The Lace Makers

Sussanah,my great grandma,times three,a pillow puffed up on her knee;with daughter Ann in cobbled Cowfair,daily shaped their homespun ware.In such humble women,cottage-tied,a rare and dextrous art did reside.Fashioned out,stitch by stitch,pillowed lace in patterns rich.Tinkling bobbins with bewildering skill,inch by inch grew the intricate frill.Twisting threads in pairs and groups,knitted together with interlocking loops.An established craft of world renown grew around this county town.Plain or decorative old point lace,a lost rural industry of which there's no longer a trace.