Bobbin lace

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Bobbin lace in progress at the Musee des Ursulines de Quebec Ursuline lace 2.jpg
Bobbin lace in progress at the Musée des Ursulines de Québec
Early bobbin lace in gold and silver thread, c. 1570. Called Christina of Denmark Dowager-Duchess of Milan and Lorraine 1568-72.jpg
Early bobbin lace in gold and silver thread, c. 1570.

Bobbin lace is a lace textile made by braiding and twisting lengths of thread, which are wound on bobbins to manage them. As the work progresses, the weaving is held in place with pins set in a lace pillow, the placement of the pins usually determined by a pattern or pricking pinned on the pillow.

Contents

Bobbin lace is also known as pillow lace, because it was worked on a pillow, and bone lace, because early bobbins were made of bone [1] or ivory.

Bobbin lace is one of the two major categories of handmade laces, the other being needle lace, derived from earlier cutwork and reticella. [2]

Origin

Fiore D'Ogni Virtu Per le Nobili Et Honeste Matrone, page 34. Isabella Parasole Fiore D'Ogni Virtu Per le Nobili Et Honeste Matrone, page 34 (recto) MET DP362393.jpg
Fiore D'Ogni Virtu Per le Nobili Et Honeste Matrone, page 34. Isabella Parasole
BLW Bobbin lace - detail BLW Bobbin lace - detail.jpg
BLW Bobbin lace - detail

A will of 1493 by the Milanese Sforza family mentions lace created with twelve bobbins. [3] There are two books that represent the early known pattern descriptions for bobbin lace, Le Pompe [4] from Venice and Nüw Modelbuch [5] from Zürich. Other popular lace pattern books were produced by Isabella Parasole, which included patterns for reticella, needle lace and bobbin lace designs. Other pattern books of this period include Cesare Vecellio [6] and Bartolomeo Danieli. [7]

Bobbin lace evolved from passementerie or braid-making in 16th-century Italy. [2] Genoa was famous for its braids, hence it is not surprising to find bobbin lace developed in the city. It traveled along with the Spanish troops through Europe. [8] Coarse passements of gold and silver-wrapped threads or colored silks gradually became finer, and later bleached linen yarn was used to make both braids and edgings. [9]

The making of bobbin lace was easier to learn than the elaborate cutwork of the 16th century, and the tools and materials for making linen bobbin lace were inexpensive. There was a ready market for bobbin lace of all qualities, and women throughout Europe soon took up the craft which earned a better income than spinning, sewing, weaving or other home-based textile arts. Bobbin lace-making was established in charity schools, almshouses, and convents. [2]

In the 17th century, the textile centers of Flanders and Normandy eclipsed Italy as the premiere sources for fine bobbin lace, but until the Industrial Revolution and the coming of mechanization hand-lacemaking continued to be practiced throughout Europe, suffering only in those periods of simplicity when lace itself fell out of fashion. [2]

Some skilled lace makers work to re-create older lace patterns based on the period portraiture and extant lace samples. [10] On paintings that have sufficient detail, entire pieces can be reconstructed by lacemakers who understand the early structural techniques and details. [11] [12]

Materials

Bobbin lace may be made with coarse or fine threads. Traditionally it was made with linen, silk, wool, or, later, cotton threads, or with precious metals. Bess of Hardwick bought red silk, gold, and silver thread for making "bone lace" in 1549, the earliest English reference to this kind of work. [13] Today bobbin lace is made with a variety of natural and synthetic fibers and with wire and other filaments. [14] Even bobbin lace made from human hair, point tresse, was once popular as a personal memento. [15]

Structure

Elements of bobbin lace may include toile or toilé (clothwork), réseau (the net-like ground of continuous lace), fillings of part laces, tapes, gimp, picots, tallies, ribs and rolls. Not all styles of bobbin lace include all these elements.

Traditional types

State portrait of Maria Theresa, which depicts her as the "first lady of Europe" in a precious dress of Brabant bobbin lace. (by Martin van Meytens, c. 1752) Maria Theresia im Spitzenbesetzten Kleid.jpg
State portrait of Maria Theresa, which depicts her as the "first lady of Europe" in a precious dress of Brabant bobbin lace. (by Martin van Meytens, c. 1752)

Many styles of lace were made in the heyday of lacemaking (approximately the 16th–18th centuries) before machine-made lace became available.

Contemporary laces

Contemporary handmade woollen bobbin lace articles, Wool Expo, Armidale NSW. Pale green lace is made of 2 ply wool. Bobbin lace.JPG
Contemporary handmade woollen bobbin lace articles, Wool Expo, Armidale NSW. Pale green lace is made of 2 ply wool.

The advent of machine-made lace at first pushed lace-makers into more complicated designs beyond the capabilities of early machines, then simpler designs so they could compete on price, and finally pushed them out of business almost entirely.

The resurgence of lace-making is a recent phenomenon and is mostly done as a hobby. Lacemaking groups still meet in regions as varied as Devonshire, England and Orange County, California. [18] In the European towns where lace was once a major industry or popular artisanry, especially in Belgium, England, Spain (Camariñas and Almagro), Portugal (Azores, Caminha, Lagos, Nisa, Olhão, Peniche, Póvoa de Varzim, Sesimbra, Setúbal, Silves, Viana do Castelo, Vila do Conde and Viseu (Farminhão), [19] being known as Renda de Bilros), [20] [21] [22] France and Slovenia lacemakers still demonstrate the craft and sell their wares, though their customer base has shifted from the wealthy nobility to the curious tourist.

Still new types of lace are being developed such as the 3D Rosalibre [23] and a colored version of Milanese lace by borrowing rolls from Duchesse lace to store various shades and colors. [24] Other artists are giving grounds a major role by distorting and varying stitches, pin distances and thread sizes or colours. The variations are explored by experimentation [25] [26] [27] and mathematics and algorithms. [28] The lace maintaining its shape without stiffening is no longer a requirement. [25] Inspiring journals, guilds and foundations show that old techniques with a new twist can challenge young people to create works that can definitely classify as art. [29]

A Dutch design graduate in 2006 discovered bobbin lace was a technique to make a fancy fence. The first fences became museum pieces. The fences are now produced in Bangalore by concrete rebar plaiters. [30]

Tools

prickings for various types of lace and a very fine hook Bobbin lace prickings and hook.JPG
prickings for various types of lace and a very fine hook
Bobbin lace maker presents bobbin lace made in Myjava (Slovakia)

The major tools to make bobbin lace are a pillow, bobbins, pins and prickings. The part laces also require a crochet hook, very fine types of lace require very fine hooks. There are different types of pillows and bobbins linked to areas, eras and type of lace.

Bobbins

Bobbins, which are traditionally made of wood or bone, are used to hold the thread. They come in different shapes, often associated with certain types of lace. The parts of a bobbin are the neck, which is where the thread is wound, a head, where thread is hitched to keep it from coming unwound, and the shank, which is used as a handle. Bobbins from England may also have a beaded spangle at the end of the shank, which makes the bobbin heavier and helps with tensioning the thread. [31] Bobbins are usually 3 1/2 - 4 inches long, though they may be shorter or longer. [32] Bobbins are wound and used in pairs. Bobbin collection is a common aspect of the hobby for many lace makers. Within the lace community, commemorative bobbins designating annual meetings, special anniversaries, or historic events are frequently offered which become collector's items.

There are many types of bobbins, including:

Types of pillow

"A lady sits and reads, the chambermaid comes with tea" 1775 roller pillow Sweden 1775 lace roller pillow.jpg
"A lady sits and reads, the chambermaid comes with tea" 1775 roller pillow

The pillows must be firm, or otherwise the pins will wobble. The pillows were traditionally stuffed with straw, but nowadays polystyrene (styrofoam) is generally used. [34]

An early type of pillow can be seen in The Lace Maker by Caspar Netscher. The pillow has a wooden frame, and is slightly sloping. The lace-maker rests it on her lap. Another representation of the similar style of pillow is found in the painting The Lacemaker by Johannes Vermeer. The Lace-Maker portrait by Gabriël Metsu was memorialized in a postage stamp.

The bolster or cylindrical pillow was much cheaper to make as it is just a fabric bag stuffed with straw. It was used in Bedfordshire lace. It needs a stand as it does not have a flat bottom. [35] Usually the bolster had the pattern pinned round the cylinder, so by turning the pillow, the lace could be as long as was needed. However, Maltese lacemakers used the pillow the other way. They had a long thin pillow, which they rested against something. Then they worked the lace down the length of the pillow. [36]

This problem (of the lace needing to be longer than the pillow) is solved in a different way by the roller pillow, which has a small roller, for working the lace, set into a larger area, where the bobbins are laid. This means that the pattern can be pinned round the roller, but the pillow has a flat bottom.

The cheapest modern pillow is domed and made of polystyrene (styrofoam). It is often called a cookie pillow, because of its shape. Another modern pillow is a block pillow, with a frame which holds covered polystyrene blocks. The blocks can be moved around as the lace progresses, to keep the lace being worked on at the centre of the pillow.

Lacemaking organizations

Lacemaking is considered a folk art with technique and materials varying widely across the globe. Most lacemakers belong to regional guilds within their country of origin. Guilds can be devoted to one kind of lace, often that which developed locally, or may include makers of all kinds. In the United States, most guilds are organized within chapters of the International Organization of Lace, which also includes Canadian lace guilds. Quarterly publications of "The Bulletin" journal provide articles about current projects and events, historical research, annual meeting details, patterns, and more. Internationally, the Organisation Internationale de la Dentelle au Fuseau et à l'Aiguille (OIDFA, International Bobbin and Needle Lace Organization) is the primary governing and networking body for lacemakers. OIDFA organizes annual global congresses, regional fairs, and local gatherings to promote the appreciation and knowledge of lacemaking.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lace</span> Openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by hand

Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is split into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted or crocheted lace. Other laces such as these are considered as a category of their specific craft. Knitted lace, therefore, is an example of knitting. This article considers both needle lace and bobbin lace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guipure</span> Type of bobbin lace in which motifs are connected by bars or plaits

Guipure lace is a type of bobbin lace. It connects the motifs with bars or plaits rather than net or mesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tønder lace</span> Type of bobbin lace from Denmark

Tønder lace is a point-ground type of handmade bobbin lace identified with the Tønder region of Denmark since about 1850, although lace of many types has been made there since as early as 1650. The term is also used more broadly, to refer to any bobbin lace made in Denmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freehand lace</span> Bobbin lace worked without a pricking

Freehand lace is a bobbin lace that works directly on the fabric of the lace pillow without using a pricked pattern. Very few pins are needed for this technique

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brussels lace</span> Type of bobbin lace from Brussels

Brussels lace is a type of pillow lace that originated in and around Brussels. The term "Brussels lace" has been broadly used for any lace from Brussels; however, strictly interpreted, the term refers to bobbin lace, in which the pattern is made first, and the ground, or réseau added, also using bobbin lace. Brussels lace is not to be confused with Brussels point, which is a type of needle lace, though sometimes also called "Brussels lace".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bucks point lace</span> Type of bobbin lace from South East England

Bucks point is a bobbin lace from the South East of England. "Bucks" is short for Buckinghamshire, which was the main centre of production. The lace was also made in the nearby counties of Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire. Bucks point is very similar to the French Lille lace, and thus is often called English Lille. It is also similar to Mechlin lace and Chantilly lace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torchon lace</span> A continuous, geometric bobbin lace

Torchon lace is a bobbin lace that was made all over Europe. It is continuous, with the pattern made at the same time as the ground. Typical basic stitches include whole stitch, half stitch, and twists, and common motifs include spiders and fans. Torchon lace was notable historically for being coarse and strong, as well as consisting of simple geometric patterns and straight lines. It did not use representational designs, for the most part.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Binche lace</span> Type of bobbin lace from Binche, Belgium

Binche lace is a type of bobbin lace that originated in the town of Binche, Belgium. It is continuous, meaning it is made all at once, in one piece. It is generally made in strips 2 inches (5 cm) wide. Though typically it has no cordonnet outlining the design against the ground, occasional pieces are made with a very fine one, about the same thickness as the thread used in the pattern. The pattern in Binche lace is very detailed, with animal scenes and figures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irish lace</span> Irish textile art form

Irish lace has always been an important part of the Irish needlework tradition. Both needlepoint and bobbin laces were made in Ireland before the middle of the eighteenth century, but never, apparently, on a commercial scale. It was promoted by Irish aristocrats such as Lady Arabella Denny, the famous philanthropist, who used social and political connections to support the new industry and promote the sale of Irish lace abroad. Lady Denny, working in connection with the Dublin Society, introduced lace-making into the Dublin workhouses, especially among the children there. It is thought that it was an early form of Crochet, imitating the appearance of Venetian Gros Point lace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mundillo</span> Handmade bobbin lace, tradition and cultural heritage of Puerto Rico and Panama

Mundillo is a craft of handmade bobbin lace that is cultivated and honored on the island of Puerto Rico and Panama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Lace Guild</span> UK lacemaking charity

The Lace Guild is a registered charity, accredited museum and educational organisation based in the UK for lacemakers and those interested in lacemaking. Its aims are to provide information about the craft of lacemaking, its history and use, to promote a high standard of lacemaking, and to encourage the design, development and professional presentation of lace. It is a registered educational charity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bedfordshire lace</span> Type of bobbin lace made in the English Midlands

Bedfordshire lace is a style of bobbin lace originating from Bedfordshire in the 19th century, and made in the English Midlands lacemaking area. It was worked as a continuous width on a bolster pillow. It is a guipure style of lace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lace machine</span> Powered equipment for producing imitations of hand-made lace

Lace machines took over the commercial manufacture of lace during the nineteenth century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barmen lace machine</span> Machine for making torchon and bobbin-type laces and braids

The Barmen lace machine makes perfect copies of torchon lace and the simpler hand-made bobbin lace. Its bobbins imitate the movements of the bobbins of the hand-made lace maker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maltese lace</span> Type of guipure bobbin lace from Malta

Maltese lace is a style of bobbin lace made in Malta. It is a guipure style of lace. It is worked as a continuous width on a tall, thin, upright lace pillow. Bigger pieces are made of two or more parts sewn together.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mesh grounded bobbin lace</span> A continuous bobbin lace distinguished from Guipure

Mesh grounded lace is a continuous bobbin lace also known as straight lace. Continuous bobbin lace is made in one piece on a lace pillow. The threads of the ground enter motifs, then leave to join the ground again further down the process, all made in one go. This is different from part lace, where the motifs are created separately, then joined together afterwards.

Bobbin lace ground is the regular small mesh filling the open spaces of continuous bobbin lace. Other names for bobbin lace ground are net or réseau. The precise course of the threads and the resultant shape of the ground are an important diagnostic feature in lace identification, as different lace styles use different grounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ipswich lace</span> Bobbin lace from Ipswich, Massachusetts

Ipswich lace is a historical fashion accessory, the only known American hand-made bobbin lace to be commercially produced. Centered in the coastal town of Ipswich, Massachusetts north of Boston, a community of lacemaking arose in the 18th century. Puritan settlers to the area likely made and wore lace as early as 1634, because Sumptuary laws from the early colonial records indicate this activity. In fact, the earliest known record of the act of lacemaking in the region comes from a court case in 1654 associated with the home of Governor John Endicott. An indentured servant in the household accused the governor's son Zerubbabel with assault, which occurred while she was working at her lace cushion. Earliest known records of the commercial production indicate that lace produced by local women was used to barter for goods in the 1760s, as denoted by ledger account books belonging to local merchants. These laces were sold in the region from Boston to Maine.

Cogne lace is a handmade bobbin lace that is made in Cogne, in the Aosta Valley in Italy. It takes the form of strips of lace, due to the manner in which it is made on a drum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milanese bobbin lace</span> Style of historical bobbin lace developed in Milan

Milanese bobbin lace is a textile used as a fashion accessory or a decorative trim, first becoming popular in the 17th and 18th centuries in Milan. Lacemaking was an important economic activity in Northern Italy, besides touching on social status matters as well as being a culturally significant art form. The earliest versions of the lace consisted of the tape mostly filling the space. Typical characteristics of Milanese bobbin lace are scrolls made with curving clothwork tapes and floral motifs, and sometimes also consisting of human or animal figures. Sometimes needle lace techniques were combined with the bobbin lace pieces to create the final product.

References

  1. ↑ Oxford English Dictionary definition of "bone lace"
  2. 1 2 3 4 Santina M. Levey (2003). "Lace in the Early Modern Period c. 1500-1780". In D.T. Jenkins (ed.). Cambridge History of Western Textiles. Cambridge University Press. pp. 585–580.
  3. ↑ Verhaegen, Pierre (1912). La Dentelle Belge. Brussel: L. Lebègue. p. 10.
  4. ↑ Le Pompe, 1559 : patterns for Venetian bobbin lace. Levey, Santina M., Payne, Patricia C. Carlton, Bedford: R. Bean. 1983. ISBN   0-903585-16-2. OCLC   12663277.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  5. ↑ R., M. (1561). Nüw Modelbuoch. Zürich: Christoph Froschauer d. Ä. doi:10.3931/e-rara-5463.
  6. ↑ Vecellio, Cesare; Appelbaum, Stanley; Waldrep, Mary Carolyn; Vecellio, Cesare (1988). Pattern book of renaissance lace: a reprint of the 1617 edition of the "Corona delle nobili et virtuose donne". New York: Dover. ISBN   978-0-486-25828-7.
  7. ↑ "Bartolomeo Danieli | Vari disegni di merletti". The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 2023-12-02.
  8. ↑ Reigate, Emily (1986). An Illustrated Guide to Lace (1988 ed.). Antique Collers' Club Ltd. p. 44. ISBN   1-85149-003-5.
  9. ↑ Janine Montupet, Ghislaine Schoeller (1988). Fabuleuses dentelles. Robert Laffont. pp. 16–18. ISBN   9782221057544.
  10. ↑ Dye, Gilian (2013). Surface decoration in silk and metallic thread. Glasgow. ISBN   978-0-9553223-5-8. OCLC   870644836.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  11. ↑ "Lace for Lady Anne Clifford by Gilian Dye". Understanding British Portraits. 2018-07-24. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  12. ↑ "'Portraits and Lace' by Gil Dye". Understanding British Portraits. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  13. ↑ Santina M. Levey, 'References to Dress in the Earliest Account Book of Bess of Hardwick', Costume, 34:1 (2000), 21.
  14. ↑ Fuhrmann, Brigita (1985). Bobbin Lace: An Illustrated Guide to Traditional and Contemporary Techniques. Dover Publications. p. 38. ISBN   9780486249025.
  15. ↑ "Hair Lace". Textile Research Center.
  16. ↑ "Hall of Ceremonies".
  17. ↑ Earnshaw, Pat (1985). The Identification of Lace. De Bilt: Cantecleer. ISBN   9021302179.
  18. ↑ "Lacemaking: Associations and Guilds". Fibre Arts Online Web. Archived from the original on February 3, 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
  19. ↑ unify.pt. "Tradição de bilros com nova "casa" em Farminhão". www.jornaldocentro.pt. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  20. ↑ "The Meticulous Handcrafted Technique of Bobbin Lace". Events. 2018-07-23. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  21. ↑ "Rendas de Bilros". A tradição das Rendas de Bilros de Vila do Conde para todo o mundo. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  22. ↑ "Renda de Bilros | Saber Fazer Portugal". programasaberfazer.gov.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  23. ↑ Belleville, Cathleen (2002). Introducing Rosalibre Bobbin Lacle.
  24. ↑ Woods, Sandy (2003). Special Effects in Bobbin Lace. Batsford. ISBN   0713480718.
  25. 1 2 Wanzenried, Esther (2014). "Moderne Gronden". Kantbrief (2014–4): 24–25.
  26. ↑ Voelcker-Löhr, Ulrike (2003). Viele Gute Gründe. Bochum.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  27. ↑ Ulrich, Uta (2009). Gründe mit System. Gammelby: Fay, Barbara Verlag. ISBN   978-3925184086.
  28. ↑ Irvine, Veronika; Ruskey, Frank (2014). "Developing a Mathematical Model for Bobbin Lace". Journal of Mathematics and the Arts. 8 (3–4): 95–110. arXiv: 1406.1532 . Bibcode:2014arXiv1406.1532I. doi:10.1080/17513472.2014.982938. S2CID   119168759.
  29. ↑ Dings, Marcella (2014). "Schatgraven - Uitdaging" [Treasure Hunt - Challenge]. Kantbrief (2014–4): 34.
  30. ↑ de Vries-de Graaf, Tonny (2011). "Lace Fence (1)" (PDF). Kantbrief (in Dutch) (2011–3): 18–20. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  31. ↑ Dye, Gilian; Thunder, Adrienne (2007). Beginner's guide to bobbin lace. Tunbridge Wells: Search. pp. 8–9. ISBN   9781844481088. OCLC   163617814.
  32. ↑ Hopewell, Jeffery (1984). Pillow lace and bobbins (Third ed.). Aylesbury: Shire Publications Ltd. p. 15. ISBN   0852636598. OCLC   12516276.
  33. 1 2 3 Stillwell, Alexandra (1996). Cassell illustrated dictionary of lacemaking. London: Cassell. ISBN   0304341452. OCLC   34597563.
  34. ↑ Leader, Jean E. "Lace Types: Bobbin Lace" . Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  35. ↑ Elizabeth Mincoff (1981). Pillow Lace. Ruth Bean. ISBN   0-903585-10-3.
  36. ↑ "Maltese Crafts". VassaloMalta. 2013-04-18. Retrieved 21 November 2014.

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