Friday Lacemaking at Fairlynch





Did you like the photo at http://www.devonmuseums.net/Labours-laced-with-laughter/Latest-News/1/ of our two lace enthusiasts Sue Morgan and Margaret Williams? If so pop along to the Museum on a Friday afternoon.



This is traditionally the time when lacemaker Margaret Leese, from Exmouth, pictured above, is at Fairlynch together with Pat Lorton, from Budleigh.

 




















Demonstrating the centuries-old skill which has made East Devon famous, the pair can be seen at work on intricate pieces of delicate work which never fail to impress visitors.  Above is a copy of the Fairlynch door knocker in Honiton lace by Margaret Leese.

This year the Lace Guild is holding its Annual Convention at Exeter Racecourse from 13 to 15 April. Its members will be most welcome if they feel like making a short hop to Budleigh to admire Fairlynch's lace collection.

Margaret Williams gives a preview:

"As you enter the Lace Room the first case on the upper left has a selection of black  lace, Honiton, Tape, embroidered net and sprigs of Honiton lace made by a family of sisters in Otterton in the 1850s. Below the upper case are examples made by Fairlynch volunteers."

 


















Above: A pair of lappets in Point de Gaze lace

"The next two cases show Buckingham lace, often used for babies' wear and underwear. The embroidery is 18th century and shows a  bonnet back and other embroidery to go on a baby's gown. On one of the bonnets is Hollie Point - embroidery frequently worked by nuns in the 17th and 18th centuries."

The pillow under the window has Buckingham lace, a continuously worked lace which is wound onto a roller as it is made.

Following round the room the upper and lower cases have examples of Continental laces, Brussels - mixed bobbin and needle - also Point de Gaze which is a needle lace. The Flounce in the bottom case is seven yards long and would be gathered around the bottom of a wide skirt."

The special items in the two cases next to the door in the Lace Room consist of machine lace donated by the family of William Arthur Stevenson (1892-1990) who worked as a machine lace designer before he retired to Budleigh.

For information about the Lace Guild click on  http://www.laceguild.demon.co.uk/

This post echoes one at http://www.devonmuseums.net/Friday-Lacemaking-at-Fairlynch/Latest-News/Fairlynch-Museum/Museum-News/




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WW2 100 – 3 July 1941 – ‘Our beloved son’: Private Stanley John Holloway (1914-41) 12th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment

Image
Continued from 11 June 1941 ‘A German platoon fired a salute of honour over the grave’ FLYING OFFICER PETER HAROLD HOWARD PRITCHARD (1921-41)   https://budleighpastandpresent.blogspot.com/2021/11/ww2-75-11-june-1941-german-platoon.html   Image credit: www.FindaGrave.com Stanley’s sad death at the age of 27 stirred various thoughts in me when I first read about it. He is not listed on Budleigh Salterton’s War Memorial, yet his grave is in St Peter’s Burial Ground on Moor Lane. His family were not local, yet he seems to have been killed while engaged in the highly hazardous work of protecting Budleigh against invasion.   The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records him as a member of the 12 th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment with the Service Number was 5627659. According to the same source, his parents were George and M. Holloway, of Hounslow, Middlesex.   Tackling this WW2 project chronologically as I am, it was clear that Stanley had died on the same day as Private Clifto
Read more

People from the Past: 3. Reg Varney (1916-2008)

Image
Reginald Alfred 'Reg' Varney was an English actor, most notable for his role as a cheerful Cockney bus driver in the 1970s TV sitcom On the Buses . For ten years he lived at Dark Lane House on picturesque Dark Lane in Budleigh Salterton, seen above.  Millions of television viewers remember him with affection. He has been described as belonging to the old school of comedians, with his dislike of much contemporary television and his pride in never using swear words to get a laugh. Varney was born on 11 July 1916 in Canning Town, which was then part of Essex but is now part of East London. His father worked in a rubber factory in Silvertown and he was one of five children who grew up in Addington Road, Canning Town. He was educated at the nearby Star Lane Primary School in West Ham and after leaving school at 14, he worked as a messenger boy at the Regent Palace Hotel, pictured above.  
Read more

A home that Hatchard-Smith built: Lavender House

Image
Lavender House, one of no less than 50 houses in Budleigh Salterton designed by Hatchard-Smith   Instantly recognisable with their red and white decoration and their front doors set within brick arches, the houses built by architect William Hatchard-Smith (1887-1987) are still sought after and appreciated by their owners for their elegance and comfort, their sturdy construction and their attention to practical detail. Plans for one of the houses designed by Hatchard-Smith Lavender House, on Moorlands Road , is a four-bedroomed detached family residence built by Hatchard-Smith in the late 1920s when it was originally named Lavenderhay.   Set within what are described as beautifully landscaped gardens of approximately an acre it has recently undergone an extensive refurbishment programme while retaining much of the original charm and character. The stained glass memorial in Budleigh Sa
Read more