SC - RMorrisson at aol.com: Re: horse tail strainers

[allilyn at juno.com]

I asked a friend who knows a lot about netting and weaving, etc. if she
thought our horse tail strainers might be netted, like her period
hairnets.  Here's the answer.

Regards,
Allison,     allilyn at juno.com

- --------- Begin forwarded message ----------
From: RMorrisson at aol.com
To: allilyn at juno.com
Subject: Re:  horse tail strainers
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 2000 09:48:19 EDT

Greetings from Myfanwy!
I doubt that was what was used, since the finest netting I've seen is 
approximately 1/8" to 3/16" (and is probably made by the drawn thread
method, 
rather than by using a shuttle, although I couldn't be sure -- it was in
a 
case of mostly lace in the Gardner Museum in Boston, where nothing is 
labeled).  Using a 1/8" dowel as a mesh stick gets you a mesh that's
about 
1/4" -- that's about the size of the hairnets in _Textiles and Clothing_,

which would not be nearly fine enough.  I suspect that it's more likely
that 
either a loosely woven fabric (think modern-day cheesecloth) or a 
basket-woven type of arrangement was used, though I have no evidence (we
were 
just at Old Sturbridge Village on Wednesday, where I think I have seen
that 
type of strainer).
I have never worked with horsehair, so I can't tell you how strong it
would 
be.  (I'm talking real horsehair, not the stuff that's called "horsehair 
braid" that you find in fabric stores and millinary supply places).  You 
might have better luck talking to some of the equestrian folks, since I
know 
that horses' manes and tails are often braided for show.
Sorry I can't be off more help.
Lady Myfanwy ferch Rhiannon
mka Ruth Morrisson
RMorrisson at aol.com
- --------- End forwarded message ----------

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