Kinds of Lace - Types of Lace
Lace Identification
© Lorelei Halley 2010
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lynxlace.com Kinds of Lace - Types of Lace Lace Identification © Lorelei Halley 2010 |
Site Map Compare Lace Terminology Historical Overview Bobbinlace - 2 Structural Classes
Bobbin Lace Introduction Needle Lace Introduction Pulled thread Work Hardanger Embroidery
Embroidery on Net Filet Lacis and Tenerife/Sol Lace Knitting Crochet and Tatting
Hand made lace comes in several kinds, which are all made in very different ways, using very different tools. In the modern age or in olden days, a lace maker would probably know only one form. Developing enough skill to make really complicated pieces takes a considerable effort and time. Some forms everybody knows about, and some are very rare. Follow the links to see more detail on each form of lace making.
Single thread techniques: knitting, crochet, tatting These are the most common kinds, and everybody has heard of them.
Knitting: usually made on two long needles, but one long flexible
needle with points on both ends can also be used (a modern invention). This
method is used for making large flat objects. One can also use a set of 4 or
5 needles. This method is used for working in rounds to make round,
hexagonal flat objects or for making tubular
items like socks. Both hands are used to hold the needles and the work,
and one hand moves the thread around the active needle. Knitting can be solid for a sweater, or made with
holes and lacey. A stitch called a yarn over is what makes the holes.
It can be made moderately coarse for sweaters or super fine for lace
tablecloths or veils.
Crochet lace: made with a steel hook about 6 inches long (for fine
scale work). Plastic and wooden hooks can be used for large scale
work. The thread is wrapped around one hand to get control of the
tension on the thread, while the hook in the other hand makes the stitches. Crochet in general is a very useful technique for making
clothing and objects for the home, like blankets and afghans. Worked
semi-fine it can make lacey clothing, collars or decorative mats.
Irish crochet is a particular style of crochet invented
during the 19th century to imitate Duchesse or Honiton bobbin lace, or
various needlelaces. It is distinguished from the more common crochet by
having raised and layered parts. The motifs are worked densely in
shapes to imitate plant forms like petals and leaves, and some parts are
worked over a thick cord to give a raised or relief effect. The
grounding is usually chain stitch with picots, to imitate bobbin lace braids
or needlelace buttonholed bars.
Tatted lace always has little bumpy rings, but may also have long arches
(bars) or oval leaves (center of left image). It is made with an oval shuttle with
one pointy end. The work is held in the hands with the thread wrapped
around the left hand as you work. The shuttle in the right hand is moved
over and under the threads in the left hand.. At the present time there
is a lot of interest in needle tatting, where the stitches are formed onto a
needle, instead of using a shuttle. But it is still tatting.
Bobbin lace, also called pillow lace: a multiple thread weaving technique which can produce a wide variety of weaves, meshes, bars, and leaves
Doris Southard, left, and me, at a workshop in Chicago in 1987.
For many photos of lacemakers at work see
http://www.flickr.com/groups/bobbinlace/ 
LH
LHNeedle lace is basically derived from embroidery and the only essential tools are needles, thread, a pattern and temporary backing materials. In true needlelace no manufactured parts, or parts made by some other method, are permanently incorporated into the work. It can be worked in the hand, if the pieces are small, or attached to a pillow so both hands can guide the thread. It consists of thousands and thousands of buttonhole stitches, of which there are a great variety.
LH
see needlelace and
learning pages. See
http://needlelacetalk.ning.com/photo/albums/working-setup and http://needlelacetalk.ning.com/video
Filet lacis and Tenerife are both laces which, in conception, are embroidery, but they make their own mesh or web or foundation.
Filet lacis is worked on a knotted square mesh, formerly
hand made. Once the net is made, it usually uses a square wire or
wooden slat frame to hold the work for the
embroidery. Traditionally the lace maker would start by making her
own square knotted mesh, and would then embroider it with cloth stitch or
darning stitch, with some other decorative stitches. Most filet is
worked on a square mesh, but it is also possible to create the mesh by
working rounds.
LH
Tenerife, nanduti and the sol laces are worked on a
thread base laid down in the form of spokes of a wheel. The spoke
base can use ordinary woven fabric
as a temporary backing, or can use a small wooden, plastic or cardboard form as
a base. Then darning stitch, coral knot and festoon stitch (a loose
buttonhole stitch) decorate the spokes and bind them into patterns. Large
pieces are made up of multiple round shapes stitched together, but squares
and hexagons are also possible. Nanduti, in particular, also uses
small irregular shapes to fill in the gaps between the larger round
medallions.
Embroidery techniques: Hardanger, pulled thread work, drawn thread work, reticella, and embroidered net are all embroidery techniques and use tools typical of embroidery -- a frame, square or round, and needles.
LH
Hardanger embroidery. Designs are geometric, based on square holes
where fabric threads are cut out.
LH
LH
Pulled thread work (pulled thread embroidery, drawn fabric embroidery)
Pulled thread work does not remove any fabric threads, but just pulls them
together into clumps, leaving a pattern of holes in the cloth.
Drawn thread embroidery. This kind does remove some fabric threads in a
regular pattern, usually leaving a very loose web in place.
https://picasaweb.google.com/urkoencaixes/XuntanzaBetanzos#5448252426220490722 Look
at photos 56 through 61 in that album. 
Embroidery on hexagonal net. This form is worked on machine made net and
first appeared in the world when large pieces of clear machine net became
available, during the 1820s and 1830s.
Human ingenuity constantly creates new ideas and new combinations. In the lace world this can drive you crazy because of all the hybrid forms that have been invented.
Mixed lace: laces incorporating some manufactured parts or applique.
Battenberg and Branscombe start with a machine woven tape and add needle lace stitches into the empty spots to hold the lace together.
Carrickmacross is an Irish lace invented during the 19th century which starts with machine made hexagonal net, applies fine fabric to the net to make the dense motifs and adds embroidery to the net parts. It also involves cutting away some of the layered cloth.
Romanian needlepoint lace is similar to Battenberg, except that instead of a machine woven tape a long strip of crocheted work forms the basis of the design. http://www.bestneedleart.com/23.html
To see many different forms of lacemaking in process: http://www.youtube.com/user/lacenews#p/p
A new site for the discussion of all forms of hand made lace: http://laceioli.ning.com
December 10, 2010 Revised 5/29/2011
