Well, we have covered the Blue Film (and alternatives) subject to death, so I thought to look at some of my bobbin lace books for photos of old and not-so-old lace makers and lace pillows for a sense of history and with a sense of present-day conservation experience. For centuries, lace makers did very well without modern lighting, and used acid-free card prickings. I noticed in one early Springett book that she recommended the film for protecting thread from ink dyes when a pricking was marked. In this case, she did not mention vision and color contrast. The lace makers in old photos are often quite advanced in years, yet managed to see without much contrast between card and thread color. They used naked card prickings! See prickings on antique and post-World War 2 pillows: 1. Luxton's Honiton Lace book jackets (3) 2. Nottingham's Bucks and Bobbin Lace book jackets (4) 3. Skovgaard's Tonder Lace book jacket 4. Stott's Bucks Point Lace book jacket 5. Raffel's Laces of Ipswich book jacket and inside text, and many more books. Pillows with intact antique card prickings have survived in collections and museums. You can see more in lace maker post cards from European nations and in Lace Guild magazine articles. They do not have film on prickings before World War 2. For a museum lace exhibition I curated over 25 years ago, I borrowed some 19th C. dark green velum prickings from an old lace collection. I would be surprised if the orange card prickings were in use in the 19th C. If a pricking is attached to an antique pillow being offered on eBay, it is a piece of card. Many times I have cautioned against using "Scotch" tape, adhesives, and glues on all laces (even lace ID scrapbooks), because they off-gas fumes. Some lace makers leave pillows idle for long periods of time, and should be aware of this. Off-gasing is in the form of chemical fumes which can affect thread color and strength and leave permanent stains. Anything sticky is bad - microcosms may feed on substances in the adhesive. They leave stains. Think of what has happened to your old Scotch-tape-mended correspondence, photo and scrap albums when non-archival products were used.. Also, there is the transfer of sticky to lace pins, and maybe thread. A nuisance to remove, if even possible (from the thread). Since 21st C. lacemakers rarely re-use a pricking, why not make one of a dye-fast heavy paper that you prick, and pin the paper pattern instructions to the side of a roller pillow, or prop on a small easel? Pre-World War 1 lace makers did not incur any unnecessary expense when making lace to earn their bread and butter! I am beginning to think that someone of influence 45 years ago, when lace books with patterns first began to be widely published, dreamt this up. The idea spread, and now everyone thinks it is necessary. Devon gave us a very clear memo about using heavy colored paper or card stock for prickings. I took a sheet of Staples acid-free lightish blue 67 lb. cover stock, laid it on my kitchen counter, laid a piece of white DMC embroidery floss (very absorbent) on the paper, wet 2 sheets of acid-free Bounty paper towels and laid them on top, slopped more water on, and weighted with a cutting board. I went back later, and the thread was still white. We can test in our home laboratories. Again, I suggest you think of the consequences when you use lace supplies and methods not used in the 16th to 20th centuries. There were many thousands more lace makers than today. They would have used acid-free card made from old rags, not tree pulp. They would have experimented to find the most efficient and safe ways to make lace. Are some of these new practices really necessary? Please save in your Conservation binder. Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace and Embroidery Resource Center
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