The Romance of Bobbin Lace

The Art of Weaving Air

Article by Judith Taylor

 

"Chantilly lace and a pretty face"

Chantilly Lace by The Big Bopper

 

At the time of writing this, Valentine's Day has not yet passed, yet I can't help but be influenced by that most romantic of holidays. Everywhere you look in stores both physical and virtual, you see reminders of it in the form of hearts and flowers. If you were to look closely, you would have noticed that many of the heart images you saw often had lace around or on them. What is it about lace that evokes such feelings of romance? Is it because it is indelibly linked in our modern minds with the epitome of femininity? If so, we can thank our Victorian ancestors for this, because in its heyday, lace was worn by the affluent of society – by both genders. A man was known by the clothes he wore, and if his shirts and cravats weren't literally dripping with lace, he was seen as being of modest means.

Lace and bobbin lace in particular, is centuries old. While it is debatable that lace, of any sort, goes back as far as Egyptian times, it is generally accepted that it enjoyed its first heyday in the 17^{th and 18th centuries. It is also generally accepted that what is recognizable as bobbin lace didn't develop in its recognizable form until the latter part of the 15th century. Many books have been written and many scholars have argued over where bobbin lace originally developed. I have no wish to enter into that morass. Suffice it to say, bobbin lace, as it is practiced today, can safely be traced back to the early part of the 16th century, where the evidence of it shows up in various portraits done during this time. It is enjoying a resurgence today as more textile artists are intrigued by its possibilities.}

Bobbin lace gets its name mainly from the tools of its creation. It has gone by other names; pillow lace, and bone lace. Needle lace is a completely different technique, and so is not going to be considered here. Also, tatting, while it creates a lacy looking article, is often not considered a true lace by some, because of its construction technique. Bobbin lace (or needle lace for that matter) is made without the use of knots but by using weaving techniques, unlike tatting which uses a knotting technique.

There are some very basic tools used for creating bobbin lace. They are: a lace pillow, bobbins, thread, pins and of course the pattern which is called a pricking. One of the explanations that I heard as to why the pattern is called a pricking is due to the fact that the pattern – be it on parchment or prepared paper – is pricked showing the placement of the pins. It is the pins, in conjunction with the manipulation of the threads, that give lace its form. From the simplest of laces, to the most complex, the method of lace making is the same. Bobbins, containing the threads, are crossed and twisted over and around each other.

When looking at a lace maker's pillow, it is easy to be overwhelmed if the lace maker is working with a large number of bobbins. The trick is, the lace maker only works with two pairs of bobbins at a time, which makes it a lot easier.

The book I used to learn how to make bobbin lace is “Bobbin Lace Without A Teacher” by Betty Alderson. It is a small book and can generally be purchased for under $10. It is one of the easiest introductions to making lace that I have found. She includes some simple patterns to get you started, and is quite high on my recommendation list. She goes over the basics and her patterns build on your skills.

With the advent of the Internet, it is easier for lace makers to find not only information on the different types of laces, and how to make them, but also for finding other lace makers. The International Old Lacers, Inc. (I.O.L.I.) is an organization dedicated to lace. Their website, www.internationaloldlacers.org lists a number of suppliers, lace guilds and other information. They are happy to answer questions about lace whether from a new lacemaker, or from someone who is just interested in researching the history of lace.

There are a few lace-oriented e-mail lists/newsgroups available. The oldest, continuous list I know of is hosted on the arachne.com server –http://www.arachne.com/list_instructions.html. The people there are friendly and love to help new people with questions.

Another lacemaking e-list is bobbinlace@yahoogroups.com

Lace is a luxurious textile that has been saved from extinction by people wanting to learn and preserve the techniques of making this exquisite textile. Without today's lacemakers, the techniques of making lace may have been lost.

May your threads never tangle.

 

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Judith Taylor lives in Athens, Ohio with her textile tolerant other half, three cats and one dog. She learned lace making a number of years ago from her future mother-in-law, only to later find out that her own mother had been involved in lace making for quite a few years. Judith also enjoys spinning, weaving, crochet and just generally learning new things. She is currently pseudo-documenting her weaving adventures on her livejournal - http://judithsewstoo.livejournal.com. All photos included are of her own tools and pillows.