Needle lace began with the need to mend torn clothes or to hem a piece of fabric to stop it fraying.
By the 1400s, though, thread was being used to decorate the fabric by teasing or braiding the threads. Cutwork began to appear, with threads being pushed apart and embroidered around.
‘Ladies of the Castle” were required to be accomplished in sewing, and began to experiment with decorating their lavish clothes with silver and gold cutwork.
During the Rennaisance, Venice became the centre for the production of luxury goods, and therefore became renowned for its laces. Needelworkers came from all over the world to work there, some bringing fine ‘network’ from other countries. This lace-like netting was used in Persia, and Ancient Egypt.
Venician lace makers in the 16th Century developed a means of tracing the outlines of pictures, such as birds and flowers, in fine thread and then filling in with decorative stitches. This was then cut out and used to decorate necklines or tableclothes.
Other forms of lace were developed, such as bobbin lace, in Flanders. This was produced by craftspeople, by weaving thread around thousands of bone bobbins to form strips of very fine lace work.
Lace became the sign of wealth and refinement, used by those in the courts of Europe as overlays, collars or cuffs. Lace was more precious than gold at this time. Laws were made by many of the world’s rulers to ensure only the rich or powerful were allowed to wear the best laces, so as to keep the ‘class’ distinctions. Lace was able to be used as currency, in place of gold or money!
At the height of its popilarity, nearly one third of the European workforce was engaged in some way with the production of lace, though most earned a very small wage, and under long and difficult conditions. It could take a lace maker a week to produce one c.m of bobbin lace!
Spanish women have worn their beautiful mantillas for centuries. During the 19th Century, it was considered so honoured that it could not be confiscated to pay a debt.
By the 19th Century, though, demand drastically reduced, and machinery was invented to produce lace. Large numbers of lace makers lost their livelihood.
Lace, however, bacame a popular hobby for women during Victorian times. Fine laces were used, and removed over and over to be sewn onto different clothing, as they were so highly valued and cared about.
During Victorian times, women worked for many years on laces to be sewn onto their bridal outfits, and for their babies’ layettes.
By the 20th Century, fine lace was used mostly for lingerie, or by fashion houses, such as Chanel.
