Hello Diane
Can anyone tell me if machines were ever able to make torchon lace exactly the way a human makes it?
Both. I believe it is China where the handmade items are made, but some years ago, as contact for a lace group, I was sent a brochure by a factory in Italy who were making Barmen machines - the lace pictured on the front was very difficult to tell from handmade.
Barmen machine lace is usually yardage and the only real clues are that there are no obvious places where pins have been. It's all done on tension which can sometimes make half stitch look more like the 'sGravenmore half stitch and sometimes spiders look a bit different too.
On the other hand the Chinese torchon is often circular mats made of concentric circles and they have to have joins which are not always so expertly done.
Brenda in Allhallows, Kent http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.uk/index.html - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]
