Hello Jeri
From the date, 1785, I knew it had to be knitted rather than one of the
precursers to the Leavers machine and a quick look at Pat Earnshaw's
machine lace bible confirms this .
Weft knitting and stocking frames, which is what modern domestic
knitting machines do, date back over 400 years, but warp knitting where
the stitches are transferred not to the next stitch but to the next
stitch but one only go back to the late 18th century. Many
modifications later the end result was a fabric with a hexagonal mesh.
Earnshaw states that there were only 20 of those machines around in
1780 and 1,500 by 1810, so it was certainly the 'in-thing' of 1785.
Sue asked about "white crepe" .
Crepe is a woven fabric with a finely wrinkled surface. I think it's
achieved by weaving with very highly twisted warps and wefts.
Brenda
In doing some research recently for a friend on Arachne, I came
across an
interesting paragraph in the biography by Natalie S. Bober, "Abigail
Adams -
Witness to a Revolution". (She was the wife of the 1st Vice
President and
2nd
President of the U.S., who prior to these offices had been ambassador
to
several European countries.)
One sentence in the book described the directions to her dressmaker in
London as to making her a gown that was "elegant, but plain as I could
possibly
appear, with decency." She would have no "foil or tincel about me,"
she
insisted. Her dress was of white silk trimmed with white crepe, lilac
ribbon, and
mock point lace over a hoop of "enormous extent". Ruffled cuffs, a
lace cap
with two white plumes, a lace handkerchief, and two pearl pins for
her hair
completed her "rigging", as she called it. The book says she and her
daughter
felt ridiculous at the reception hall in the palace. They waited 4
hours to
be presented to the King! (George III)
The year was 1785..
What was mock point lace at that date? (Yes, I can look it up, but it
is
more fun to have a discussion.)
Brenda in Allhallows, Kent
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.uk/index.html
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