Madame Bovary

the description of the viscount`s cigar case embroidered with love reminded me of something i saw at lake balaton. i watched a woman making lace, actually it was a tourist attraction, she was even dresssed in traditional hungarian gear. but the way they make, or made the lace, is insane. its like driving a tractor, except like 4 tractors at a time. using all fingers, in a certain order, much like knitting but with about 8 `needles´ although they are actualy more like... batons, or spools. what great words. like pins, like bowling pins, but small with the thread on the end. and the threads are tied to a sausage dog pin cushion, which the lace is patterned onto, with the template of the lace drawn on the surface of the sausage cushion. i took some photos but its the motion of the fingers that`s mesmerising. not all needlework impresses me like this. its the time and intricacy taken over something that noone would imagine anyone sitting down to make, for hours, such a small thing. obviously now it is easy to make such things using machines. bu before machines, this is how lace was made. such effort, and time, and sweat. surely after the lace mistresses had finished their sewing, lacing, their pieces were bleached or disinfected in whatever way was custom at the time. to sell on, to i dont know who. but i need to know more about the women who made this lace. i will post pictures of the process i saw.