J 18 Herald - Lantern - Dispatch 9 April '86

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Candidates ' Night Set OCEAN CITY - The Ocean City Republican Club will host a Candi^ajps' Endorsement Night Monday. April 14. on the Music Pier Mayoral candidates Jack Bittner. Roy Gillian and Dean Schoenewald and council at large candidates Jeanne Clunn. Gary Jessel. Henry Knight and Nicholas Trofa have accepted invitations to speak. The annual dinner-ddance will be held at Mac's Restaurant in Somers Point 6:30 p.m. Friday. April 18. Music will be provided by the Jimmy Marshall Band. For further information and tickets, call Diane Powell at 391-0022. Club membership now stands at 190. Members are reminded that the May meeting, when Congressional candidates- Alfred J. Bennington Jr. and i Freeholder candidates Ralph W. Evans and William E. Sturm Jr. are expected to appear, has been scheduled for 8:15 p.m. Monday. May 6. on the Music Pier.

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Antiques u By Arthur H. Schwerdt

During the preview at an auction a few years ago. I peered into a cardboard box and discovered a neatly folded array of beautiful old fabrics. There were doilies, embroidered table linens, and an assortment of other items which brought back to me some vague memories of both of my grandmothers. •THESE ARE beautiful," I thought to myself as I flipped through the pile, felt the textures, and admired the intricacies of the workmanship. I determined that I would bid on the box. I wanted these fabrics: I wanted to know more about them. Since this was a rural farm auction, I didn't feel there would be too much competition for some old tablecloths. I HAD NOTICED no one looked into the box before I did. and as the bidding began. I had noticed no one bother with it since then. The auctioneer started at one dollar; I was in at three. At five dollars the bid jumped to $20; I was in again at $25. Then someone jumped to $50. quickly followed by a bid of $75. At $100 dollars, all the casual bidders, like myself, dropped out. I REASONED that I didn't know enough about the stuff ; I had come to this particular auction to bid on other things. The bidding was down to five people: two women seated up front and two more women and a man. standing at separate ends at the back of the room. The rest of us watched in silencers these five went at it. The gavel came down at $350. THIS IS NOT a great sum of money as far as tense moments at auctions are concerned, but at the time, it took me. and apparently most of the other participants. by surprise. I commented to the person sitting next to me that the woman who won the bidding didn't look particularly overjoyed. "Oh, she's just angry that she had to pay so much." he said. "But she'll make her money back with just one of the tablecloths. I bet she has a buyer all lined up." 1 THOUGHT back to what I had seen in that box. and realized what it was I remembered about my grandmothers. They both made these kind of things; their homes were full of them — antimacassars to protect the tops and arms of upholstered furniture from hair oil (macassar) and sweaty palms, doilies on I table tops, runners on the buffet and server, elaborate tablecloths and napkins (naperey). curtain and drapery trim, pillows — and

all of these changing at different times of the year, for holidays, special occasions, and for spring and fall cleaning. THE FABRICS in that box must have been handmade and auite old , some of them may nave been handed down from generations before. Of course they were valuable! As I began to study more about old fabric. I realized what a complex and highly technical field it is. There are so many things to learn, and there is a confusing and sometimes contradictory jargon involved. I AM STILL far from a complete understanding of it all. but the workmanship and beauty of these exquisite pieces are compelling. Old lace, for instance, has to be fabric at its most magnificent. Developed in 15th Century Italy as punto in aria ( stitching in the air ), it soon became a homecraft there. Two distinct types of lace emerged, determined by the method used to make it. NEEDLE LACE or needlepoint is usually made with a single needle and thread. Each design is stitched onto a backing, removed when completed, then all the pre-made designs are sewn together to form a pattern. It is recognizable by its characteristic "buttonhole" stitching. Crochet, which employs two needles and no backing, is another form of needlepoint lace. BOBBIN LACE or pillow lace is the second major type of lace. Several threads are arranged on a series of bobbins or spools. The spools are then moved over and under each other while the threads are twisted around pins which have been pre-set to produce a certain pattern The result is a fabric of sheer angelic delicacy. A LACE-MAKING machine was developed in 1809 by a man named John Heathcoat. Since then more and more lacq is machinemade Most of today's machines can make in minutes what took days for the home sewer to accomplish. Although they are beautiful, they will never be as. highly prized by collectors. As I learn more. I am noticing more. Cape May's shops have some great examples of fine old fabrics just waiting for appreciative customers who will realize

what bargains they are. I WOULD LIKE to thank particularly Mae Ackley. who, with her husband Jack, owns The Gingerbread House on Route 9 just half a mile north of me in Swainton. Mae has patiently talked to me about her fine collection of antique fabrics, and has lent me some great books on the topic. This<s7Jefinitely an area we'll be talking more about in this column. If you have some comments or bits of information about old fabrics that you would like to share with your neighbors, please drop me a line and I'll pass them on. NEXT WEEK: the touchy topic of antique shop etiquette — what should customers expect from a dealer, and vice versa. (Arthur Schwerdt. coowner of The August Farmhouse. on Route 9 in Swainton. invites questions c/o this newspaper.) Lynchburg Award to Maurer LYNCHBURG. VA. - Ms. Christine M. Maurer of 25 Acorn Lane. Court House, has been awarded a Freshman Honor Scholarship for the 1986-87 session at Lynchburg College here. The award is based on outstanding academic record and recommendations from high school. The scholarship, which carries a stipend of $1,100, is renewable for an additional three years subject to continued academic excellence on the part of the recipient. Maurer is a senior at Middle Township High School. AF Course > For O'Rourke CAPE. MAY — Airman 1st Class Peter F. O'Rourke. son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. O'Rourke of 1310 Idaho Ave., has graduated from the U.S. Air Force aircraft maintenance course at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. During the course, students were taught aircraft maintenance fundamentals to repair and service one- and twoengine jet aircraft. Maintenance management and documentation were also taught.

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