Lace is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by hand.

The holes can be formed via removal of threads or cloth from a previously woven fabric, but
more often open spaces are created as part of the lace fabric. Lace-making is an ancient craft.
True lace was not made until the late 15th and early 16th centuries. A true lace is created when a
thread is looped, twisted or braided to other threads independently from a backing fabric.

Originally linen, silk, gold, or silver threads were used. Now lace is often made with cotton
thread. Manufactured lace may be made of synthetic fiber. A few modern artists make lace with
a fine copper or silver wire instead of thread.

Types

The Chancellor of Oxford University. The robes of some high officers of state and university
officials are trimmed with gold plate lace or gold oakleaf lace.

There are many types of lace, classified by how they are made. These include:

 Needle lace; such as Kenmare Lace are made using a needle and thread. This is the most
flexible of the lace-making arts. While some types can be made more quickly than the finest
of bobbin laces, others are very time-consuming. Some purists regard needle lace as the
height of lace-making. The finest antique needle laces were [made] from a very fine thread
that is not manufactured today.

 Cutwork, or whitework; lace constructed by removing threads from a woven background,

and the remaining threads wrapped or filled with embroidery.

 Bobbin Lace; as the name suggests, made with bobbins and a pillow. The bobbins, turned
from wood, bone or plastic, hold threads which are woven together and held in place with
pins stuck in the pattern on the pillow. The pillow contains straw, preferably oat straw or
other materials such as sawdust, insulation styrofoam or ethafoam. Also known as Bone-
lace. Chantilly lace is a type of bobbin lace.

 Tape lace; makes the tape in the lace as it is worked, or uses a machine- or hand-made
textile strip formed into a design, then joined and embellished with needle or bobbin lace.
 Knotted lace; including macramé and tatting. Tatted lace is made with a shuttle or a tatting
needle.

 Crocheted lace; including Irish crochet, pineapple crochet, and filet crochet.

 Knitted lace; including Shetland lace, such as the "wedding ring shawl", a lace shawl so fine
that it can be pulled through a wedding ring.

 Machine-made; any style of lace created or replicated using mechanical means.

 Guipure; The stitching area is stitched with embroidery threads that form a continuous
motif. Afterwards, the stitching areas are removed and only the embroidery remains. The
stitching ground is made of water-soluble or non heat-resistant material.
 History



 Valuable old lace, framed for commercial use in Bruges, Belgium
 Objects resembling lace bobbins have been found in Roman remains, but there are no
records of Roman lace-making. The craft may have begun in the first half of the 14th
century in Flanders (now on the border between France and Belgium).
 Lace was used by clergy of the early Catholic Church as part of vestments in religious
ceremonies, but did not come into widespread use until the 16th century.[1] The
popularity of lace increased rapidly and the cottage industry of lace making spread
throughout Europe to most European countries. Countries like Finland (town of Rauma),
Czech Republic (town of Vamberk), Slovenia (town of Idrija), England (town of
 Honiton), France, Belgium, Hungary, Ireland, Malta, Russia, Spain, Turkey and others all
have their own unique artistic heritage expressed through lace.
 In North America in the 19th century, lace making was spread to the Native American
tribes through missionaries.[2]
 St. John Francis Regis helped many country girls stay away from the cities by
establishing them in the lacemaking and embroidery trade, which is why he became the
Patron Saint of lace-making.[citation needed]
 Traditionally, lace was used to make tablecloths and doilies and in both men's and
women's clothing. The English diarist Samuel Pepys often wrote about the lace used for
his, his wife's, and his acquaintances' clothing, and on May 7, 1669 noted that he intended
to remove the gold lace from the sleeves of his coat "as it is fit [he] should", possibly in
order to avoid charges of ostentatious living.[3]

Military uniforms
The term 'lace' is used by the British to refer to the gold bands sewn onto the sleeves of naval
officers' uniforms to indicate rank, and to name the similar decoration elsewhere on other
uniforms (such as Italian caps and Polish collars) because of the procedure used to make it. In
America, the term is not used for this purpose because the bands are metal compactly sewn,
while 'lace' seems to imply cloth sewn into patterns with holes in them.

Articles on laces

Handmade Laces

by Chillibreeze on November 15, 2010

in Miscellaneous

It is about making handmade laces.

This article has been published as submitted by the writer without any editing by
Chillibreeze so you can critique it, in its original format. Please feel free to rate and
comment on this article.

Scroll down to the bottom to rate this article.

Author: Prasad VSSN

Laces are cute looking pieces of art made using thread. Laces add gracefulness to run-of-the-mill
household furnishings such as door and window curtains, bed spreads, cushion covers, table
mats, table clothes and center spreads. Nowadays laces are used in making garments to enrich
beauty and appeal of garments. Dresses made of exotic laces are in great demand. Lace apparels
are both exciting and enticing. Lace making is an age old art. Originally laces are made with
threads of costly materials like gold and silver. These are used by people who are wealthy and
aristocratic gentry. In those days lace making is only known to a few artisans. These artisans
catered to the needs of nobility. As lace making needed costly and rare material, laces were
available to super rich. Over a period of time lace making gained popularity as the use of cheap
and widely available material like silk, wool and cotton thread for making lace. In sixteenth
century lace fabrication began to flourish as a cottage industry in Europe.

Handmade lace came to India in seventeenth century. Christian missionaries brought laces and
lace making skill to India. These clergymen initially concentrated their work in coastal areas of
Indian subcontinent. Around the time great settlements of Europeans began in the Godavari river
delta, where the Dutch along with the English established settlements. Locals learned lace
making. People, especially womenfolk caught up with lace making. The art is transferred on
from mother to daughter. The tradition is continued. Handmade lace making stayed in coastal
Andhra Pradesh. At present handmade cotton laces are exported throughout the world. It is a
good foreign currency earner. State Government is encouraging handmade lace making by
establishing Lace Parks and promoting exports of laces. Lace making is an attractive means of
earning some extra money without leaving home. Perhaps it is the first ever activity in ‘work
from home’ genre, in our parts of the globe. Handmade laces certainly contributed to the
economic welfare of rural masses.

Laces are mainly two types, handmade and machine made. Machine made laces are uniform, of
no great value to discerning connoisseur. Factory made laces are nothing but endless
reproductions of some pre-designed pattern. They may have consistent quality but they lack in
range and exclusiveness. Handmade laces are unique. Handmade laces are lovingly crafted using
a special needle. Various types are thread is used to make laces. Qualities like look, feel, and
texture of laces depend on the thread used in making them. Laces made from cotton threads are
more appealing and durable than that of nylon or silk. Laces made with assorted colored thread
have enhanced beauty. Laces come in different shapes and sizes. They are round, square,
rectangle, oval and oblong. Size of rounds or squares start from four inches. Table place mats are
usually round and square. Most people like their lace table place mats to be pure cotton. Lace
table mats are in great demand throughout the world. Laces can be made to any size depending
on the usage.

Handmade lace making is an activity that generates employment. Mechanical methods are used
to manufacture machine made laces. So machine made laces give little scope for employment.
Few semi-skilled employees make hundreds of square meters of lace using machines. Handmade
lace making involves a lot of people. Many rural women are employed in this cottage industry.
Handmade lace making augments income of rural families. Usually rural folk do not have any
other avenues to work except to work in fields as agricultural labor.

You do not need brain and brawn to make handmade laces. It only involves simple work with
needle and thread. All you need is a desire to learn, a needle and some thread. The needle is
called crochet needle or lace needle. It is available in any shop that deals in tailoring material.
Every friendly neighbor is able to teach you handmade lace making. There are many such helpful
people in coastal area of Andhra Pradesh. These people are eager to promote lace making.
Regular practice makes you a skilled lace maker within no time. It is a productive way to spend
your spare time. You can as well earn money in your leisure time without leaving the comfort of
your home. There is no distance to travel, no boss; just thread, needle and you. You will also
have the satisfaction of creating something with your own hands.

Learn to loop and knot thread. That is lace making for you in simple terms. These loops and
knots form designs in laces. If you are a beginner, you try to work on some easy laces. You start
forming some elementary pieces of lace. Simple laces have the basic designs. You take a simple
lace as a model. You carefully observe how thread runs through the lace. Threaded loops and
knots define the design of the lace. Follow the pattern faithfully to weave a lace piece that is
identical to the original. Even a novice is able make laces with simple designs. You just join
these small pieces of lace to make a bigger piece of lace. Once you gain some experience, you
may venture to experiment with more intricate patterns of lace. The sizes of laces can be
increased by attaching small laces together.

There are many lace merchants around Palakol. Some sell laces in domestic markets in metro
cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. Some export laces worldwide. This is how they
do their business. They contact importers of different countries who might be interested in
selling handmade laces. They send some samples of laces and a price list to the prospective
buyer. If a buyer likes the workmanship and quality of laces given as samples, he gives an order.
Lace exporters distribute the sample pieces and required thread to reliable lace makers. A
mutually agreed delivery date is fixed. Lace maker should make laces identical to the given
sample laces and deliver them on agreed time. Thread is given and laces are collected by weight.
Lace makers are paid wages depending on the design and size of the laces. The wages also vary
with the type of the thread used. Payments are calculated by the weight of thread used.

Laces are gathered in a workshop for final touches. They are carefully checked for consistency of
design, quality and size. They are cleaned and ironed. They are then packed according to the
instructions of the buyer. Finally they reach buyer through air or by sea as the case may be. The
whole process takes two to three months. There are regular buyers in USA and Europe.
Handmade laces are exported to the Far East, Middle East and Australia also. Recently first lady
of United States bought handmade laces made in Andhra Pradesh when she visited an art
showroom in Delhi.

Institute of the Fransiscan Missionaries of Mary, Madras India

Lace class in Kalimpong, India
Madras Lace School part of a Mission orphanage
Lacemaking in Ramand India

THE LACES, THEN AND NOW

The skill required to make these exquisite, dimensional art forms is centuries old and only currently made as
a ‘hobby' lace or by a few artists worldwide. The origin of lace is long and colorful, steeped with historic
events, the famous and infamous, surrounded by beauty and life as well as death. An integral part of
various cultures, its roots began as far back as Egyptian times but were brought into the mainstream via the
Church. Below is a brief summary of a very complex history of the origin of recorded lace, the various
categories of lace and the technique of bobbin lace:
Hands in motion making CLUNY lace

A POINT MILAN pattern in work

LACE BY DEFINITION

“Lace” technically is a type of needlepoint. If it is made with no fabric foundation, it is called punto in aria.
This includes, for example, Venice and Spanish flat point and raised point, point de France, Alençon point
and point de gaze. The designs are quite different, but they are all from the same category of bobbin point
lace making. This technique incorporates small bobbins onto which the thread is wound, and then hang from
the point of attachment. The ‘canvas' or pattern of the design is ‘pricked' into a special paper placed over a
large, round pillow (trine a fuselli) with a slightly arched surface. The lace design is created by quickly
overlapping and crossing the bobbins, almost braiding or weaving them together, therefore knotting the
thread into the desired pattern. As the lace pattern is made, it is ‘pinned' into the appropriate section of the
pricked pattern with small pins, sometimes using hundreds of pins to hold the various sections in place. The
bobbins are used continuously throughout the process completing both the pattern and groundwork of the
lace. There is no fabric incorporated into the pattern, just strands of the thread creating the weight, tension
and design.

THE PROCESS OF MAKING FINE BOBBIN LACE

Preparing the lace pattern on the pillow

Winiding the Lace thread onto bobbins

Young Students learning from a Master

Lace Ladies in action

Historically, the same process has been used for making all forms of bobbin lace for centuries. The lace our
India “Lace Ladies” are making is Venetian Lace, Point Milan Lace and Cluny Lace. They're all unique
methods but have similarities – the use of bobbins wound with one strand of lace thread, a pattern punched
into a heavy gauge paper cover over a lap ‘pillow' and the use of pins to control the pattern. The images
(see photos) show how the lace is developed on top of the ‘pillow' and held in place with pins until a section
is completed then pins are removed. For many designs, it may require over one hundred bobbins are
attached to the pillow at one time. The thread is never touched – once it's wound onto the small wooden
bobbin, fingers only touch the bobbin handle and the pins, not the thread itself. It is never washed, as is
customary with other techniques of embroidery or crochet. The lace is pristine and crisp, natural and
flowing. It is the technique that creates the rigidity or drape in the lace. A Venetian lace piece is much more
rigid than the same type of design in Cluny lace, which is flowing, soft and airy. Examples of each are
shown, although to see a photo is much different than touching the texture and appreciating the complexity
of the lace weaving.

Once the lace pattern is set up and the bobbins attached, the artist moves her hands rapidly back and forth,
over and under, to braid, twist and combine the threads to create the patterns. It’s unbelievable to see the
speed at which these “Lace Ladies” manipulate the bobbins and the perfect tension created with each
motion. Even a pattern that looks like simple mesh or a web type design is actually made of many threads
being combined and ‘braided’ together to make what appears to be a simple line. It reminds me of complex
overlapping techniques used in macramé, but in miniature form and not just making a straight ‘braided’
rope or wall hanging reminiscent of a 70’s art project!

The beauty of this lace, the complex techniques used and the outcome are unexpected coming from a
tropical, rural community. Usually the products coming from this region of Southern India are made from
local materials like coconuts, shells or palm fibers, certainly not delicate lace products. This is the
uniqueness of the Lace Ladies of India.

THE HISTORY OF LACE

As early as the 1st century, Egyptians used a square knotted mesh netting, “lace” made with bobbins and
lace stitches worked on linen. These were found in tombs and can be seen in the Victoria and Albert Museum
in London, also at the Cluny Museum, Paris. Over the following centuries, there is evidence of basic hand-
worked lace which gradually developed into the more beautiful laces used during the 15th, 116th & 17th
centuries. There are references to lace as “knotted white thread” in The "Ancren Riwle" of the thirteenth
century. It admonishes nuns of that time period against devoting too much time to lace making to the
detriment of work for the poor. Around 1312, included in the possessions inventory of the Temple Church,
London, of the Knights Templars, an item listed is "one net which is called Espinum to cover the Lectern".

The church is referred to as the “first patron of lace-making”. Nuns created the finest existing specimens of
lace objects used to decorate alters, Mass vestments, etc. During the Victorian era, lace transitioned into
mainstream fashion for the rich and noble.
As early as the 8th century, paintings of monks of the Benedictine Order depict lace fashioned by nuns and
used for the church. Most ornamented items used for the church incorporated lace, which became an
integral part of the items used in religious ceremonies and in making linen vestments. The earliest known
pieces of lace work used in linen vestments, or albs made by nuns, are preserved at St. Clare's convent,
Assisi, one being worn by St. Francis of Assisi (d.1226). The alb of Pope Boniface VIII is part of the treasury
of the Sistine Chapel. Many of the designs are formed after symbol of the cross. Cross width pieces were
often designed for covers for the lectern, including one remarkable piece dating from the fifteenth century
probably made by the nuns at Assisi. It is a strip of tela tirata, measuring six feet by twelve and one-half
inches and in the design is a representation of St. Francis receiving the Stigmata.

Existing historic lace-pattern books date back to 1527, proving the art was already well practiced at that
time. The patterns from this period are complex and could only be ‘worked’ by someone of great experience.
Punto in aria was initiated in Venice at this time. It was worked first as flat point and punto avorio, evolving
into the raised point, or point de neige, more commonly referred to as rosalline point, sometimes as point
Milan. It is characterized by scroll and floral patterns, softly flowing together with fine detail throughout and
a three dimensional quality overall, but less rigid than traditional Venetian lace.

These pillow or bobbin laces flourished in Belgium, Holland and France from the fifteenth to eighteenth
centuries. Rivalries existed between each country in regard to their level of ability and techniques of their
designs, which included the English since the early sixteenth century. Holy point, a distinctive English
needlepoint lace primarily used for baptismal garments or infants' caps, is most commonly known, although
Devonshire, Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire lace have always been important forms of bobbin lace in
England.

Nearby Youghal, Ireland is known for needlepoint lace originated by nuns of the Presentation Convent
around the mid 1800’s, at one time receiving a ‘gold medal’ from the Vatican for design and execution.
Other needlepoint lace makers include the Poor Clares at Kenmare since 1862 and the Institute for Deaf and
Dumb Girls, St. Mary's, Cabra, Dublin, skillful in Limerick darned lace. In Kinsale, The Convent of Mercy has
made Limerick and crochet lace since 1847. The Co-operative Lace Society also has a long history in lace
making, as do many European Convents. As early as the 1800’s, Christian nuns settling in other countries
around the world as part of the missionary movement brought with them the skill of bobbin and other lace
making techniques and taught native girls these skills. These goods were exported entirely to Europe and
did not really become part of the local fabric of the community.

As early as 1811, hand workers were already protesting the use of machinery to make products, including
lace. This was the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and even at this early date, workers would see the
demise of handwork before the next generation had passed. In this same year, Ned Ludd organized
traditional home workers in Nottingham, England and began machine breaking in mills and factories. This
practice continued illegally until 1817 by other “Luddites” and spread throughout the Midlands and north of
England. In 1811, 13 Luddites were executed in York, which signaled the beginning of the end of the
movement. In February 1817, the last significant attack took place at a Loughborough lace factory.

LACE IN MODERN TIMES

In more contemporary times, a select few European groups continue to make various forms of lace or
needlepoint lace, but for the most part, the skills have died out, only being represented as part of the
unique history of the region, but hardly practiced as a viable skill. It is mostly reserved for artisans
preserving the art form, as is the case in Puerto Rico. Interestingly, probably the last active group of lace
making women exists in southern India, primarily associated two specific convents settled in the early
1800’s by Belgian missionaries, then resurrected in part by a local community of ‘social units’ employing the
village ladies to continue making the lace as a commodity.

LACE PRODUCTS: CUSTOM LACE PILLOWS, TABLE TOP & DOILIES, LACE BY THE METER & TRIM
PIECES, RELIGIOUS & HOLIDAY ITEMS.

Visit The Lace Ladies ~>

2)TABLETOP & DOILIES

Generally considered the more ‘traditional' category for lace products, it's easy to see why lace is the only
way to formally dress a table or fine wood furniture surface. Our hand made bobbin lace ‘tabletop' pieces
create a presentation of the highest caliber. Placed over fine, softly colored table linen, a decorative lace
table piece is accentuated and details become wonderfully enmeshed with the fabrics beneath. Placed
against a polished wood surface, the designs become three-dimensional and fall into the category of fine art.
The Lace Ladies of India fashion tabletop from all three types of hand made lace: Venetian, Point Milan and
Cluny. Fine hand woven fabrics with these lace trims are presented as napkins, tablemats, runners and even
full table covers. Doilies are the accent piece, and these are the finest in the world. These are but a few
examples:

ITEM 10012 CLUNY lace table linen with

corner detail

ITEM 10021 VENETIAN rose lace doily

design
ITEM 10031 Intricate CLUNY lace doily

ITEM 10052 Linen table runner with

POINT MILAN edge
ITEM 10061 POINT MILAN floral table
centerpiece

ITEM 10071 VENETIAN Iris pattern doily

ITEM 10081 Linen with POINT MILAN floral
border

ITEM 10092 Linen table runner with

POINT MILAN border

ITEM 10101& 10102 POINT MILAN place

mat & doily set
ITEM 10041 CLUNY lace doily with Irish
linen center

ITEM 10112 Cotton table runner, CLUNY

lace border

ITEM 10122 Organdy runner with CLUNY

lace border
ITEM 10132 Organdy runner, hand
embroidered floral bouquet motif

ITEM 10142 Organdy runner, hand

embroidered floral motif

ITEM 10153 Set of 6 Irish linen napkins,

CLUNY lace edge
ITEM 10161 CLUNY lace 3 piece Irish linen
doily set

ITEM 10171 Square 3 pc. Irish linen doily

set, wide CLUNY border

ITEM 10185 Irish linen 4 size table set,

CLUNY lace border
IITEM 10193 rish linen 6 pc napkin set,
CLUNY lace border

ITEM 10203 Irish linen 6 pc napkin set,

CLUNY lace border

ITEM 10214 Linen place mat with blue

hand stitched ladder hem
ITEM 10224 Linen place mat with hand
edged 'letter' hem

3)LACE BY THE METER & TRIM PIECES.

For those of us who like to venture into a world of our own making, we offer custom trims and lace by the
meter. Exclusively made from Point Milan or Cluny lace, you can use your imagination and create your own
heirloom. Some of the products we have customized from our pieces include: pillows, wedding gown trims
or bodice pieces, Christening gown trims, cashmere sweater collar pieces, lingerie of all kinds (you can't
imagine what some people get up to!), baby blankets, baby clothing trim, window panel trims and borders,
framed pieces as decorative art – and the list goes on… Feel free to contact us to discuss your confidential
ideas. Lace by the meter minimums depends on the width of the lace. We can quote based on your specific
request.

ITEM 4000C top & 4001C POINT MILAN

corner pieces
ITEM 4004R Scallop edge half inch
continuous lace

ITEM 4005 CLUNY border custom sized

length

ITEM 4007R Half medallion half inch

continuous lace

ITEM 4008R Full scallop half inch

continuous lace

ITEM 4010R Star pattern 2 inch

continuous lace
ITEMS 4002 rt & 4003 lt POINT MILAN
corner pieces

1)CUSTOM LACE PILLOWS

These unique Venetian, Point Milan and Cluny laces hand made by our famous “Lace Ladies of India” also
incorporating techniques of specialized embroidery and detailed finishing. Designed by Victoria D’Angelo and
Aruna Seth, each is designed to enhance the beauty of the hand made laces and all feature fine fabrics and
trims. The entire pillow is made in India by our Lace Ladies, so these are products that give back to a special
cause.

If you have a special ‘place’ in mind for our custom lace pillows, please contact us for the opportunity to own
a piece of history, create an heirloom and support the Lace Ladies of India. If you have a design in mind,
please arrange to send it to us and we’ll work with you in creating a masterpiece of your own.

ITEM 2000 Baby pillow with embroidery

& cotton lace edge
ITEM 2001 Organza with embroidery,
satin insert & silk lace edge

ITEM 2003A & 2003B, Basic Jacquard

cotton pillows with silk lace edges
ITEM 2004 Linen with center floral
embroidery & CLUNY lace border

ITEM 2005 Detail of CLUNY lace with satin

bows on linen.

ITEM 2006 Linen with POINT MILAN

draped floral border
ITEM 2007 Dimensional VENETIAN
butterfly on embroidered linen

ITEM 2008 Dimensional VENETIAN

butterflies on linen & satin cross ribbon

ITEM 2009 Linen slub satin ribbon with

VENETIAN corner motif
ITEM 2010 Satin ribbon crossweave with
wide CLUNY border