I can vouch for the fact that the lace came off the machines in a very grubby state. A friend of mine, some years ago showed me a sample piece of lace which had been cut from a lace machine in Nottingham during one of his visits and it was a dirty grey colour. I remember him explaining that this was always the state of the lace coming from the machines before cleaning.
Annette Meldrum South Coast of NSW Australia -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, 19 November 2004 7:34 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [lace] Nottingham lace thread In a message dated 11/18/04 4:46:37 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > The history of linen thread was fascinating. > > Another fact I found out when researching family history, was that > Nottingham lace was bleached after it was made. Presumably if the thread > was bleached, it would be more likely to break on the lacemaking machines. > If anyone can confirm this I would appreciate it. In my family line I have > a family of dyers and bleachers living in Mansfield and Nottingham in the > 19th century. > This would be true. Also, the machine oils and grit present in the weaving rooms would have made the lace very dirty. Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace & Embroidery Resource Center - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]