From ancient technique to modern artistry, learn how lace became a distinguished craft across Europe and England.
This historical study traces the making of lace from its early forms to a refined art, explaining how patterns, design, and technique shaped the fabric we admire today. It combines discussions of drawn-thread work, cut-work, purling, and the rise of pillow lace, showing how distinct methods influenced each other and evolved over time.
The book examines two main roots of lace: ornamented linen work and the twisting of threads into decorative braids. It explains terms like purls, sewings, brides, and the shift from simple edgings to intricate, ground-covered patterns. Readers will see how pillow, needlepoint, and pillow lace developed side by side, and how innovations in pattern and stitch created open-work centers and new effects.
- Origins rooted in linen ornamentation and thread twisting, with two influential sources explained.
- Key techniques like purling, sewings, and pattern‑across methods that connect lines into a unified design.
- Evolution of lace through the seventeenth century, including the move toward net grounds and openwork fillings.
- Interplay of needlepoint and pillow lace across Italy, Flanders, England, and other regions.
Ideal for readers of craft history and anyone curious about how lace patterns and techniques developed over time.