Lace types

Lace types

Duchess lace, or Duchesse lace, was produced in Belgium (and in particular in Brussels and Bruges) from about the mid-nineteenth century onwards. In general it was regarded as a cheaper version of 'true' Brussels lace. It is a form of bobbin lace. The bold motifs are joined by thin bars (brides). It is reportedly named after Marie-Henriette, duchess of Brabant.

Genoese lace is a form of guipure, bobbin lace that in the early nineteenth century was introduced in Malta and, with the addition of the Maltese cross in the design, developed into Maltese lace.

Ghent lace is a form of bobbin lace, very similar to Valenciennes lace. WV

Gros Point de Venice, or simply Point de Venice, is a type of needlepoint lace produced in Venice from the seventeenth century. It is characterised by its floral patterns and other floral motifs set in relief, hence its other name, 'Gros' Point de Venice. Venetican lace is often described as the origin of many types of French lace, as for instance Point de France and Point de Sedan.

Guipure lace is a form of bobbin lace, whereby the patterns are connected with bars or plaits, and not with a mesh or net. The patterns, placed closely together, used to be outlined with a thicker thread (gimp). Guipure lace has an almost three-dimensional, raised appearance. It is nowadays also often known as Venetian lace.

Hollie point (or holy point) is a form of flat needlepoint lace with rows of hollie stitches: knotted buttonhole stitches worked over horizontal, stretched threads. Hollie point was popular in England from the seventeenth to the early nineteenth centuries.

A slightly raised and fine needlepoint lace developed in the mid-nineteenth century on the basis of Venetian and Spanish needlepoint forms. It was still being produced in the early twentieth century. Inishmacsaint lace was worked with flax threads.

Irish crochet or Irish crochet lace was developed in Ireland in the mid-nineteenth century. It imitates Venetian point laces. It includes separately crocheted motifs, which are brought together and provisionally basted to a ground before being joined with chains and picots, after which the ground is removed.

The production of Irish lace was promoted at the end of the nineteenth century by the Donegal Industrial Fund. This fund was established in 1883 by Alice and Ernest Hart, who wanted to help the destitute of Donegal by offering local women training in weaving, lace making and embroidery.

Kells lace was started up and organised by Emma Colston (c. 1796-1877, neé Hubbert) and her husband, Henry Colston (c. 1798-1856). Kells lace was named after the town of Kells in County Meath, Ireland, where Emma Colston's business was established.

Kenmare lace is a needlepoint lace, which was developed after the Poor Clare Nuns had founded a convent in Kenmare, Ireland, in 1861. They also established a school to train the local women to learn a craft to make a bit of extra money. They were taught embroidery, woodcarving and leatherwork. They also developed and made lace, which they sold to wealthy tourists.

The Italian word lacis is used in different ways: (a) as a general term that is often translated as ‘network',  and according to some authors this includes interlaced, knotted or woven forms of decorated net; (b) as a specific form of network that uses a woven net with square meshes. This more specific meaning of the word is used for TRC Needles. It can be described as a form of embroidered lace.

Lefkara lace, also known as Lefkaritika and Lefkaritika lace, is a form of pulled thread embroidery with satin stitch details. It is often classed as a form of embroidered lace. Lefkaritika lace originally comes from the village of Lefkara, Cyprus, and is locally called tayiadha (compare Italian punto tagliato).

Lier (Lierre) lace is a form of embroidered net lace produced in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in the northern Belgian town of Lier. One story says that around 1825, a Mr. Timmermans married Miss De Keersmaeker, who ran a lace school in Lier. Together they developed a form of embroidered lace that used a tambour hook rather than a needle to decorate cotton bobbinet.

Limerick lace is a form of embroidered net lace from Ireland. The technique uses machine-made net and was introduced to Limerick in 1829 by Charles Walker (d. 1842). He brought over twenty girls from Coggeshall, Essex (England) to set up a lace-making school.

Limerick run lace is a form of embroidered net lace. It uses a machine-made net (tulle) and a running stitch for decoration. It can be classed as a form of needlerun. It allegedly originated in Nottingham. It is very similar to Kells lace

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