Lace  is a decorative openwork fabric created from twisted or braided threads. Often highly intricate, handmade lace falls into two main categories: needle lace, worked with a single thread and a needle, and bobbin lace, formed by braiding and twisting multiple threads wound on bobbins and anchored to a pillow.


Needle lace  evolved from earlier embroidery techniques, such as picot edging, openwork seaming, and cutwork, where fabric was cut away to create intricate designs. Because large cutwork areas wasted expensive fabric, makers began couching threads onto a temporary backing—a process that evolved into true needle lace. Bobbin lace  developed somewhat later, in 16th-century Italy, from braid making, and it quickly became a faster and more affordable alternative to needle lace.


The first lace pattern books appeared in the 1550s, and by the 1600s, lace-making had spread throughout Europe. Machine production began in the early 1800s, and by the 1870s, machines could imitate nearly every style of handmade lace.


Note:  Lace can also be made using other techniques not covered here, including knitting, crochet, tatting (knotting), and cutwork (embroidery).

Materials and Tools:

Needle Lace:

  • Backing fabric holds your pattern in place and provides a surface to stitch on to. It serves as a temporary base, allowing your lace design to be built up without being physically attached to the backing fabric. A long rectangle of firm fabric folded in thirds is often used.
  • Needles: 
  • Crewel or sharps needles to couch your outline (cordonnet) thread and attach your pattern to your backing fabric.
  • Tapestry needles to create lace stitches.
  • Pattern: A diagram of your finished lace pattern, often covered with clear plastic so that it is reusable.
  • Thread:
  • For motif outlines  (cordonnet), use a strong, thicker thread, like size 8 Perle cotton, or crochet cotton.
  • Use sewing thread to couch your outline thread and attach your pattern to your backing fabric.
  • For your lace, use an inelastic thread that is thinner than your outline thread.


Bobbin Lace:

  • Bobbins: Small spools or sticks used to hold individual threads. They have long necks to allow plenty of thread to be held on the bobbin and often have beads at the end (called spangles). Bobbins work in pairs, with each bobbin in a pair holding a different end of the same thread.
  • Pillow: A firm surface used to anchor pins and support the lace being made. Different shapes and sizes of pillows are used for different purposes - cookie, domed, block, roller, Honnington.
  • Pins hold threads in place while working lace. Fine, rustproof lace pins are best since they make small, neat holes in your pillow without bending and don’t cause rust stains on your lace.
  • Pricking pattern: A perforated paper template used to guide pin placement during lacemaking.
  • Thread: Any type of thread that won't break or stretch. Thinner threads result in a looser, more delicate lace, while thicker threads produce a firmer, more taut lace. Traditionally, linen and silk were used; today, cotton is often used.

Terminology:

  • Bars are used to fill background spaces and connect motifs. In needle lace, buttonhole stitches cover threads laid between two points. In bobbin lace, bars are made by braiding or twisting pairs of threads.
  • Buttonhole stitch (single Brussels or blanket stitch) is the basic needle lace stitch.
  • Cloth (Whole) stitch is one of the two basic bobbin lace stitches.
  • Continuous lace is bobbin lace made as one continuous piece.
  • Cross: One of two bobbin lace moves where the left bobbin is moved over the right bobbin.
  • Ground is the open mesh background that supports and/or surrounds the design. Different types of laces have different grounds.
  • Guipure is lace without a mesh background. Instead, motifs are connected by bars.
  • Half stitch is one of the two basic bobbin lace stitches.
  • A motif is a distinct, decorative design or shape - a building block for complex lace designs.
  • Part lace is comprised of bobbin lace motifs created separately and then joined together.
  • Passive refers to a bobbin or thread that remains in a stationary or semi-stationary position within the pattern to form the solid, background, or edge elements of a bobbin lace design. One thread in each bobbin pair is designated as the passive thread.
  • Picots are small decorative loops.
  • Twist: One of two fundamental bobbin laces moves where the right bobbin is moved over the left.
  • Weaver refers to a bobbin or thread that moves through other bobbins to form the lace pattern. One thread in each bobbin pair is designated as the weaver.

Process:

Needle Lace: 

  • Draw a simple motif on paper, cover your design with clear Con-Tac paper or similar, and baste it to your backing fabric.
  • Couch your outline (cordonnet) threads.
  • Add filling stitches within your outlined areas.
  • Top stitch over your cordonnet threads.
  • Remove your lace from the backing fabric.


Bobbin Lace:

  • Wind pairs of bobbins.
  • Pin your pricking pattern to your pillow, insert pins at the marked starting points, and hang the designated number of pairs of bobbins on each pin.
  • Work lace stitches following the pricking pattern. Different sequences of basic crosses and twists form different types of lace.
  • Use square or overhand knots to secure pairs of bobbin threads, trim the threads for fringe or weave them back into the lace, and then remove the completed lace from your pillow.

Variations:

Needle Lace:

  • Alençon lace is known as the Queen of Lace. It has a fine, delicate, gauze-like mesh ground. Pattern motifs have raised buttonhole stitch outlines, outer edges have picots, and open areas incorporate decorative fillings.
  • Argentan lace has an open hexagonal mesh ground, with individual mesh edges covered in buttonhole stitches. Motifs are often larger and more widely spaced, creating more negative space between designs.
  • Rose Point lace is a dainty lace with a fine, delicate, and almost transparent net. Designs are ornate with small, profuse motifs. 
  • Venetian Point lace has beautiful, flowing floral patterns with closely worked buttonhole stitches. Bars with picots fill open spaces and connect units. Edges are ornamented with picots. 


Bobbin Lace:

  • Bruges lace is characterized by leaves, rosettes, and scrolls with heavier three-thread outlines. Braided bars fill open spaces, and edges incorporate picots. (Duchesse is a similar lace, but is finer than Bruges.)
  • Chantilly lace has a very fine hexagonal mesh ground, motifs outlined in heavier thread, and scalloped edges. 
  • Milan lace is a heavy, durable, showy lace used for trimming. Motifs are joined together with a mesh ground.
  • Point de Paris lace is characterized by a six-pointed star mesh that is light and dainty. Motifs are simple figures, animals, or flowers.
  • Torchon lace has simple fanlinke or diamond-shaped designs with little background. Cluny lace is similar but with patterns that have solid, wheat-like motifs arranged in crosses or as spokes of a wheel.
  • Valenciennes lace has tight, opaque floral motifs, a characteristic diamond-shaped mesh ground formed by four plaited threads, and a general lack of a defined cordonnet outlining the pattern.

FAQ's:

  • Is lacemaking hard to learn? No! With patience and practice, anyone can learn.
  • What is a good thread to start my lacemaking journey? Start with a high-quality cotton thread, like size 10 crochet thread.
  • Is lacemaking just for making edgings and doilies? No! There are many things you can make - jewellery, ornaments, pictures, scarves, and much more.
  • How do I join lace pieces? If possible, join lace with a net background on the bias for a more invisible seam. 
  • Is lace always white? White or ecru are traditional colors for lace, but today many lacemakers incorporate color, textured threads, and even wire.
  • How long does it take to make lace? The answer (as always!) is it depends. Technique, pattern complexity, thread size, and skill level all impact the time it takes to make lace.
  • Can I make lace without patterns? Yes, although using patterns helps you learn structure and techniques.
  • How do I finish or care for lace?
  • Dry clean or hand wash gently in cool water, rinse thoroughly, and lay flat to dry. (You can baste delicate lace onto a thin fabric before washing.)
  • Press while damp. 
  • Lace with pronounced cordonnet should be pressed face down on a padded surface.
  • Some finer laces should, instead, be carefully pinned out to set the shape while air drying.
  • Store lace flat or rolled to avoid creasing.
  • How can I tell if the lace I purchased is handmade or machine-made? Handmade lace often has subtle irregularities, undulating thread paths, and is often the same on both sides. Machine-made lace typically shows perfectly regular stitches, straight thread paths, and has a defined front and back. Click here for more information.
  • How do I know what type of lace I have purchased? Look at pictures here or here or ask an expert.
  • What is tape lace? Lace made with a straight tape bent into the shape required and sewn into position. Various needle lace fillings may be used to fill the gaps. This type of lace is a mixed tape lace, or mixed lace, since it uses more than one technique: one to make the tape, and a different technique for fillings and joins.

Books and Magazines: