Ultra rare lace collectors item. All handmade openwork embroidered Irish linen and filet crochet lace tablecloth. It is rather large, measuring across approximately 161 cm/63" including the lace edging. The round linen centre is approximately 73 cm/29" in diameter. The lace is 42 cm/16.5" deep.
Weldon's didn't name their designers, no matter how famous they were, however this is believed to be one of Mary Card's work that is extremely rare. It was a very difficult piece to make, so no wonder that we don't have many surviving copies.
Price includes free worldwide shipping with tracking and insurance.
The lace is in excellent condition. The linen is good too but has a pin sized hole which is not easy to spot because of the surrounding openwork embroidery. Please view the photos carefully and ask any questions before buying.
Mary Card (1861-1940) was an Australian educator and lace designer who took crochet to another level. Starting a new career as an independent middle aged woman, she shot to stardom status first in Melbourne, then moved to London and later to New York where she worked for women's magazines and continued to publish her own, very successful charts and books. Her stunning unparalelled patterns were inspired by nature, especially by the unique Australian flora and fauna. Her work has delighted and enriched the lives of women across the world when the craft of lacemaking was very popular and is still highly regarded today with collectors and lovers of antique lace. She was a very prolific designer, so much fun to be had if you should decide start collecting her work. Mary's designs inlude numerous small doilies, placemats, clothing accessories, as well as over 40 large items such as tablecloths, chair covers, towel insets and bedspreads.
We do due diligence when deciding the authenticity of the pieces we list. Some designs commonly believed to be Mary Card's work cannot be authenticated as some magazines did not credit or name their designers. For those who wish to do their own research, we recommend the excellent books of Barbara Ballantyne on the topic.