Lacemaking
Insider Info
The art of lacemaking dates back several hundred years. But today it benefits
from some of the latest technological wonders, including the Internet.
Lacemaking actually covers several different styles. One of the most common
-- and most popular -- is bobbin lacemaking. Other types include shuttle lace
or tatting, as well as knitting and crocheting.
Another form of lacemaking, the art of needlelace, is somewhat obscure.
But it is currently practiced as a hobby. It is used, to a limited extent,
by textile artists. Some lace can also be woven on a loom.
Lacemaking is an ancient craft. Some historians say the origins of lacemaking
can be traced back to coarse, netted bags found in Egyptian burial grounds
of the fourth and fifth centuries AD. What is known is that lace was being
made in the 1500s in Europe. At first, it was used for furnishings. But it
developed into exquisite fine and intricate designs, finding its height in
the 1700s.
The Snowgoose Lacemaking Supplies Web site offers the following descriptions
of the more popular forms of lacemaking:
Bobbin lacemaking is actually a form of hand weaving that takes
its name from the tools with which it's made: small spindles wound with
thread called bobbins. Bobbin lace is also known as pillow lace, since the
surface on which it is worked is called a pillow.
Tatted lace is one of the most popular forms of lace being done
today. There are two ways to make tatted lace. One is by working with a single
thread wound onto a special tool called a tatting shuttle. By looping the
thread over the hand and working a series of transferred lark's-head-type
knots, some very pretty designs can result.
Another method is using a long blunt needle with an eye to produce similar
results. The needle method is considered to be the easiest for a beginner
to learn.
Knitted lace is usually worked with cotton or silk thread and fine
knitting needles. Since there is no give in these threads, keeping correct
tension is more difficult than when working with wool. Motifs and cloths are
usually round and start in the center, with four or five double-pointed needles.
When the work becomes too large for the straight needles, it is then transferred
to a circular needle.
Needlelace is a very general term for most of the laces comprised
of buttonhole-type stitches -- also known in Europe as needlepoint lace.
Kathy Kauffmann has been involved with bobbin lacemaking for the past two
decades. She estimates that there are currently about 1,000 lacemakers in
the U.S.
Bev Walker is the editor of the Canadian Lacemaker Gazette. She estimates
there are also currently about 1,000 people in Canada who are active in the
hobby.
Both Kauffmann and Walker add that the numbers on both sides of the border
are not increasing at this time. Neither expects to see much of a jump in
the hobby's popularity in the next five to 10 years.
Kauffmann does say that while the number of lacemakers may not be increasing,
the quality of the work they are producing is on the rise. "I see lacemaking
increasing in quality and would hope that it will increase over the next five
to 10 years," said Kauffmann.
Walker estimates that the average age of lacemakers she is familiar with
is about 55. Fewer than 10 percent are men.
Kauffmann adds that while most lacemakers in the U.S. are adults, the popularity
is trickling down to the younger generations. "There are now two and three
generations of lacemakers in the U.S. from the same families," says Kauffmann.
"There are also several groups that have been formed precisely for children.
I would hope that they would continue."
The physical requirements for lacemaking are minimal. As Walker explains,
lacemaking requires about as much energy output as reading. The craft does
require a knack for problem solving, as well as hand-eye coordination. You
have to be good at memorizing and be able to work with threads.
Getting Started
There are starter kits available -- at a cost of between $50 and $100 --
that provide everything the beginning lacemaker will need. Most of the tools
of the trade are available by mail order or through the Internet.
The patterns used by lacemakers literally span the ages. Some lacemakers
prefer to use older, traditional patterns. Others are always looking for something
new, often designing their own patterns on computers before starting their
actual work.
There are several ways to learn the art of lacemaking. There are a number
of books for the beginner available. But Kauffmann recommends one-on-one instruction
for the first-time lacemaker.
"I recommend starting with a lace teacher. There are books available, but
I don't believe that one can learn as easily from a book as from a teacher,"
says Kauffmann. "It takes about 12 hours minimum with a good teacher to get
started properly. It depends on the student and how much the student is willing
to do between classes."
Like other craft clubs, Kauffmann says lacemaking guilds offer members
the opportunity to share the knowledge they have with other members. Guilds
also help to spread information about lacemaking and help arrange instructional
classes.
There are some employment opportunities in supplying material to lacemakers.
But most people stick to lacemaking as a hobby.
Despite that, Walker notes that some knowledge of lacemaking would be useful
in other professions. These include museum workers and textile artists. Anthropologists
interested in Western history, art historians, antique dealers and costume
designers may also find it useful.
The number of books and other publications dealing with the art of lacemaking
is quite wide-ranging. Because the art is virtually unchanged since its beginning,
the books should be available through new and used bookstores, as well as
craft stores.
Associations
International Old Lacers Inc.
P.O. Box 554
Flanders
,
NJ
07836
USA
Internet
:
http://www.internationaloldlacers.org/
Publications
LACE Magazine
Internet
:
http://www.lacemagazine.com/
Links
Lacemaking Links
A list of resources
Snowgoose Lacemaking Supplies
You can order online
Lacemaking and its history
Find out how it started
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