Alex What you say does not really conflict with what I said. I think it is a confirmation. Part of our problem is that when we say the word "Mechlin" most lace makers think of the lace with Mechlin ground. I think that whether the stack of half stitches has 3, 4 or 6 half stitches is not really important. From what Devon and others have said, it sounds like the collectors use the word "Mechlin" to describe a straight/continuous lace from a region in the general vicinity of the town of Mechlin. And yes, it is also my impression that Mechlin ground only became popular when the ratio of ground to motifs became very large. In the mid 1700s the ratio was approximately 50/50. But from that point the ground took up more and more of the surface. And that is when Mechlin ground became common and the other more complex ground disappeared.
Lorelei From: Alex Stillwell [mailto:alexstillw...@talktalk.net] Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2017 3:21 AM To: Arachne reply <lace@arachne.com> Cc: Lorelei Halley <lhal...@bytemeusa.com> Subject: Mechlin Hi Lorelei As far as I have managed to understand it the ,Mechlin, made before about 1740 was the early type with an all-over design that rarely contained the ground we now class as Mechlin, i.e. hexagons with vertical plaits of four half stitches with two twists on the pairs on the diagonal sides. I have one piece containing plaits of only three half stitches. From my reading it would appear that it was after this, when the general design changed and more ground was used, that the different names were used. It is most confusing Alex - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
