Australian filet crochet, The Weekly Times book of patterns, Peter Lane
Abstract:
Australiana is sometimes accused of being exclusive, publishing articles only on fine, expensive, early-19th century art and artefacts associated with famous men or families from the Eastern States. South Australian contributor Peter Lane delves into the makers and designers of early 20th century crochet lace, who entered a crochet competition run by a Melbourne newspaper. All were women, many of them married in working- class families. All the women were proud of their delicate crochet work, which brought a degree of creativity, artistry and refinement to their otherwise basic homes. One of them, Nell Dyson, even walked five miles (8 km) into town (and back) to get cotton thread, while her husband had the luxury of a push bike to ride into town to post her entry in The Weekly Times crochet design competition, an event that the proprietors hoped would encourage aspiring lace artists to incorporate Australian motifs into their designs.
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