Weaving threads of Ipswich Lace history | April 26 2025

Black silk Ipswich Lace #16, made by me from the reproduction patterns in Karen Thompson’s book of the Library of Congress original 1789 samples

If you are in the New England area, save the date for this event our lace group is having as part of the Gather Fiber Symposium month of fabulous fiber events.

We want to have the largest gathering of lacemakers in Ipswich MA in 200 years!

There are a lot more details on our lace group’s web page at this link: https://nelg.us/Weaving-threads-of-lace-history

Quick summary: from 10:30am through 4pm we’ll have lace displays, lacemakers, demonstrations, and a big group photo at the Ipswich Museum.

There are some downloadable posters and flyers there if you could help us spread the word by posting in local libraries, coffee shops, fiber and craft places, anywhere! Thanks for helping us evangelize about the American lace history that is not widely known.

Sure there’s Revolution250 stuff all April too. But not everyone was on the front lines. Women were driving economic activity in textiles and managing their home fronts and farms at that point while other family members were off with George Washington (who, by the way, bought Ipswich Lace for Martha).

Object records at Mount Vernon indicate that Martha Washington owned a black lace shawl made from Ipswich lace.

Curators at Mount Vernon show the rarely-viewed shawl with Ipswich lace trim that belonged to Martha Washington.

We want to celebrate and remember the American lace history—part of the fabric of a new country—and the women who made Ipswich Lace that is so under-appreciated.