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Greetings~ 

March is finally here and we're getting ready for Spring with a different home improvement lecture each week.  We'd love to see you here!

2008 is our 20th Anniversary...what a privilege it's been to be a part of Historic Savage Mill for twenty years!

Savage Mill is home to many distinctive businesses, shops, boutiques, fine art studios and galleries & crafts, not to mention three restaurants.  Next time you come to see us at the Antique Center and the International Antiques & Home Design Center, spend some time exploring this fabulous old mill. 

Built in 1820, the charmingly restored buildings are named for the activities that took place here generations ago ...the Carding and Spinning buildings and the Old Weave and New Weave rooms.  It's also home to the historical Bollman Truss Suspension Bridge. 

 That passion led her to the Antique Center at Historic Savage Mill, where Treasure Trove became one of our original antique dealers in 1988.  20 years later, they are still here and going strong!

 Marie is a respected authority on linens and laces.  Beside maintaining her gorgeous space at the Antique Center, Treasure Trove can be found exhibiting at high quality antique shows throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.

Of all the forms of crochet lace, the one known as "Irish Crochet" is the most sought after and is probably the best known.  The couture profession in the early 1900"s regarded it as the true Irish lace.  While the Irish tradition for producing the work dates back to the 16th century, when it was known as 'nun's work' because the technique was developed in Irish convents, it became a cottage industry in the middle of the 19th century.

During the famine of the 1840's the Ursuline Sisters established crochet centers in Ireland, the first in 1845 in County Cork, to help relieve starvation. Soon it was adopted by the other countries throughout Ireland and thus became a symbol of life, hope and pride.  In the years immediately after the famine, crochet became a practical subject in the curriculum of convent schools.  The crochet lace developed in Irish convents had a rich decorative appearance which was due to the nun's adaptation of motifs from 17th century Venetian needlepoint as well as from the fashionable English Honiton lace and the Flemish lace, Mechlin.  So attractive was this new crochet that from about 1850 it was sought by the fashion conscious in Paris, Vienna, Brussels, London and New York.

Cork was soon recognized as the main center of crochet lace in the south of Ireland.  The demand for crochet teachers developed in other parts of Ireland as well and in 1847 established the Clones School in County Monaghan.  Here the Rector's wife Cassandra Hand's business ability and the expertise of one of the teachers made Clones one of the principle centers. Exquisite models of Guipure and  Point de Venise lace were developed.  After the dissolution of the monasteries in Spain,  Mrs. Hand developed a style of crochet based on church lace.  By 1910, Clones was the most important center of the crochet industry in Ireland.  At that time the standard of living was very poor.  Lace making provided important contributions to the family budget and for this reason there was a great demand for lace for blouses, bodices, cuffs and ruffles.  Men wore lace jabots and evening shirts.

Irish crochet became popular in the 1850's when ornate machine made lace was readily  available and so the lace craft declined.  A change in fashion in the late 1800's favored a return of lace.

By 1904 Paris couturiers were using Irish crochet lace in their summer creations.  After the First World War fashion became less feminine and so again there was a decline in interest.  Fortunately today there is a greater appreciation of hand made laces and with the support of the Irish Lace Guild there is once again a revival of interest in Irish crochet lace.

                       

Everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's Day...that's what they say, anyway, but did you know that Saint Patrick wasn't?  He was  actually from Britain.  When he was just 16, he was captured by Irish Raiders and spent six years in Ireland as a slave.   It is said that he turned to religion in his loneliness and, after his escape back to Britain, he moved to France where he studied Christianity for 12 years under St. Germaine,  Bishop of Auxerre.  In 432 AD, Patrick ( born Maewyn Succat) returned to Ireland and began converting  people to Christianity in large numbers. His success is thought to be due to his clever approach of blending Celtic rites and rituals with newer Christian customs.  He died on March 17, 460 or 461 AD, which became his feast day.

Fun Fact:  The first Saint Patrick's Day Parade took place in New York City on March 17, 1762.  That's right...not  in Ireland!  The participants were Irish soldiers serving in the English military who marched together in an effort to reconnect with their heritage and other Irish men serving in the military.

The Antique Center

at Historic Savage Mill

in the Old Weave Building

An Antiques Marketplace Beyond Compare!

150 Select Dealers in 20,000 Square Feet

Furniture~All Periods & Styles

China~Glass~Silver~Lighting~Books

Paintings~Prints~Oriental Rugs~Jewelry

Carousel Horses~Pottery~Coins

Sports Memorabilia~Military~Toys

Linens~Lace~Much, Much More

410.880.0918 ~ 301.369.4650

                               antiquec@aol.com 

                     www.antique-cntr-savage.com