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Ayrshire Embroidery By Margaret Swain Edinburgh. Scotland. of Scotland is famous as the birthplace of Robert Burns and Alexander Fleming. dis- erer of penicillin. It has given its name also to :harming White embroidery. worked upon fine Ion muslin, which the countrywomen in Ayrshire : the west of Scotland sewed in their cottages over undred years ago. Christening robes and baby in this exquisite work are still treasured in it try homes in Scotland and Canada today. and e of the finest have found their way into n cums to show what fine stitchery could be d ever] by countrywomen in the days when the 1- light to sew by was candle light. We wonder it they kept their hands soft enough for such t thread when water had to be drawn from the and tables scrubbed with sand and coarse soup. IxI‘HE COUNTY of Ayrshire in the southwest .i L "in-"Vs gown presented to Mrs. J. Dalzell in 1341. th °“"’35Y Of the Royal Scottish Museum.) INTER 1960 Inlonl's cop from collection at the lalc Mr. John Jocoby The spinning of line cotton slatted in Scotland about l7h’ll and at first .ill [llL' weaving was done on hand loomx The turn was sent to agents in the country when: hantlloom uuavurs wow: 1! into white cotton muslin. then in great demand for ladies' Llrcsscs. l-ashion demanded embroidered muslin dresses~ so little girls of six or seven years of age (there was no compulsory schooling in those days) were taught to “flower” the webs ol' muslin. This was clean. light employment and when they grew up they could continue it in their own cottages where it highly skilled woman working for twelve hours :1 day could earn about seven shillings (one dollar) a week. of course values have changed and for her dollar she could buy u ton of coal or seven l‘owls. Ayrshire embroalery as we know it today. l'inc whim embroidery on cotton muslin with open spaces filled with needlepoint lace stitches. was used l‘or ladics' dresses. collars. cuffs and hundkei'chiul's as well as baby clothes. It owes its origin to Mrs. Jttmius’on ut’ Ayr. iln agent who is said to have given work to a thousand women, She was [cut a French baby rohc by Lady Mary h’lontgomuric who had brought it back from Italy where she had been with her young husband an officer in Wellington's army. Mrs. Jumiuson copied the fine lace fillings and taught them to the women working for her in their homes. There is it beautiful rohc in the Royal Scottish Museum. Edinburgh, made for Mrs. Jamie- 33