I’ve been away for a short (2 nights) break in the Lake District with Dave and the boys. Yesterday, while they did some fell-walking, I visited the Ruskin Museum at Coniston. The exhibits there include some beautiful examples of ‘Ruskin Lace’, a needlelace worked on a linen ground, typically ‘Langdale Linen’. This linen was produced by local women as part of an initiative supported by Ruskin to provide income for local women from traditional skills. Langdale Linen and Ruskin lace were produced commercially from 1884. Sadly the industry declined during the First World War. The women involved, many of whom became prominent suffragettes, produced exquisite pieces, as seen in my photos below:
I’m thinking of producing a basic piece in the style of this tradition, maybe something like this little pincushion:
