General description of lace materials
Lace is a textile that does not have a woven base, with a pattern that is created by interweaving threads. Thanks to this technology, the fabric is airy and elastic.
Lace fabric has the following properties:
- subtlety;
- complexity of the drawing;
- transparency;
- ease.
An important quality of the openwork is also the absence of the need to finish its edges with an overcast stitch due to the fact that the cut does not crumble. In this case, to complete the pattern, it is not necessary to determine the grain thread.
Properties of lace and how this fabric is produced
Lace making is a fairly ancient form of decorative and applied art that originated in Italy. Openwork fabric quickly gained popularity among the ladies of the court, and after a while this art spread throughout Europe. Today this skill has not been forgotten, although it is not such a mass hobby. Modern girls prefer to purchase already sewn outfits with openwork elements or made entirely of lace fabric.
Lace fabric
If we look at it in more detail, lace is a textile without a woven base, where the pattern is formed by interlacing threads. This manufacturing method makes this material more airy, elastic with a mesh structure.
Attention! Lace fabric can be made from both natural (cotton, linen, silk) and synthetic threads.
Silk lace
The main properties of lace fabric include the following:
- thinness, which makes lace fabric an excellent material for making delicate dresses, and thanks to its thinness, it goes well with other fabrics;
- the complexity of the pattern, which advantageously distinguishes such material from others, and also allows it to be used for decorative purposes;
- transparency, since the fabric has a mesh base;
- lightness, which makes it possible to combine lace with denser weighty fabrics.
It is also worth noting that the lace fabric does not fray along the cut, allowing you to avoid finishing the edges with an overcast stitch. In this case, patterns can be made without defining the thread.
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Depending on the manufacturing method, patterned fabrics are divided into 2 types:
- self made;
- machine production.
Handmade lace can be made by weaving on special sticks (bobbins), embroidered with a thin needle, or made using the hardanger technique. Machine lace includes openwork and guipure.
Handmade and machine lace
Preparation method
There are two main classifications of types of openwork - according to the technique of execution and the place of its origin. According to the first principle, lace is divided into manual and machine.
Textiles woven on a machine can have a straight cut (for subsequent joining with another fabric) or a wavy edge for the final design of the finished product. The machine program contains data about what pattern, structure, and density the material should have. Moreover, the devices are capable of weaving multi-colored laces and even with the addition of metal fibers, as well as gluing decorative elements.
A hand-made openwork can be simply a canvas that is later used to decorate products, or a finished item, for example, clothes, napkins or accessories. Handmade lace can have fabric as a base (sewing or embroidery) or have no base at all.
Handmade lace
Handmade lace is usually classified by technique or place of production.
bobbin lace
bobbin lace
Even Tsar Peter I, who tried to introduce foreign orders in patriarchal Russia, introduced the fashion for lace collars and cuffs. It was then that bobbin weaving, which Russian lacemakers have long been proud of, became widespread.
Bobbins are special wooden sticks with threads wound on them. By throwing them from one side of the fabric to the other, the knitter creates bizarre airy patterns that have their own distinctive characteristics in each area.
Bobbin lace is made in two ways - paired and chained. When paired, a long measuring strip is obtained, which is then cut into pieces of the required length.
With the chain method, individual parts of the pattern are woven, which are then connected to each other using a hook.
Weaving lace with bobbins is a very complex type of needlework. Sometimes the craftswoman uses up to 1,500 sticks at a time to create a particularly intricate pattern.
Needlepoint
Needlepoint
One of the most labor-intensive methods of making lace, which includes several stages.
First, a pattern is invented and drawn on thin paper. It is attached to the fabric, an outline is made with a thick thread, and then gradually, stitch by stitch, the entire internal space is filled.
The classic pattern for needle lace is roses, chrysanthemums and other flowers. Separately knitted lace motif pieces are sewn into a fabric of the required size. At the same time, the craftsmen work with such a thin needle that it is almost impossible to detect the joints with the naked eye.
Hardanger
Hardanger
This hand-weaving technology comes from cold Norway. White linen is used as a base.
First, the contours of the design are embroidered using satin stitch, and then individual fragments are cut out with special miniature scissors.
Patterns are formed on the resulting mesh using various stitches. Most often, white linen threads are used for hardanger. Recently, some craftswomen have been adding a little beige or brown.
Hardanger lace decorates not only clothes, but also home textiles, in particular tablecloths and bedding.
Tatting
Lace tatting
The art of tatting lace knitting originated in France and translated means “free”, “frivolous”. This is lace made from threads twisted in a special way.
Tatting is woven using a knotted method using special shuttles. Using this technique, napkins are knitted, tablecloths, towels, and bed linen are decorated with them.
Recently, tatting has been widely used to create costume jewelry: necklaces, brooches, earrings, pendants, etc.
Interesting fact! A very common weaving technique called macrame also refers to knotted lace. For the first time, sailors began to weave talismans and amulets in this way in ancient Turkey. Nowadays, macrame is used in the manufacture of scarves, shawls, stoles, and various decorative items.
Richelieu
Richelieu lace
This type of handmade lace is made on the finest fabric. Batiste, muslin, organza and even mesh are used as a base.
Various patterns are embroidered onto the fabric using stitches of varying depths, and then the spaces between them are carefully cut out.
This creates the effect of dark and light threads, which gives volume to the lace. One of the most famous cutwork lace is Italian reticella.
Advantages and disadvantages of handmade lace
No matter what techniques lacemakers from different countries use, the result of their work is distinguished by beauty, nobility and sophistication.
In addition, handmade lace, despite its considerable cost, is very popular due to the following qualities:
- environmental friendliness - only natural materials are used for their production;
- hygiene, breathability;
- safety for health: they do not cause skin irritation and allergic reactions;
- no static electricity.
In addition to the high price, handmade lace has another drawback - it is very difficult to care for. These products should only be washed by hand and dried flat, laid out on a horizontal plane. The lace should be ironed through thin fabric or gauze. Products with convex patterns are not ironed.
Tools and weaving techniques
There are many techniques for hand-making openwork. Below are the different types of lace, their names, photos and descriptions.
Bobbin weaving
Bobbins are special wooden sticks on which threads are wound and then transferred from one bobbin to another in a certain order. Thanks to this technique, a long measuring strip is obtained, from which, if necessary, a piece of the required length can be cut. Sections of the pattern are woven in a concatenated manner and then connected to each other using a hook.
Needle
This ancient method is reminiscent of embroidery. The fabric is attached to paper with a pre-printed design. After this, the outline is first embroidered with a thick needle, and then the internal space of the design is filled with stitches. Most often, linen threads are used for weaving, and any thin material, such as organza, is suitable as a base.
Hardanger
Lace using the Hardanger technique is made on white linen with light threads (white or beige). The outlines of the pattern are embroidered using satin stitch, after which the necessary sections of material are removed with small scissors. The pattern is filled with stitches of different lengths. This vintage decor is great for decorating clothes and home textiles.
Author:
Zakharova Nina Afanasyevna
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