Back in the early 1850s some young noviciates to the sisterhood came over to Indiana from France and one from Belgium. The one from Belgium was trained in lace-making and the Bishop of Vincennes (Indiana) felt that she could teach others and it could be a good money-making effort for the new order of Sisters. But he got to the boat that was taking them to America and the customs people there told him that you couldn't make Belgian lace anywhere outside of Belgium or you'd be sued..... now just how were they to know if someone was making lace in the Belgian manner in the backwoods of Indiana? I'm almost sure some of my Belgian ancestors did so anyway, we have some fine examples of lace on clothing in the family.
A strange story you tell there. How can you forbid anyone from practising and teaching an art that's this old? Half of the lace that's sold in Brussels is cheap Chinese import anyway.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2010-04-11 08:24 am (UTC)Back in the early 1850s some young noviciates to the sisterhood came over to Indiana from France and one from Belgium. The one from Belgium was trained in lace-making and the Bishop of Vincennes (Indiana) felt that she could teach others and it could be a good money-making effort for the new order of Sisters. But he got to the boat that was taking them to America and the customs people there told him that you couldn't make Belgian lace anywhere outside of Belgium or you'd be sued..... now just how were they to know if someone was making lace in the Belgian manner in the backwoods of Indiana? I'm almost sure some of my Belgian ancestors did so anyway, we have some fine examples of lace on clothing in the family.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-11 09:24 pm (UTC)A strange story you tell there. How can you forbid anyone from practising and teaching an art that's this old? Half of the lace that's sold in Brussels is cheap Chinese import anyway.