lynxlace.com   Bobbin Lace Introduction   © Lorelei Halley 2011

        Home      links to historic bobbin lace photos        links to contemporary bobbin lace             learning bobbin lace       some historic photos     

The earliest definite documentation for the existence of bobbin lace is the pattern book published by LePompe in 1559.  There are also inventories of the late 1400s which mention "bone lace".  This may refer to bobbin lace, but we don't know for certain what these "bone laces" looked like.  Bobbin lace is actually a form of weaving in which only the tops of the warp threads are anchored to something, but are only weighted on the bottom.  This allows them to move in relation to each other and creates the possibility of a huge variety of different weaves and densities, a far greater variety than is possible with any other form of weaving.  It is worked on a pillow (actually a very large and hard packed pincushion) as a base, with bobbins which store the thread and weight it, and with pins to guide the threads along their proper paths.

           LePompe bobbin lace    

Many lace historians now believe that bobbin lace developed out of passamenterie, a fancy narrow braid which was intended to be appliqued onto the velvet garments of the day.  These passamenteries were often made of silver or gold, and some were made of colored silks.  Many of the patterns in LePompe are of designs that would work as passamenteries.

The bobbinlace section of this website contains a variety of photos and information, in three major catagories

• lace identification -- photos of historical bobbin lace, explanation of its structure, bobbin lace history
• photos of work by modern lace makers
• information for those who want to learn bobbin lace, books, tools and equipment, make lace

Photos of historical bobbin laces -- bobbin lace identification --  Antique Bobbin Lace                     bk   

• Historical Overview:    a brief description of what distinguishes the primary periods, general trends in style and technique.
• Two Structures:  different structural classes use markedly different working methods. Understanding this is a necessary part of bobbin lace identification.
• 1550-1700:      the earliest phase (very few, textiles don't survive well)
• Pottenkant/Milanese:      Two forms which spanned an unusually long time -- 1650 to c. 1850-- thereby confounding historians and making identification difficult regarding time of origin.
• 18th century:       c.1700-1790
• Napoleonic:      c. 1790- c. 1820
• 19th century straight bar laces:      1820 to c. 1890.  This time period is divided into three web pages to speed loading time because there are so many photos.  Includes Cluny, Maltese, Bedfordshire, LePuy guipure, other continental guipure.
• 19th century straight mesh laces:     Includes Mechlin, Point ground laces, Chantilly, Blonde, Valenciennes.
• 19th century part lace:      1820 to c. 1890.  Includes Duchesse, Honiton, Czech Russian and Idrija tape laces.  If your browser allows tabs, you can open two to view side by side.
• Revival Era Straight Lace:      c. 1890 to early 20th c.  Includes torchon, Mechlin, Flanders, Paris, Binche, Valenciennes.
• Revival Era Part Lace:      c. 1890 to early 20th c.  Includes Flemish/Milanese style, Cantu, Rosaline, Fine Bloomwork, Idrija tape lace, Russian tape lace.

For those who want to learn bobbin lace.  *  Achieving a basic understanding of the various kinds of bobbin lace, learning bobbinlace, make bobbinlace, how to get started, what to expect.  The different kinds of bobbin lace use different ways of solving problems.  Bobbin lacemaking.  Make lace.

• Learning Bobbin Lace:  What the simple kinds look like, what equipment and tools you will need, recommended books, what kinds to start with (so you don't end up in over your head)
• Samples:  Samples I've made while learning various styles.  From these you can know what to expect.
• Bobbin Lace Basics:   The stitches, winding the bobbins and making the hitch, repairing a broken thread, how to do sewings, etc.
• Free Patterns:  For beginners, some for more experienced lacemakers.
  • Bobbin Lace Lesson-Cloth Stitch:  the 3 basic stitches - cloth stitch, half stitch and double stitch, winkiepin edge, sewing edge.
  • Plaited Lace Lesson 1:  for absolute beginners.  Explains 4 strand braid/plait, how to hang on for bookmarks or samples, windmill crossing, knotted picots.
  • Plaited Lace Lesson 2:  Hanging on in pairs.
  • Plaited Lace Lesson 3:  How to connect footside weaver to braid/plait, how to choose a beginning place to best hide the ends, how to sew out at the end.
  • Plaited Lace Lesson 4:  Using a pin twice (or more), double thread picots, temporary pins.
  • Lesson 5:   Tallies.
  • Plaited Lace Lesson 6:   crossing 3 braids.
  • Plaited Lace Lesson 7:   Bookmark B8,  uses techniques in lessons 3 and 6, and adds cloth & half stitch spot, and kiss stitch.
  • Circle:  practice cloth stitch, half stitch, braids, tallies.  Instructions for hanging on and ending.
  • Square3:  square edging for practicing basic stitches and different kinds of edges.
  • Basic A:  instructions for braids-plaits, picots, windmill join, hanging on and ending instructions.
  • Basic B.  braids, picots, connecting braid to cloth trail, beginning and ending.
  • Edging B2:  Instructions
  • Basic D:  instructions for braids, leaf tallies, cloth trail, connecting braid to cloth trail.
  • Bobbin Lace Collar F19:  part lace design using Honiton or Duchesse technique, enlarged scale.
• Two Structures: what part lace/straight lace means, structural differences between various regional/period styles (lace identification).
• Make a Pillow:  How to make your own pillow out of wood and wool -- a roller pillow and a cookie pillow.
• My Books & Patterns:  My Torchon Bobbin Lace Lessons Book, Introduction to Russian Tape Lace,  my Torchon Pattern Book, and my other pattern sets, for sale on paper or as pdf files.

A new site for discussion of all forms of hand made lace, predominantly bobbin lace:  http://laceioli.ning.com   If you need help with my books or patterns, join the BEGINNERS group there, and I will help.  (Joining is free.)

  Laces by Living Lacemakers: what we are all doing now, some simple, some complex (modern bobbin lace).                         bk

• New Revival:     c. 1970 to present. An exciting time when some of us are ferreting out the details of very old laces, but also designing entirely new pieces, sometimes using the old forms, and sometimes wildly original.
• Learning Bobbin Lace:    photos of the very simple laces a student might make in various workshops, some by me, some by my students and others, advice and book list to help you learn bobbinlace.
• Samples:  more photos of beginner laces in various styles of bobbin lace.
• My Bobbin Lace:  all designed by me and made by me (a few friends helped)
• Harz:  a free pattern designed and donated by Ilske Thomsen of Hamburg
• Waterlily:  a free pattern designed and donated by Ilske Thomsen of Hamburg
• Christmas Trees: two free patterns for Christmas card, designed and donated by Ilske Thomsen of Hamburg

Some examples of historic bobbin laces that you will find on these pages.                                            *
17th century:
18th century:
Napoleonic era
19th century: Bar ground
19th century Mesh ground
19th century Part Lace
19th century Part Lace (Tape Lace)
Revival Era straight lace-- late 19th to early 20th century
Revival Era part lace-- late 19th to early 20th century
20th century:  New revival era.				LH

Contact me at     lhalley@bytemeusa.com                          July 31, 2010           Last edited:   01/13/13