louisiana i had a teacher tell me that mathmatics and computers were for boys and housekeeping and childrearing were for girls when i asked why we girls got to play outside when the boys played on the few computers the school had) Lovely, eh?
Enough, i have to get ready for work in the morning!
love jen