----Original message---- >From : [email protected] Subject : Re: [lace] What do bobbin and needle lace have in common?
In a recent viewing of 17th century English embroidery, I noted that some of the stitches used to fill in backgrounds behind raised work resembled Hollie Point, but in color. But we would not call that lace. Raised work itself is obviously a very close relative of needle work, with the difference sometimes seeming to only be the use of white vs color. I’ve also been researching early English lace as you all know, and it seems like most early references to needle lace lump it in with embroidery, whereas “lace” alone denotes bobbin lace, but not in all cases. So how do we distinguish? A truly perplexing question indeed. The only difference is not just the use of white v colour as there are plenty of bobbin lacemakers who work mainly in colour - Jane Atkinson for one. There are also many needlelace workers who work only in colour and whose names have been brought to my attention here in these discussions on the subject. The difference is that if the needlelace stitches are worked onto a background fabric, it is embroidery but if it can stand alone without the need of a background fabric to support it, it is needle 'lace' in the true sense of the word. Please don't complicate matters by thinking that a piece of needlelace that has been worked in the traditionally accepted manner before mounting onto a background fabric and then put into a frame, is embroidery - it is not, because it can stand alone and one can see through it, it does not need a background fabric because it is lace that was not worked onto a background fabric of any description.. Also these EARLY references do lump it into! embroidery but we're discussing the 21st century needlelaces, not the 17th century use of it. Alencon and all of the other traditional needlelaces, which are not 21st century inventions are without any doubt whatsoever needlelace and will not be found lumped in with embroidery if searched for using the words 'Alencon Needlelace' but the word 'Needlelace' alone, clearly does. Catherine Barley Catherine Barley Needlelace www.catheinebarley.com Catherine Barley Catherine Barley Needlelace www.catherinebarley.com - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
