bobbin lace

Another name for Pillow Lace. It is hand-made lace worked on a cushion from bobbins of thread. The pattern is drawn upon parchment which is then perforated with tiny holes. This pricked pattern is placed on the cushion, on the upper part of the pattern are fastened the ends of the threads unwound from the bobbins, which thus hang across the pillow. These bobbins are then twisted and so worked as to form the fabric.

Lace was originally a heavy texture more like embroidery and of two kinds, Lacis or "darned netting" and Cutwork. Laces, often worked in gold threads and coloured silks was also called " spiderwork." Lace is purely an English word, derived from the Anglo-Norman lacier, to lace, bind, tie or fasten, etc. The word appears to have been first used in 1519. It is a fabric of open mesh or net formed by crossing and intertwining threads. Lace was originally purely a hand craft, but today it is machine made as well. There are three main classes: - Point lace, pillow lace and machine-made lace. Point Lace - When the term " Point " is applied to a lace fabric it should mean that the lace has been made by the needle with a single line of thread, but it is now given to many machine-made laces. There are numerous laces sold as point laces and each has some feature not possessed by any other, many of these laces are known by the town where they are manufactured. Pillow Lace - These laces are made by intertwining threads on pins fixed in a cushion over a pattern fastened on to the cushion. Many pillow laces are part hand and part machine made such as Honiton, Valenciennes, Irish, etc. Machine-made Laces - There are three principal classes which can be placed (1) warp fabrics; (2) plain nets; (3) Levers' laces. Warp Laces - This is the earliest form of lace produced on a machine which was the invention of the Rev. William Lee in 1589, and was an adaption of the stocking frame. A warp lace is a series of upright threads that twist upon each other to form a fabric. There are no crossing threads. They are made in widths up to 10-in. and are the cheapest laces made. Plain Nets - John Heathcote, the inventor of the bobbin-net machine in 1809, laid the foundation of the machine-made lace trade. These are formed by a diagonal bobbin thread intertwining with the upright warp threads so that when the web is taken off the machine the mesh is honeycomb shaped. Other shapes followed, such as the square mesh. Cotton, silk, mohair and rayon are all used in making plain nets. Standard plain nets are as follows: - Brussels Net - Close mesh, specially selected fine yarns, in widths 36-in. to 80-in. The mesh varies up to 20 holes per inch. Both stiff and soft finish. Mosquito Net - Made in many qualities and closeness of mesh and from 54-in. to 108-in. Cable Net - Made up to 300-in. wide and from coarser yarns than other laces. This fabric is used as the ground fabric for curtains, etc. Bretonne Net - A very fine fabric, close mesh and finer yarns than Brussels, very soft and smooth finish. Point d'esprit - Fabrics with spots at regular distances. The yarns are not as good a quality as Brussels. Finished both soft and stiff. Paris Nets - Very stiff finish, used by the millinery trade for foundation work. Illusion Nets - A star-shaped mesh fabric, very fine yarns, used for veils and evening dress purposes. Silk Mechlins, or Tulles - A net more round than square in mesh and made from fine silk yarns. Malines is a tulle made in Belgium. Chantilly, or Silk Brussels - Similar to Brussels, but made from black dyed silk yarns. Chambray Nets - A finer all silk net than Chantilly. Levers' Lace Fabrics - These are various fancy laces and are produced on the lace machine fitted with a jacquard. Samuel Draper of Nottingham combined the jacquard with the lace machine in 1813. John Levers invented the machine. Varieties of these laces are Cluny laces. Torchons, Maltese lace. All-overs and numerous others.

Bobbin lace which is made from bone bobbins containing the threads (see Bobbin and Pillow Lace)

Belgian bobbin lace, originally very similar to the Valenciennes consisting of mesh patterns over spider and rosette ground. The modern variety is made of flat bobbin springs applied to machine-net foundation.

Bobbin lace resembling early Mechlin showing a "pot" effect in the design. First made in Antwerp in the 17th century and was intended to supply the great demand for Mechlin. Also known as Flanders Lace and Point d'Anvers.

A French bobbin lace, made with close patterns of gold or silver thread in Aurilliac (see Lace)

The lace made at Bayeux closely resembles Chantilly bobbin lace. The first silk laces in ecru, and later in white, were made in this town in the 18th century.

English bobbin lace, introduced in the 17th century. It is similar to the Lille Lace made with reaseau ground and wavy, geometrical patterns.

The fine hand-worked lace done in cottages in Buckinghamshire in old designs. A bobbin lace, considered superior to that of Bedford in the 18th century. Had reseau grounds, and the design outlined with a thick thread.

Originally white linen, later black silk bobbin lace of fine net ground, untwisted flat cordonnet and delicate flowers. The ground is the so-called double ground, used for flouncings and millinery. The name is from Chantilly, France, where the lace originated.

This lace is said to have been introduced into Devon by the Flemings in 1567 to 1573. It is a bobbin lace and is still produced in Devonshire. It closely resembles Honiton, but Venetian, Spanish, Maltese and Genoese styles have also been imitated.

Pillow lace was made at Arras in the 16th century and the industry continued until towards the end of the 18th century when the bobbin, lace called mignonette became established.

A variety of Brazilian bobbin lace made of the Alagoas coarse cotton.

French bobbin lace of no distinct character, made at Auvergne.

Narrow French peasant bobbin lace with plaited ground and very simple patterns. The edges are made with cloth stitch. Similar to Valenciennes.

Bobbin lace made by peasant women in Baden, Germany, and is of good quality.

Bobbin lace imitating Spanish point. Made from black thread and used as head scarfs or for shawls.

A bobbin lace made in Bohemia in narrow tape form. Of the coarse kind and used for drapery and cover decoration.

Coarse, Italian bobbin lace, similar to the early Flanders laces.

A bobbin lace made and worn by Swedish peasants as ruffles. Usually of buff colour. The patterns are 200 years old.