Insertions Borders - 16th 17th Century Lace - Book 4, by Gilian Dye,
published by Cleveden Press, 2015, ISBN 978-0-9553223-6-5, 60 pages, soft
cover, amply illustrated in color and in black white.Dedicated to the
memory of Vibeke Ervo, Denmark.
It is a celebration day when a new Gil Dye book arrives in the mail,
because she always delivers new information that does not appear in other
books.
As in Gil's earlier books in this series, reproductions of the earliest
printed pattern books, actual surviving 16th and 17th century laces, and very
detailed depictions of laces in period portraits are inspirations for her
work. She recreates these laces for the benefit of 21st century
lacemakers, writing detailed texts, sharing patterns and prickings, and using
threads
that are available today.
It occurs to this reviewer that the early use of lock stitch (included in
all 4 books of this series), instead of reliance on many pins, is something
that may be of value to 21st century lacemakers. Time-pressured
lacemakers might consider adding it to their bobbin lace repertoire.
It is interesting to observe Gil's thought process as she solves
problems. For example, she was disappointed with the lace sample on page 26
because the threads did not fill spaces, as seen on the original lace. Her
solution was to soak her sample in warm water, which plumped up threads.
(Reviewer's note: it is suggested the water be distilled or de-ionized).
This
would be a good subject to discuss further at individual lace meetings
throughout the world, or on _Lace@Arachne.com_ (mailto:Lace@Arachne.com) .
In looking at wide borders, it sometimes seems that several edgings have
been joined. However, Gil's studies and experiments revealed that often a
wide border was a single piece of lace, requiring many bobbins. She writes
as if making samples is a wonderful lace puzzle game. The challenge is to
get threads to where they are needed, and traveling in the correct
direction. There is much to inspire and expand skills.
On page 34 is a memorable sentence worth keeping: The flow of your work
will be much better if you watch the threads rather than constantly
referring to a diagram or traced lines
Quote from footnote 8 on page 56: Low resolution images of hundreds of
16th and 17th century portraits in public ownership can be found on the BBC
Your Paintings website: _www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/_
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/)
Quote from footnote 14 on page 57: See: You should always look twice,
on the Understanding British Portraits website:
http://www.britishportraits.org.uk/
One interesting observation in Book 4 was with actual collar and cuff
insertions on the same garment, the collar insertion being slightly wider than
the cuff insertion. Gil realized a modern lacemaker could make the collar
lace insertion longer so part of the yardage could be pulled slightly for
the narrower cuff lace. However, she concluded that two different
lacemakers made the originals.
We owe considerable appreciation to Gil for analysing details of the many
laces in this series. Should you wish to do your own research, she
suggests studying cuffs, because they are less likely to be gathered. The
book's
cover photo of Sir John Done by Gheerarts (look it up and enlarge) serves
as an illustration of this. Both cuffs are clearly shown against dark green
sleeves. You'll love all the details in this portrait!
First came the still-available 64-page acclaimed book: Elizabethan
Lace, in 1995, which many lacemakers have used and loved. In 2012, Gil Dye
began issuing a series of four 60-page books devoted to 16th and 17th century
laces, published by Cleveden Press (Jean Leader), in Glasgow. All are
lightweight and can be easily carried with traditional lace equipment in a
lace
pillow tote bag.
http://clevedenpress.wordpress.com/
These books all complement costume books of the period, especially those
written by the late Janet Arnold.
Gil Dye's books are available in the U.S. from Van Sciver Bobbin Lace, in
Europe from Barbara Fay- Germany, and from other lace suppliers from whom
earlier books in this series have been purchased.
The conclusion of this series sets Gil free to embark on other long-planned
research projects. We are fortunate to have experts of this calibre and
commitment in our international lace community.
Jeri Ames in Maine USA
Lace and Embroidery Resource Center
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