I live in Sydney, Australia. After retiring from a career in agricultural science I became curious about the background to my mother’s crochet lace which had lain forgotten for a long time. Rosemary Shepherd OAM, Lace Specialist at the Powerhouse Museum encouraged me to research and write about this lace.
I use my extensive collection of crochet lace and its literature for my own research, to assist museums and private collectors and show to community groups. The initial emphasis was on the work of Mary Card, an Australian crochet lace designer who became internationally renowned during the early part of the twentieth century. I then researched Irish crochet lace. I explored a range of techniques and gained experience in working many of these styles.
I travelled to many museums and private collections in Australia which has a rich history of crochet lace, pioneered by Mary Card.
I also visited Ireland, England, the USA and France researching Irish crochet in museums, libraries, archives as well as with lacemakers and private collectors.
Volunteering at the Lace Study Centre at the Powerhouse Museum (Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences) for many years was a valuable learning experience https://maas.museum/event/lace-study-centre/
I am a member of the Cavalcade of History and Fashion, a private museum in Sydney and am cataloguing its remarkable collection of Irish crochet lace www.thecavalcade.org.