The Borris Lace Collection
by Marie Laurie & Annette Meldrum
There are many types of lace, but surely one of the more obscure varieties
has to be Borris lace, which is barely known in Ireland let alone
outside it. This is the story of two women who went to Borris
House in County Carlow and ended up cataloging the collection of this
little known but beautiful type of lace.
The history of Borris lace is very much a part of Ireland’s
social history during the 19th century. It is inextricably woven
with the tragic Irish Potato Famine, and started out as a way for
poor women to earn money for their families. All this makes
for fascinating reading, and makes up the first part of this unusual
book. Also shown are many photographs of the lace itself, and
information about the people who made it and the sort of items it
formed a part of. As the best way of keeping a folk tradition
alive is to actually do it yourself, I was thrilled to see that there
are also plenty of projects in here for those who want to try their
hand at making Borris lace themselves. This is not the type
of lace made with a pillow and bobbins, but needlelace such as forms
a part of stumpwork and other needlecrafts. There are some smallish
line drawings which show how to do it rather well although those fairly
experienced at needlework (not necessarily needlelace making) will
find the instructions and diagrams easier to follow than total beginners,
to which I would not recommend this book. The items are lovely,
however and anybody wanting to make them up who lives in Australia,
Ireland, UK or US will find lists of a few suppliers at the back.
I’m always on the lookout for something different, and this
particularly impressed me. |
The
Book |
Sally Milner Publishing (Distributed in the UK by Search Press) |
July 2010 |
Paperback |
1863514074 / 9781863514071 |
How-To /Craft History |
More
at Amazon.com US
|| UK |
Excerpt |
NOTE: |
The
Reviewer |
Rachel A Hyde |
Reviewed
2010 |
NOTE: |
|