Hello everybody. I've been lurking for a few months now, but Noelene's posting about gimps has stirred me to contribute. (I'm leaving the question of the lace police alone - that could take all day!)
If I understand the description (I'm definitely a diagram rather than a words person), the technique Noelene used was described by Brigita Fuhrman in her book as "twined gimp'. She notes "Twined gimp is very rarely used in Western Europe, but is a favourite in Russia and Eastern Europe. The twined gimp consists of a full pair of bobbins wound with thread as thick as or slightly thicker than the rest of the threads. Very often the gimp is of a different color than the rest of the lace". and there are diagrams, photo and pricking for a sample. Since I've been off on somewhat of a tangent of late charting bird figures in Russian Torchon lace from photographs in the books I have available, I went back to the photographs with a magnifier and can confirm that Torchon style lace made in Russia often used twined gimp rather than that simple gimp that is more familiar to us. One of the patterns, which has several figures outlined in a different colour each, also has a geometrical edge with 2 different coloured threads used. Using heavier threads for a twined gimp gives some really interesting effects as well - it seems to be how some of the laces that look more like embroidery are worked. In my search for birds in Russian Torchon lace, could I ask if any of you can help me out. As well a Brigita Fuhrmann's book, I have access to the following books: Davydoff "La Dentelle Russe" (from Digital Archives) Yefimove and Belogorskaya "Russian Lace and Embrodiery" Aurora Art Publishers "Russian Bobbin Lace" Ketshemaikina and Dehnel "Kloppelspitzen aus Wologda" Sorokina "Spitzen von Russland. Wologdaer Kloopelspitze" (my newest, some overlap with the Aurora Art book, but delicious, if pretty picture books are your thing) I know there is at least one more out there - I have a stray photocopy of a photocopy from my local lace group's collection that I haven't found the source of yet. The caption is in Russian. Christine Johnson (ex-Sydney and Newcastle, now living in beautiful Perth - the best kept secret in AUstralia). - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
