Ipswich Lace stories in Piecework Magazine

Recently our lace group published a piece in Piecework Magazine. The main article contains an overview of the Ipswich lace industry, as well as some selected stories of the lacemakers of Ipswich that we have unearthed.

It also shows—for the first time—the shocking red Ipswich lace that we found on a cloak at Historic New England’s archives. We also show the Ipswich laces we found on Zilpah Wadsworth Longfellow’s mourning garments in the Maine Historical Society collection.

You can find Piecework Magazine’s Spring 2026 issue at this site: https://pieceworkmagazine.com/library/Gp4DPCIOQNWFgWj4RYq1Aw

There is an accompanying web feature available here: Lace Lives On! Bobbin Lace in Ipswich Past and Present

Back orders of the issue are available in their store.

My lace pillow with a piece of Ipswich lace in progress. The pattern is from Karen Thompson’s extensive reproductions published in her book about Ipswich laces.