Nicole gave me another box of lace last month. I find the handwork breath taking and touching the pieces puts me into a mood. 
I think about how strong the lace is. It's still here, a record of a hand made life. 
TimeFamily
Solitude
It's been such a beautiful summer. Time is so precious.
It's slipping away. (Van Morrison)
We've been living very simply this summer. Ned's family cottage is a dreamworld, an island cut off from TV news, the nine to five, those social expectations. From real life.I've slowed right down.
I'm afraid to go back on track. It's hard to make the decision to stop teaching piano, but I think I'm in the midst of making that. 
I look at the lace. We make our lives with our own hands. 
The lace was washed with ivory soap, then soaked in a 50-50 solution of lemon juice and water. It was put out in the sun for two days, and then I rinsed the lemon juice out and dried the pieces in the sun again. Thanks to my friend, Basje for the recipe.
6 comments:
I understood the meaning of having a cottage when I was in Ottawa in the summer of 2010. Whe have a similar relatioship with the country and our relatives here in the north of Spain.
Lovely collection full of such important memories. You are already involved with your community....and look at what they are going to have at the end of that project!
I love the lemon juice and sunshine recipe. My grandmother used buttermilk and laid her hand crochet pieces on a pane of glass in the sun. You've brought back fond memories with this post. Thank you so much.
i love old things and often wonder in antique stores how family made the decision to keep the furniture over the stitching....wonder if the stitching spoke, how many women would be in one pile.
I found a bunch of old lace bits at the thrift store the other day. As the cashier was ringing them in she stroked them with her hand and said "These remind me of my mother." Thing was, she was at least 65 herself - the generation that created these lace treasures is almost gone.
Thank you for passing on the whitening recipe for these precious bits of stitching....wonder if it works on yellowed spots?
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