Wednesday 25 July 2012

Do you love lace?

Silly question really, I know most of you adore antique lace. Handmade lace is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive to find, but......... at Sunday's brocante, I found a small plastic box full of lace. You know when you are walking along stalls, and you can see something in the distance which makes your heart beat faster and you make a beeline for it, trying not to run, lol? That was me. I could see some of the bits in the plastic container. I grabbed it, asked the price, didn't open the container, didn't even haggle, paid the woman and walked off. Once I had recovered, I told my DH about my gorgeous find. He couldn't believe I didn't even haggle, but hey, this was lace, and I wanted it, and I had to stop myself from salivating somehow, lol, and paying the woman as quickly as I possibly could was the only thing to prevent a pitiful display of the drools.


This is the box I spotted from miles away -



Almost everything in the box was antique handmade needle lace, filet lace or crochet lace, made with the finest threads, some in linen threads, some in cotton. Ooooh, boy. Some of the individual motifs were alls crunched up and held together in a bundle with a few stitches of coloured thread, I had no idea what they would look like once they were ironed. Wanna see? Tehehehe, I guess if you love lace, then you do. 


I'll start with the long lengths of lace, big and beautiful and made with such fine thread. I wish I had a better lens to show  you proper close ups -


Lace 1 - 




Lace 2 -



Compared to the first two very wide laces, this is is quite narrow -


This is a most delightful filet lace panel, showing two cherubs holding a large flower garland, with a lyre above-



More filet lace pieces -




Next are some of the gorgeous lace motifs.
Motif 1 -


No.2 -

No. 3 -


No. 4 -


No. 5 -


No. 6 -

No. 7 -


Oh, and there was also a long strip of these beautiful lace motifs sewn together -


Are you drooling as well? You can probably imagine that I am EXTREMELY happy with my find.

Thank you all so much for stopping by and indulging me and my love of lace. Bit picture heavy, wasn't it? I know I get carried away where lace is concerned.

Happy White Wednesday, lace lovers and friends! I am linking this post to Kathleen's blog Faded Charm for White Wednesday No. 162.

Toodlepip xxx

26 comments:

Karen B. said...

Wow Liz,

what a great find!!! Can't wait to see what you do with it!

hugs
Karen B. ~ Todolwen

JansArtyJunk said...

OMG what a GORGEOUS find (slightly envious here!! ;)...can't wait to see what lovelies you create with it ! :)

suziqu's thread works said...

OMG! Dear Liz - you have struck gold again!! So many incredibly beautiful pieces in that box! No wonder you didn't haggle or you may have missed out!
I am off to bed now dear friend and I know what I will be dreaming of?
I wonder what you will be doing with it all???
Hope your day is going well.
Sending big frosty hugs from the blue skies of Winter here.
Love and kisses,
Suzy xox

Marie Lost Bird Studio said...

Hi Liz,
what a lucky find.The lace is gorgeous.
Happy WW.
Hugs,
Marie

Janet Ghio said...

What a fabulous find this was!!

Jennifer Pearson Vanier said...

I know that wonderfully heady feeling when you spy the treasure and are fortunate enough to make it yours. Beautiful pieces.

Robin said...

Heaven in a box, worth every bit you paid for it I'm sure!

Hugs,
Robin

Createology said...

Ooh now you have me drooling and swooning. Lovely Lacilicious find my dear...

Queenie Believe said...

I am sooo drooling -lol- I love lace!!! You really hit it big with this purchase, enjoy!
Have a great day.
Always, Queenie

Doni said...

Well, you had me clicking so fast on your blog when I saw the word LACE....
and then oh my. OK...I'll admit that I'm jealous..that you find the BEST lace in the world and I can't seem to find anything but stiff nasty store stuff around my area, but the pictures you took and have shared just made my day!
It was like a glimpse of heaven. Those tiny tiny stithes all delicately wrought to make such LOVELY laces...wait I have to wipe my chin...
OK...now. I'm getting a bit jealous again. I copied your pictures to my computer so I can gaze at them over and over and over and dream of lace and indulge in lace pictures.
What a LOVELY find. The Dream Haul! Please let us see what you do with them.
Blessings,
Doni

Croap Queen said...

If that filet crochet is handmade, then I can really appreciate the hours and hours of work that have gone into it! Lovely :-)
JJ xx

Dorthe said...

OH -OH - OHHHHH
Liz that is truly a find to just run off with without arguing about price or anything!!!
Such wonderful pieces,-the filet laces are so beautiful, but so are all, really :-)
You dear lucky woman- congratulations,and enjoy it all so very much.
Do you still have summer in your beautiful spot?
Love ,Dorthe,xx

Andi's English Attic said...

What a lovely exciting find, and yes I know that 'I'm not really walking fast' walk. Hard to do, isn't it! xx

Rhonda said...

Shoot...you are too nice, I would have been knocking down people to get to that lace...LOL

Wait a minute...I have done that!!

Seriously, I'm a nice person, I really am.

Love your lace finds...and it's French? Please....xo Rhonda

Tina said...

That is one awesome find Liz - I would have done exactly the same - paid and run :-)
It´s so beautiful

Rozen van papier said...

It's magnifique! You were lucky to find it!

Regards Janny

Mom E. said...

Liz,
Gorgeous laces....I only found a few pieces of lace and I am not sure what is machine and what is handmade...I will have to send you pictures so you can tell me!
I am so happy you didn't have to "nudge" anyone out of your way!!! ;)

Julia @ Vintage with Laces said...

Oh my, what a GORGEOUS find, dear lucky Liz! The laces are exquisist! Sometimes you just don't haggle. You pay and then run as fast as you can before the seller changes his mind ;-). Enjoy your fabulous treasures!
Hopefully you have a sunny summer day!
Hugs to you,
Julia

My Creative House said...

Wow Liz that was a wonderful find, I'm sure you know what to do with all these treasures, wish you some wonderful summer days.
Hugs Anni

Karen said...

Oh. My. Goodness.
well..you know how I feel...and yes, I'm drooling.
sigh.
FAB!
HUGS!

Cindy Adkins said...

Oh WOW< Liz--Now I have "lace envy!" lol This is all so beautiful..amazing. I hope you're having a wonderful summer, my friend. XO Cindy

Unknown said...

Fantastic is what I have to say to all of this lace.
What a great find indeed.
I wanted to thank you for stopping by my "Did not take long to make a mess" blog post. I did find lots of treasures tucked away in those boxes.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Michele

Lynn Stevens said...

Be still my beating heart. More fabulous finds. Such a treasure . I know you will be creating beautiful things with your vintage lace.
I found a bit of vintage lace myself today ,but not nearly as beautiful as yours!
hugs Lynn

Alexandra said...

Liz die Spitze ist einfach wundervoll!

Pat C. said...

Congratulations on nabbing such a gorgeous stash of lacy loveliness! Like Doni, I want to be able to return to your pics and gaze at them whenever the mood strikes (which will be often!), so I'm bookmarking this post!;)

Thank you for sharing your beautiful find with us.:) xoxo

Mom E. said...

Liz,
Are all of these laces handmade? If they are then it helps me to tell that mine are also handmade.
Some of mine have the same style and appearance as some of these. Thanks! I will have to send pictures....when i find where I put the box of lace!