Just saw this on Facebook - (Treasure Trove of Vintage Pleasures page) "Lace tea gown of chemical lace,1900:: CHEMICAL LACE- ( sometimes referred to as Schiffli lace) is a form of machine made lace. This method of lace making is done by embroidering a pattern on a sacrificial fabric that has been chemically treated so as to disintegrate after the pattern has been created. Schiffli machines came into use in the late 19th century" I bet it wasn't "environmentally friendly" initially.
The Facebook image didn't give any provenance (drives me nuts), but I was able to find it through the google image search. Interestingly it goes back to one of our VFG members - it was sold at a Kerry Taylor auction in June, 2008. I found that auction in their archives, but couldn't bring up any images. Is this one clearer? It's from pinterest.
