Antique lace!

I was at my favorite thrift store a few weeks ago and found a plastic bag full of antique lace for $10. I snatched it up and clutched it to my chest in dramatic fashion until I'd paid for it and was safely back in my car where I couldn't set it down and forget about it. (that happens a lot. I still get a sick feeling in my stomach when I think of the giant antique portrait of a very sweet-looking old couple that I could have had for $5. Except that I set it down at some point while I was shopping with my former sister-in-law and her daughters, and completely forgot about it.)

Here are a few pics.

My friend, Jennifer, said that this is probably a mix of bobbin lace & tatting or needle-weaving.

This one is my favorite. It's so soft and drapey. Jennifer said this one is crochet lace. It's about 2 yds long and all in one piece--there is no beginning or end to this piece.

Jennifer said this was almost certainly tatting.

I haven't measured them properly, but I'd say there's probably two yards of each lace. I haven't cleaned them either. I found a recipe for cleaning yellowed fabrics using Dawn and hydrogen peroxide, which I haven't tried yet because I'm scared I'll ruin the lace. They are in remarkable shape though. There are no tears or frays that I can see in any of the pieces.

I hope I can use them in my Edwardian outfit! That I haven't made yet!