What Would Jane Think?

It was about 1865 when Euphemia  "Jane" Carter Freeman learned to make lace as a child in England.   When she was about 45 years old, she left England behind forever when the family emigrated to northern Utah.  Though the Freemans were city folks, in Utah they took up the farming life and lace making was left behind in England.  Now, that lace making legacy exists in the family again!

                                               Euphemia Jane Carter Freeman




Many years later, Jane's grandson, Kay Freeman, retired and took up the hobby of woodworking.  During a visit to a niece in Alaska, he noticed all the beautiful birch trees and coveted them.  Kay's niece (and Jane's great-granddaughter) lived in rural Alaska.  Kay choose a birch tree from their yard and they mailed him the tree trunk.  He used it for several special projects, but saved enough to make a beautiful picture frame for his niece.

                           Roma with her brother, Kay.  Roma is the mother of Kay's niece.


Years later, Jane's great-granddaughter found a teacher to show her how lace was made.  After some years of practice, she made a piece of sampler lace.  It took her a long time to make it, and there are many mistakes in it, but it was finally finished.  After all that time and effort, she wanted to make sure the precious piece of lace was kept safe, so she put it in the frame Kay made.

                                                  Finished and framed lace sampler

                              Pattern (called a pricking) and pins used to make the lace sampler


Now it is framed in the beautiful birch frame.  I wonder what Jane would think of it?