Lace Makingis a technique for handcrafting a particularly durablelaceconstructed by a series ofknotsandloops.Lace Making can be used to make lace edging as well asdoilies,collars, and other decorative pieces. The lace is formed by a pattern of rings and chains formed from a series ofcow hitch, orhalf-hitchknots, called double stitches (ds), over a corethread. Gaps can be left between the stitches to formpicots, which are used for practical construction as well as decorative effect.Lace Making dates to the early 19th century. The term for Lace Making in most European languages is derived from Frenchfrivolit, which refers to the purely decorative nature of the textiles produced by this technique. The technique was developed to imitatepoint laceIn German Lace Making is calledSchiffchenarbeit, which means the work of the little boat, referring to the boat-shaped shuttle, and in Italian Lace Making is calledchiacchierino, which means chatty.

Types of LacesHand Made Laces

Machine made Laces

Bobbin lace:Sometimes called pillow lace, the lace design is drawn either on pillow or on a paper that is placed over the pillow. Small pegs or pins are stuck into the pillow along the design, and a large number of small bobbins of thread are manipulated around the pegs or pins to produce the lace. A number of threads, each on its own bobbin, are interlaced by twisting and plaiting around the pins to produce the motif in a mesh construction. As the lace is completed, the pins are pulled out and the lace is removed from the pillow. Making pillow lace requires great skill and dexterity, for as many as three hundred bobbins may be needed to make some patterns.Darned lace:It has a design darned by a chain stitch onto a mesh background. When made by hand, the design of darned lace is sewn with thread and needle passed in and out of a mesh net. There are two principal types of darned lace-Antique lace Has a darned lace pattern on a rectangular mesh ground.Filet lace Has a darned lace design on a square mesh ground.Needle point lace:The design for needle point is drawn on parchment stitched to a backing of stout linen, and the lace is made by filling in the pattern with button hole stitches. When the lace is completed, the parchment is removed. Needle point lace is made entirely with a sewing needle and thread. A design is drawn on paper, thread is laid over the design, and the thread is then sewn in place with button hole and blanket stitches.Crochet lace:When handmade, this is made with a crochet hook, to form a series of loops, each one of which is finished with a fine stitch, working usually with specially twisted cotton thread. It originated in Ireland as an imitation of Venetian needle point. It is a comparatively inexpensive heavy lace. Irish crocheted lace is typified by a rose or shamrock design that stands out from the background.Tatting lace or Knotted lace:This is made by twisting and knotting thread by means of a small shuttle. When made by pass in a shuttle in and out of loops in a thread, it is called tatting. It is identified by a circle like motif and picots around the edges of the motif. Clover leaf and wheel designs are the most popular, but other patterns are also made.

Nearly all the laces classified as real laces can be duplicated by machine with slight variations and simplifications.Leavers lace:The leavers lace machine can produce the most intricate patterns from any type of yarn into fabrics up to ten yards wide. It is huge, complex machine that takes an operator two to three weeks to thread. Very thin, round, brass bobbins containing up to 300 yds each are individually conveyed by carriages moving back and forth from one warp to another. As each bobbin is moved to a predetermined position, it swings between the warp yarns and wraps its yarn around one warp before it is moved to another. Since there are about 20 bobbins per inch, very intricate designs are possible. The fabrics can be fairly expensive. Leavers lace is used to a great extent in the dress industry.Nottingham Lace:The Nottingham machine originated in Nottingham, England. It also utilizes swinging brass bobbins but produces a flat lace that is coarser than leavers lace. Its large overall patterns are used for such purposes as table cloths.Bobbin lace:The bobbin machine employs the braiding principle. The lace produced has a fairly heavy texture, with an angular appearance and a uniform count. Bobbin lace lacks the fine texture and flowing lines of the laces produced by other machines.Raschel lace:Knitting machines can be constructed to make lace resembling levers and crocheted laces. The Raschel machine, which has its needles set horizontally instead of vertically as for knitting, can produce at high speed inexpensive lace fabrics of man-made filament yarns.Ratine lace:It is a machine made lace that has a ground of heavy loops resembling that of terry cloth.

Uses of LacesAll-over laces:An all over lace is a fabric up to 36 width with the design or pattern spread over the width of the fabric and repeated in its length. Many kinds of design motifs and colors are used. The fabric can be produced in widths of over one yard (1m) that are devoid of scallops. The fabric is cut and solid from the bolt like woven dress goods. The dressmaker cuts it to pattern and makes it up into formal evening, dinner, and cocktail dress and blouses.Flouncing:Flouncing applies to laces18 to 36 inches wide with a plain edge at the top and a scalloped edge at the bottom of the fabric. It is used for wide ruffles or flounces. Often these flounces are arranged in tiers to form a skirt.Gallon:A galloon is a lace up to 18 inches wide with a scalloped edge at top and bottom. It may be used as an insertion between two cut edges of fabric.Insertion:Insertion is a band of lace sewn between two pieces of fabric or on a single piece of fabric at the straight top or bottom edges. A variety of insertion is footing, which has a straight edge at top and bottom but no patterns. Footing is often used at the bodice or at the bottom hem of a slip.Beading:Beading has slots through which ribbon may be run. These slots may be found in edgings or galloons but are much more common in insertions.Edging:An edging is a lace never more than 18 wide that is straight at the top and scalloped at the bottom. It is sewn to the edge of a dress, gown, blouse, handkerchief, or lingerie.Medallion:A medallion is a lace in a single design that can be appliqud to a fabric ground for ornamentation. It is sometimes used in the corners of napkins, or towels or as an ornament for a dress, blouse or lingerie.

All lace should be hand washed using cool water and a mild detergent. If the item is a garment, button and zip completely to avoid snags that can tear the lace netting. Avoid vigorous scrubbing which will distort the fibers.If you have an heirloom lace tablecloth that needs cleaning, you can make it more stable by basting it with white cotton thread to an old white cotton sheet. Wash the stabilized cloth by hand, rinse well and air dry. Remove the sheet by pulling the basting thread and store your clean, lace cloth.Lace should be air dried or dried flat, never in thedryer. Delicate pieces may need to be reshaped during drying. If ironing is needed, place a thick white towel over the ironing board and use a press cloth between the iron and the lace. This will prevent crushing the details of the lace and prevent snags that can rip or tear.