[lace] Calico and Muslin
Hi Vicki: Way way back, the cottons used in England were imported from India and the Middle East. Some cottons came from a place called Calicut (in India). Others came from a place called Mosul (now in Iraq). And thatâs where we get the words âcalicoâ and âmuslinâ from. Originally, they were just words that meant âcotton fabricâ, that came from one place or the other. Reaching way, way back to my university training in linguisticsâsometimes when a language has two words that mean essentially the same thing, one takes on a different meaning, because you donât need to have both words in use. I suspect that in the U.S. there was a fad for âprinted calicoâ and that eventually the word âprintedâ was dropped and the word calico came to mean the print as well as the underlying fabric. Thatâs quite a common linguistic process, but itâs localized - and apparently didnât happen in England. Regarding muslin fabric, it is interesting that until quite recently the word did not refer to one particular weight or weave of cotton. I have found a quote from a fashion magazine from the Regency era (I throw this in for the person who is giving a talk on Lace to the Jane Austen Society), that says something along the lines of âitâs time to get out your winter weight muslinsâ, indicating that the word muslin at that time was still a general word for a plain-woven cotton fabric, that could come in different weights. Not all muslin was the sheer fabric people keep saying it was. Hope this helps. Adele West Vancouver, BC (west coast of Canada) > For whatever reason, in the US, âcalicoâ describes printed cotton fabric such as one uses in patchwork quilting, whereas âmuslinâ in the US is a somewhat coarse (usually) unbleached cotton, similar to what is known as âcalicoâ in the UK. What is known as âmuslinâ in the UK is known as cheesecloth or gauze in the US. I stumbled upon this discrepancy some years ago, but have no explanation as to how it developed. Does anyone? - 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/
Re: [lace] Calico Cat / Gloriana Silk?
Hello Louise You should aim for for an average of 10-12 wraps of thread between pinholes. Just wind the thread around a narrow ruler or strip of card (make sure the threads are lying close together but not overlapping) and see how ith distance covered compares to the pinhole spacing of the pattern. More info at: http://users.argonet.co.uk/users/paternoster/lace/threadsize/ threadsize.html Brenda On 16 Feb 2005, at 08:25, Louise Bailey wrote: Has anyone used this lovely spaced-dyed silk? I got some at the Stevenage lace day last weekend. It comes as a 12-ply silk and is described as being similar to other embroidery silks in thickness. I've worked a few Russian tape patterns scaled down to fit ordinary Silko 50 - where they ask for 200% magnification I use 141% (A4 to A3) & been quite pleased with the results. So I thought I'd try with some coloured silk... The single strand looks as if it wouldn't be far off the equivalent embroidery cotton, but I am wondering what to scale a tape lace pattern to to fit it. (The pattern in question is Liggende Poes by Sebastiana van den Herik). As it comes in fairly short hanks I don't think I'll have enough for the luxury of working a test piece. Louise, in cold grey Cambridge (brr!) - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Brenda http://www.argonet.co.uk/users/paternoster/ - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [lace] Calico Cat / Gloriana Silk?
I used some Gloriana when learning Chrysanthemum lace from Cathy Belleville. It came out a lot softer than her work (linen), but had enough body to tack onto a blouse. I mixed a turquoise-and-blue variegated with some solid-color silks in the same range. The result is lovely, if I do say so myself. CHrysanthemum is very tolerant of thread thickness. Robin P. Los Angeles, California, USA (formerly Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: Louise Bailey <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Has anyone used this lovely spaced-dyed silk? I got some at the > Stevenage lace day last weekend. It comes as a 12-ply silk and is described > as being similar to other embroidery silks in thickness. > - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[lace] Calico Cat / Gloriana Silk?
Has anyone used this lovely spaced-dyed silk? I got some at the Stevenage lace day last weekend. It comes as a 12-ply silk and is described as being similar to other embroidery silks in thickness. I've worked a few Russian tape patterns scaled down to fit ordinary Silko 50 - where they ask for 200% magnification I use 141% (A4 to A3) & been quite pleased with the results. So I thought I'd try with some coloured silk... The single strand looks as if it wouldn't be far off the equivalent embroidery cotton, but I am wondering what to scale a tape lace pattern to to fit it. (The pattern in question is Liggende Poes by Sebastiana van den Herik). As it comes in fairly short hanks I don't think I'll have enough for the luxury of working a test piece. Louise, in cold grey Cambridge (brr!) - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [lace] Calico/muslin flour bags - Charlotte Kellogg's books
In a message dated 8/1/04 9:06:12 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > Mr and Mrs Hoover (before he became President), managed to persuade the > US government to send help to Belgium, and managed to persuade the > Germans to let it through. So, flour went in, and empty bags came back. > Empty, but most beautifully embroidered, by the grateful recipients; > Mrs Hoover made sure that more than just flour was sent: thread (also > thread for lacemaking) was included in the shipments... Note from Jeri: The story is quite interesting. I refer any interested scholars to the web site (Google to find it) of the Herbert C. Hoover Presidential Library, which has long descriptions of exhibits there. Girl Scout leaders would also be interested, as Mrs. Hoover was very involved in the scouting movement. > > The embroidered bags are well worth arranging a visit (they're not on > permanent display) to see, if you're going to be in that area; they're > beautiful. The story of the lacemaking threads which had also been sent > at the same, time is reported in Charlotte Kellog's (?) book, of which > fragments Jeri Ames had, kindly, re-typed for us some while ago. The > book itself is out of print but may, I think, be available on CD, due > to Tess Parrish's efforts... > Note from Jeri: This is one of the books I lent to Tess for her CD project. If I remember correctly, it is probably on CD 2, as well as the Professor's site. Details: "Bobbins of Belgium" by Charlotte Kellogg, pub. by Funk & Wagnalls in 1920.Anyone interested in lacemakers during World War I would find this first-hand account by a woman working for the relief project very interesting and inspiring. It is like a diary account, and transports you right into the homes and schools of the Belgian lacemakers during the closing days of the war. There are photographs. Kellogg's first book is "Women of Belgium - Turning Tragedy to Triumph", pub. by Funk & Wagnalls in 1917. Herbert Hoover wrote the introduction. At the time, he was Chairman of The Commission for Relief in Belgium. Charlotte's first words in this first book: "The story of Belgium will never be told. That is the word that passes oftenest between us. No one will ever by word of mouth or in writing give it to others in its entirety, or even tell what he himself has seen and felt. The longer he stays the more he realizes the futility of any such attempt, the more he becomes dumb. It requires a brush and color beyond our grasp; it must be the picture of the soul of a nation in travail, of the lifting of the strong to save the weak." >From Belgium, at that time of misery and dispair, flowed beautiful laces and embroideries - across the seas into personal and public collections. Something to ponder...so inspiring. Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace and Embroidery Resource Center - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [lace] Calico
At 11:15 PM 01-08-04 +0100, you Ann Durant wrote: >Dear All > >So many things that had very many uses are not obtainable any more. During >World War II, and presumably before, flour used to be sold in fabric bags, >heavily sized, and machine sewn with the sort of stitch where you only have >to pull one thread, and the whole thing comes apart. And those of us in Oz can still buy the bags of flour manufactured here in South Australia (at Strathalbyn about an hours drive from me). I buy the 10kg bags to make my own bread (bread machine now). *If* you can find the correct thread to pull they still open easily but herein lies the modern touch - the bag is lined with plastic (to prevent leakages) so we just cut out the plastic and have a nice size dilly bag - use it to carry all sorts of lace gear :-) Bye for now, Shirley T. - Adelaide, South Australia where its still pouring down with the wet stuff :-) - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[lace] Calico
Somewhere, - possible, and most likely,on the IOLI Conference site or link, and the list of workshops and teachers, I saw a picture of the reticella to be made in the workshop. It is worked as a drawn thread type reticella - worked directly into the fabric. from Liz in Melbourne, Oz, [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[lace] Calico
Many thanks to all who responded to the calico question. I have a muslin fabric that I hope will do. The suggestion to call the hotel is a good one, however, as always I thought of my materials at the last minute and have to hit the road myself within the next three hours! Devon - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[lace] Calico
Calico in Oz is an unbleached (usually) cotton fabric - very inexpensive. It is a plain fabric - no pattern on it. In USA I believe it is called Quilters muslin - but I could be wrong (I often am!!) I have purchased White (Bleached) calico - in wide pieces - often used for curtain lining. You can get it, here in Oz, from 90 cm wide, up to 240cm wide ( 1 yard to 2½ yards wide). The Unbleached sort usually comes in 90cm (1 yard) widths, and sometimes in 140cm widths.(54inches) Regards from Liz Ligeti [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
