Book Description

The origins of lace are probably in net-work, which is referred to in the Bible and has been found in Egyptian tombs. The more elaborate forms, such as needlepoint and bobbin lace, did not appear until the fifteenth or sixteenth century. It is generally agreed that needlepoint lace was developed in Italy while bobbin lace was developed in Flanders, and it was from Flanders and other European countries that thousands of Protestants fled to England to escape religious persecution, bringing their lace making skills with them. Lace and Lace Making charts the early history of this craft, and then recounts how various European forms were adapted. The book describes how the bobbin lace industry operated, with home workers selling their work to touring lace dealers, and how this cottage industry was disastrously affected by the introduction of lace making machines in the second half of the eighteenth century. The book also talks about lace schools, their customs and holiday celebrations, the lace tells that were recited while working, the many attractive and historically interesting bobbin inscriptions, the numerous laws that were made regulating the wearing of lace and the ways that were found to circumvent these laws-such as smuggling. A great amount of detailed research has gone into producing this book, which provides a fascinating account of a once important craft industry that is now enjoying a welcome revival.