Playing with String- Solving Puzzles- Making Vintage Lace from Antique French Pattern Books

 

Taking a printmaking break here!  The weather's been really cold and wet, and it seems a great time to stay indoors and enjoy a different activity. It's also a good time to go looking for inspiration.

I dove into my studio library, and my favorite online library, and found loads of ideas!  I have never made it through the entire alphabetical listing of the catalog for the Antique Pattern Library, there are so many wonderful titles:

http://www.antiquepatternlibrary.org/html/warm/catalog.htm

It's a fun rainy day activity for anyone interested in old books and especially art books, design books or historical drawings and reference, there's even woodworking!  Different from Project Guttenberg in that everything in the antique pattern library relates to art somehow.

I went in search of alphabets for woodblock printing, antique Art Deco and Art Nouveau floral embroidery patterns (again for woodblocks), and to look again at my favorite vintage lace making books.  I got stuck on this one, (only got as far as the letter C this time):

 http://www.antiquepatternlibrary.org/pub/PDF/B-YS033Franges.pdf

Who wouldn't love lace that has flowers and leaves (at least, what botanical artist wouldn't?)!  I decided to figure out one of the patterns.  Yes they are written in French, and yes, Google translate made a mish-mosh of the translation, but I love a good puzzle. I am greatly indebted to my friends on Ravelry and my CGOA mentor, Susan Lowman for helping me in the places where I got stuck!

Here is the beginning, it's made in three stages, there are two of these:

 It looks so seamless in the pattern photo I didn't realize at first that it was made in parts.

 

 I tried to go here with it but it was wrong, so my friend Susan, who is a Bruges Lace expert helped out!

 

 

 

Looking better but still had a few errors.  I do know a (very) little about making Bruges lace, but not enough to have recognized this stitch pattern. 

 Finis!

I've included pattern notes on my Ravelry project page, and there is a discussion of this sample in the Cyber Crochet of CGOA group:

https://www.ravelry.com/discuss/cyber-crochet-chapter-of-cgoa/3992346/151-175 

Now I am anxious to find a use for this lace!  And to start another one from this book!!!  I've already chosen one!