Dear Sue and other spiders I've also been enjoying the Victorian Farm series, and I think mostly the clothing is spot on. At that date, 1880s, the lace would almost certainly have been machine-made - all a woman of her class, respectable but not wealthy, could afford. At this time it was also the lace of choice for many wealthier, more fashionable ladies, who were interested in enormous amounts of yardage. Which is why the handmade lace industry was already in serious decline.
I must have missed the bit where she was shown ironing a Bedfordshire cap. Maybe that could have been passed down from an earlier generation? But it was also quite easy to make Beds lace by machine.... I love the starched and "goffered" frills under her outdoor bonnet. Bridget, in Pinner, Middlesex - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]
