Rosemary, thanks so much for taking the time and trouble to find this information for me. I am going to bury my head in it all now and see what I can find. Many thanks, Rita.

Hi Rita,

I've found the reference, it was in the Complete Encyclopedia of Needlework by Therese de Dillmont a free copy herehttp://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20776. (bother, it doesn't show the illustrations if you read it online).

Found a better source!
http://encyclopediaofneedlework.com/index.htm
This copy has different chapter headings to mine, ignore the chapter called Irish Lace but go to
http://encyclopediaofneedlework.com/chapter_4.html#fig_139
Chapter 16, Practical Directions also has some interesting information, about halfway down it deals with laundering of lace.http://encyclopediaofneedlework.com/chapter_16.html

If you want to go ahead with trying to mend the collar, you will in all probability need a magnifying glass, lots of time & lots of patience (I would also suggest practising the technique on a separate piece of net that you have made a hole in). You will need a pad (6-8 layers of calico tacked together?) to pin/tack the collar on to, to support it and keep it in shape whilst working it and I would recommend that you have some plain light/mid blue glazed chintz (furnishing fabric) directly under the lace, as it will give you a nice smooth surface to slide the needle along & make it easier to see the lace. For threads you would need to track down some lacemakers. I can send you a sample of some fine cotton thread that I have, but you would need to identify whether the collar is made from cotton or linen. Apart from the thread thickness, you could also have the problem of thread colour - how many different shades of white/cream can you find?

These are some of the the questions/solutions that I can come up with after a nights pondering.

For an easier but more ££ option I would recommend contacting Jacqueline Hyman athttp://www.textilerestoration.co.uk/ I went on a weekend course she ran on ecclesiastical textiles, it was excellent and she is really nice.

Hi Anne, thanks but I have emailed the people in Fermanagh and they just don't respond and the phone number seems to be out of commission too! I have also contacted a company in Kerry but again no response.

It is the only piece of my grandmother's that I have. Apparently she had the house full of lace and fine crochet but it has disappeared over the years and that was all my mother had. I am glad that I am now the custodian of it. I want to repair it and frame it to keep it for the next generation, hopefully. Rita.

Rita if you Google "Limmerick lace" it takes you to lots of web sites one of which is a museum in County Fermannah( don't know if that is the right spelling)they have a contact address.
Your Grandmothers lace is lovely, it would be nice if you could get it repaired.
Good luck and let us know how you get on
Anne

I think that there could be something in Therese de Dillmont's book - I'll double check and get back to you, but your fun will be tracking down the thread to do it with!

And here's some of my grandmother's Irish (Limerick) lace!


If anybody knows how to fix the holes I would be very grateful. I tried a couple of Irish websites that Cindy Needham had links to but they didn't reply.(A singularly Irish approach to business I am sorry to say.)

for anyone dreading irish lace curtains or dust:
irish lace curtains are beautiful - if you havn't notices - just take a look at one covered with morning dew (ok this is bit difficult inside your house, but try the garden...)
and dust is NOT considered as dirt: dirt you can grow things in, just try planting a seed in a bit of dust - i'd bet it won't germinate, and although it is often greyish, it won't get moudly either

I'm sorry to hear that, Rosemary, but this guy left a lot of good memories behind.

By the way, I have never sat in a director's chair, and never will.

Regretably, he passed away some years ago. The one thing about Ian was not to let him sit on anything - he could bust anything he sat upon, directors chairs he had to replace annually, I seem to recall he also damaged a cold box by sitting on it But there was always a lot of good humour and a lot of 'charactors' in our regiment, & ECWS as a whole.

Rosemary, where is Ian? I want to propose to him. I just love men with a sense of humour.

dorfymid wrote:
Dorothy, it will probably show up later today. Something about a spam checker sometimes causes a delay.
It shows up on your profile, and you look MAH-volous, my dear!!

Oops!!! My new profile /Avatar does not seem to have worked .

How can anyone be miserable, I have just spent the last half hour reading this thread and laughing my socks off my husband came in to see what I was laughing at, I too have irish lace curtains and dust that needs re-arranging but as housework only comes before quilting in the dictionary what the heck Off to put the borders on my latest quilt and thank you again girls for cheering up a grey, rainy, day in Suffolk. ps new avatar taken by Pam Day when she came to visit (another lovely day)