charity shop lace

two little bags at 50p each.....what gems...smelly and grubby...but gems none the less..I had no idea what was going to be in the bags...just lace-y bits I could cut up and collage...

I went to Macclesfield a few years ago and visited the silk mills and was allowed to throw the shuttle on a old floor loom. I also saw the machines that made lace ...in operation...l was fascinated ...what brain conceived a machine that could step by step construct complicated lace-y patterns...its like computer code ...the cards punched with coded holes...

These are mostly collars and cuffs....?1910-1920s. Funnily enough Lyn sent me a link to collars fashion helping to date ancestors photos...

 these should enlarge when you click on them so you can see the intricate work.

 

 this is about one and a half inches wide and two and a half long....

 several crochet flower rounds stitched through to keep them together...

what do I do....I think if I try washing them....they may fall to pieces....if I try ironing them...they may fall to pieces too... any ideas what to do ...?

cloakroom ? storeroom finished

well almost finished.... need to replace the green mat...

why put up a picture of a loo ? ....well... last day of June I discussed the work I wanted doing with this lovely guy... over a year ago now... he said he would be finished on his current job by August and would start after that...fine. all the trades I needed were working on the same job...and would be available the same time...fine....they actually started in October....The utility room is done but still needs snagging...the bathroom has been finished about a month ago... the cloakroom toilet needs taking out and re-positioning ...the kitchen needs its units re-positioning and new work surfaces etc... the step outside needs remaking because we moved the door.... Fingers crossed... the work might be completed by October...a year from when they actually started... and I can reclaim the rooms that are full of stuff belonging elsewhere !