Embroidered Net

Example of embroidered net. Brussels, c. 1900. Example of embroidered net. Brussels, c. 1900. TRC collection..

Embroidered net is a type of net that is decorated with hand or machine embroidery. Some authors state that the net has to be machine made (Earnshaw 1988:53), while other authors say that either a hand or machine net can be used.

There are two basic forms of embroidered net:

(a) Needlerun (run net, darned netting): the designs are made by passing a needle in and out of the net meshes at regular intervals, using a running stitch or darning stitch, to create the solid parts and designs. Over fifty stitch variations are known for the fillings.

(b) Tambour embroidery: this type is done with a tiny hook on a net ground. It is said to have originated in France and then brought to England and Ireland (Coggeshall lace; Limerick lace).

In addition, some muslin with net appliqué forms are regarded as a form of embroidered net.

The production of machine embroidered nets began in Nottingham (England) in the nineteenth century and spread to Ireland, France, Belgium, Spain, Sicily, Sardinia, India and the USA. In the nineteenth century Belgium produced considerable amounts of machine, tambour embroidered net (Brussels net). From the 1890's, the Bonnaz machine produced embroidered nets, mainly in Switzerland.

Source: EARNSHAW, Pat (1984). A Dictionary of Lace, Aylesbury: Shire Publications Ltd, p. 53.

GVE

Last modified on Thursday, 25 May 2017 16:12
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