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What is bobbin lace?
Bobbin lace or pillow lace are the names given to a form of weaving where thread is wound onto short wooden sticks called bobbins and the weaving is carried out on a lace pillow. Lace pillows differ from country to country depending on the style of lace made there.
Bobbin lace in its present form dates back to the 15th century. There are several styles of bobbin lace traditional to different countries. Some of the styles use only very thin thread and other styles use thick thread. Some lace is made with cotton thread, some with linen thread, silk or combinations of thread types. In the past, bullion (gold and silver) was used in the making of certain laces. The lace styles differ from fine and richly textured dress laces to moderately coarse, closely woven lace for table linen and other household uses.
The craft has a long and rich history. Worn by the nobility and made by the lower classes, at the height of its popularity laws were passed prohibiting lacemakers from sharing ‘the secrets’ of the trade and to protect a money earning industry. In France, many members of the nobility lost their chateau for the price of a lace jabot or bed hanging.
The craft, as a cottage industry, died due to mechanisation. Once machines were developed with the capacity to produce a fabric that emulated fine lace, the handmade product could not compete. The output from the machines was rapid and the product inexpensive. The low price meant this lace was available to many more people than the hand made product and then, the final death knell, the wearing of machine made lace became fashionable, at all levels of society.
The craft survived in the traditional lacemaking areas of various countries and many of the bobbin laces, along with several other crafts, are enjoying a revival that began in the 1970’s and continues today.
Bobbin lace is a craft that can be enjoyed at many different levels of complexity. Simple patterns look as attractive as more complex patterns and each type of lace has its own character. Some lace types are worked with no more than ten pairs of bobbins and other types require many tens of pairs. The one major point though, about making bobbin lace, is that devotees never run out of avenues to explore.
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