I was trying to find something else in the Connecticut Historical Society archives, and came across this image of the workmen (and that woman photobombing in the back corner) of the Deep River Lace Company. 

http://emuseum.chs.org/emuseum/objects/15588/workers-at-deep-river-lace-company

To see what else was out there about Deep River Lace, I just quickly searched and found this article in the NYT archives: 

Lace Factory And Artistry Of Old World Quietly Fade

Talks about a lot of old Leavers equipment and a style called "Rachel lace". Interesting tidbit about the Leaver's machines:

"But it is not entirely dying out. Each of the six huge machines from the Deep River shop weighs 16 tons and stands 9 feet 6 inches tall--a design essentially unchanged from the prototype built by John Leavers, an English lace worker, in 1813. But they are not being decommissioned. Instead the machines will be shipped to Calais, France, where the old ways of lace-making still hold sway and eager apprentices can be found."

The NYT article also references a bit about a similar mill in Rhode Island, "Rhode Island Lace Works in West Barrington" also to close soon, in August of 1990. 

Has anyone ever researched any of this? Are there some old newsletter pieces or any local scholars of this around? 

A dress historian that I follow on twitter spotted this large and unusual sampler that I thought might interest some of the folks in our group.

Tweet:  https://twitter.com/AldenBrien/status/1446533325368217604

@AldenBrien The Deerfield (MA) antiques show is online and I love this enormous long "sampler" of crochet, lace, and tatting designs. What a wall hanging it would make! #crochettwt #textiles

And the link to the actual item if you want to check it out: 1880s Crochet Lace Tatting Textile Sample Boards

https://adadealers.com/antiques/index.php?page=out&id=13097&cid=333

A nice story about the MoMu exhibition: P.LACE.S

Across five locations in Antwerp, the ModeMuseum shows how the delicate, weblike fabric became a staple of art, craft, fashion, and commerce.

I just got a copy of "Travels with George" by Nathaniel Philbrick. He did a sort of travelogue to revisit the route that George Washington took around the early US. This included Ipswich, of course, and I was wondering if he would talk about the lace. 

We got a paragraph about it, mentioning that George did purchase some and that Martha wore it on her shawl. So more people will at least hear about the lace! I feel some momentum on this topic these days....

And then I realized not everyone might know about the video of Martha's shawl by the Mount Vernon folks. But they also have a couple of other samples in their archives. 

Mount Vernon blog post: Lavish Lace.

Shawl video: RARE LOOK: Martha Washington's Shawl

Review of the Philbrick book in the NYT recently: George Washington Slept Here? Then So Will Nathaniel Philbrick.

 As of now in this CoVid Delta variant surge, Holly and Gerry are not coming down to vend.  Gerry is immunocompromised.  If the CoVid numbers improve, they will be down. But in the meantime, Holly is willing to do one large shipment to Pat’s address in time for the lace weekend.  (Class specific needs are listed at the end of this message.) Holly is willing to take orders over the phone, 607-277-0498, or do a Zoom meeting with you and show you supplies.  Of course, her website, http://www.vansciverbobbinlace.com, is quite complete. You arrange payment with Holly,  excluding shipping, and Pat will divide the shipping costs among you when you pick up your things. A deadline of 10/12 should insure delivery well in time for  Lace Day.

We’re  sorry that Kenn will not be with us this time.

MASKS WILL BE REQUIRED. Anyone without a mask will not gain entrance.

Food – for Saturday, please bring a bag lunch.  We will provide water, coffee, and tea, and individually packaged snacks.  For Sunday and Monday classes, we will have individually packaged catered food.

Supply lists:

Carolyn  - Taste of Needle lace

 Required Materials

Threads: Lizbeth size 40 tatting cotton or equivalent. 1-3 (light – _medium) colors. Sewing thread, any color (this will be removed from the finished lace)

Needles: Tapestry #24 (large eye, blunt tip). Sharp sewing needle #8 or 9.

Miscellaneous Supplies

1. small sharp scissors for thread

2. scissors for cutting paper

3. pricker or needle vice+needle

4. portable light

5. magnifier if needed

6. thimble

7. tweezers or forceps

Carolyn – Armenian Knotted Lace

 Required Materials

Students should bring these items to class:

1. Size 40 or 50 cotton cordonnet thread, e.g., Lizbeth 40, in a light or medium color

2. Several embroidery needles size 5 or close to 5. Embroidery needles have a sharp point and an elongated eye, and are also called crewel needles. I like to get the mixed size packages, e.g., sizes 3-9 or 5-10 so I can test for the best size for the thread.

3. Optional but really helpful are a few size 24 tapestry needles

4. Small sharp scissors

5. Magnifier and light if you need them for handwork

Optional if you want to start on a larger project in class:

1. Handkerchief blank or other item on which you want to add a lace edging

2. Smooth cotton thread in a size appropriate for your item. You should get comfortable with cotton before you try silk or polyester threads.

3. An embroidery needle of a good size for the thread you are using

I use DMC or Lizbeth size 80 thread with a size 8 embroidery needle and size 26 tapestry needle for the Irish linen handkerchief blanks that are commonly available from vendors.

Allie – Idrija

Thread available from  Designs by Marguccio,  who is vending.

For necklace, 3 small  pearls or beads with holes through center.

Pat – Flanders

Egyptian Cotton thread size 70, a DMC gimp size 25

Karey -  Tatting

Has supplies as vendor

Found via Instagram. 

Direct link: https://youtu.be/E4VskZNToWY

Attempted embedding: [alas, looked right in preview and then didn't display for me]

Although we broke the story of the discovery of that new piece of Ipswich Lace on a "dressed miniature" in our newsletter last time--there is a larger, luscious story about the Way sisters and their work in the current issue of Magazine Antiques. It is not online yet (although it looks like they put them up eventually). This one does not emphasize the lace, but it shows it on Sarah Sage at a nice size and high quality image.

https://www.themagazineantiques.com/magazine-september-october-2021/

Dressed for Success

The evolution of artistic recognition and appreciation for early American miniaturists Mary Way and Betsey Way Champlain

By Brian Ehrlich. 

I have a hard copy--but it might be a nice thing to have for some of the folks who will demo Ipswich lace at some point as well. I don't know how hard it is to get paper copies of magazines anymore, I rarely try. But should you want one, the window may be small.

From The Boston Globe today:

Haverhill resident Graciela Trilla won the Buttonwoods Museum’s annual “Curate your own Exhibit” competition. Trilla’s winning exhibit features her family’s collection of art by Puerto Rican artists from the 1950s. The bilingual exhibit titled “La Generación de los Cincuentas,” which translates to “The Generation of the ‘50s,” features 26 pieces created in a variety of mediums including drawing, painting, posters, and traditional Puerto Rican mundillo textiles. Additionally, the exhibit will feature a mundillo wheel — used for making traditional bobbin lace — on loan from Puerto Rico’s Museo de Mundillo. Buttonwoods, located at 240 Water St. in Haverhill, is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays, 12 to 5 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for senior citizens, $3 for children, and children under 5 free. The exhibit, which also will include ceramic pieces by Puerto Rican artist Atlas Moon Rodriguez Decker, will run Sept. 8 through Oct. 30. A reception is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 12 from 1 to 4 p.m. For more information, email info@buttonwoods.org

Sharon Sacco and I are prepared to deliver BigE entries to West Springfield on the submission day of Sept. 7. If you would like your entry to go with us, please get it/them to us by the weekend of Sept. 4-5. You must have already registered your entries and they must have the entry tags attached. Please feel free to contact either of us regarding delivery and any questions you may have. We hope to see a lot of lace items! (We will also take items for other departments too.)

Bryce

With faith that the pandemic will ease up enough to allow lace activities to resume, the Lost Art Lacers  have scheduled their Lace Day and Classes to be held Saturday through Monday, November 6^th to 8^th, 2021.  A flyer will be posted soon on their website, www.lostartlacers.org, and sent out to their mailing list.

Note: Our own Carolyn Wetzel is one of the teachers!