The Ruins of Lace by Iris Anthony is a compelling, deeply-researched and revealing novel about the illicit lace "sweat-shops" of the 17th century. From the publisher: An enthralling novel centered around the mad French passion for forbidden Flemish bobbin lace in the 1600s, from a writer whose work has been called "unexpected, haunting and powerful" by her readers. For those who want something they don't have, Flemish lace can buy almost anything — or anyone. You don't have to go far to find glowing rave reviews about this novel! I'm pleased to have the author Iris Anthony here to answer a few questions about this fascinating subject. When was lace outlawed in France ... and why? Louis XIII issued five sumptuary edicts that placed prohibitions and restrictions on clothing and on April 3, 1636, he forbid the wearing of lace altogether. That’s the edict which provided for confiscation, fines, and banishment from the kingdom. {17th-century bobbin lace.} Sumptuary edicts were enacted across Europe during this time period. The reasons were several. In France’s case, money was being lost across the border through lace purchases Flanders and Italy at a time when the King desperately needed money to fill his treasury due to expenses from wars and other pet projects. It was hoped that forbidding the wearing of lace would keep all that money in France and, therefore, available to the King. Another reason is more difficult for our modern minds to understand. Europeans had a great need to keep everyone in their place. Most of these sumptuary edicts were very explicit about who could wear what: Princes of the Blood could wear cloth of gold; other princes were only allowed to wear cloth of silver. Dukes could wear gold lace; earls could only wear gold trim, etc., etc. Ever since Europeans first started visiting America as ‘tourists’, they’ve been appalled that they couldn’t tell who was who. Since the founding of the U.S., part of being an American was the ‘right’ to purchase what we wanted to and wear the things that we wanted to wear. In Europe, even an extremely wealthy merchant couldn’t wear cloth of silver, for instance, or lace in our case. In the colonial period the sumptuary laws transferred to the New World, but once the U.S. was established as a nation, if you had the money, no one would stop you from buying (and wearing) what you wanted to. These edicts seem very much like quibbling to us, but they were important tools for social control. {Lace in the 17th-century.} Finally, King Louis XIII himself was quite ascetic. He did what he had to in order to be kingly, but he was very austere. He wasn’t into the whole musketeer look (floppy boots, huge hats, big ruffled lace collars). He was called ‘The Just’ because he really did try to enforce the rules he made (when violations were brought to his attention). He killed the noble who plotted against Richelieu, for instance, in the Chalais Conspiracy. He also executed a court favorite who insisted upon dueling after he had forbidden it. The King was derailed from his natural penchant for justice when his mother and his brother started conspiring against him, but in general, he wanted order. And he didn’t approve of conspicuous consumption. Obviously, many of those at court did since he kept having to issue sumptuary edicts, but that seemed to be how it went back then just about everywhere. {Portrait of Louis XIV.} Louis XIV, his son, had a different focus. He loved glitz and glamor. The more of it, the better! He actively encouraged his nobles to partake in lavishness. He wasn’t personally against lace and consumption the way his father had been. He did, however, have a huge need for funding his wars. Colbert (his minister) decided not only to forbid luxury goods in France (as Louis XIII had done), but also encouraged the creation of domestic rip-offs. For a while, the rip-offs were just that, but eventually, they became even more desired than the foreign goods they had been copied from. The association of France with luxury goods began during Louis XIV’s reign under Colbert’s guiding hand. All of the famous French laces date from that period. The French perfume industry developed then. The glass industry came of age, as did luxury textiles. {Girls making bobbin lace.} What was the result of the sumptuary laws? Like any law, sumptuary laws had unintended consequences. The moment it was forbidden, lace became even more highly prized than it had been. And whenever anything becomes illegal, criminals add it to their list of ways to make money. The result was a surprising paradox: the pairing of ‘smuggling’ and ‘lace’. {"The Lacemaker" by Vermeer.} What were the working conditions like for the lace-makers? Horrible. Since the lace had to be spotless, lace makers worked their long hours in workshops without heat or light. Fire, in any form, produced soot and ashes which would have soiled the lace. Often workshops were housed beside or above stables so that body heat from animals would keep the lace makers from freezing. Because they worked without light, most lace makers were blind by the age of thirty. Because the work was so tedious, their fingers and backs became crippled and deformed. You researched this subject extensively. What surprised you? People and their infinite creativity in finding new ways to maltreat both each other and animals. Whenever I wander through history I’m both amazed and appalled at how similar we are to our forebears. Thank you, Iris! The lace illustrations are from Iris's Pinterest board. I will soon have more on my own blog about Iris's fascinating research and writing processes. Sandra Gulland Author of The Josephine B. Trilogy and Mistress of the Sun ============================================= WEBSITE: http://www.sandragulland.com/ BLOG: http://bit.ly/TheWritingLife FACEBOOK: http://on.fb.me/SGFBpage TWITTER: http://twitter.com/Sandra_Gulland GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/SandraGulland =============================================
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I've finally been doing a little bit of arty stuff after quite a long break from it. The mojo went, life got in the way and some good and ...
Bobbin lace is a traditional lace making technique with a wide range of styles and designs. It requires working on top of a paper pattern with many small spools (bobbins) of thread and pins that you work with to form delicate lace. Simple...
314 p. 20 cm
The “whole stitch” is one of the basic stitches in bobbin lace making. Knowing this one stitch is enough to make some very pretty lace. The whole stitch is formed over two pairs of bobbins. The process is: cross, twist, pin, cross, twist The twist is always right over left. Twist both pairs …
Call it bobbin lace, pillow lace, bone lace or simply lacework, this technique, in which thread, pins and shuttles are dexterously combined, may not compete with sophisticated lace making machines that produce complex designs but definitely it is much more artistic. I mean, you can enter a drawing in some computer program to automatically weave an elaborate piece of lace but you will lose art and tradition in the process. This is something that is handed down from one generation to another, it is a passion and a hobby. This woman, Isabel, was participating in a local contest of puntaires which is the Catalan word for a person who does needlepoint work There were women of all ages and even some young boys. They were extremely skillful and it was really amusing to be standing there witnessing the stubborn endurance of this ancient medieval craft that is reluctant to disappear. See also Bobbin Lace (Encaje de Bolillos), a previous post with a brief explanation of the process and an illustrative video.
A lacemaker in Bruges, the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country. The Bobbin Lace, is a specialit…
Lace making is a very old tradition in the Maltese islands; Gozitans are particularly famous for it. We are speaking about the real hand-made stuff (bobbin lace) - machine-woven lace pales in comparison. Unfortunately it is a dying crafts, as it involves long hours of intricate work, and the income most of the time does not justify it. Here you can see the skillful hands of an expert Gozitan lace maker working with silk. In the background you can see a good example of a finished product. Shot on location in one of the lace shops at the Ta Dbiegi Crafts Village, Gozo.
Imagine that you feel completely comfortable in yourself. You’ve never been teased. Your interests are all embraced and supported, never labelled dorky or uncool. You can wear whatever clothes you like, even your self-made recreation of a 19th-century bustle dress, and feel completely content.
I have always found winding bobbins by hand intensely therapeutic and deeply relaxing. But it is ultimately quite time consuming and can take a toll on your hands / thumbs / arms. Last year I atte…
One of the oldest crafts in Malta is the “Ciombini” (lace making). Ladies would sit on their doorsteps or in the village square and gossip. All this while creating lovely pieces of lace which they would use to adorn the house or their clothing with. (By Malta Tourism Authority) www.maltahotels.com.mt
I took on bobbin lace-making while living in Korea, out of all places. Far away from home, the Internet became both my teacher and companion. Inspired by this Russian website (text in English), I m…
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Polymer clay covered Lace Bobbins. I met a woman in New Zealand who makes the bobbins as a hobby and sells them in Christchurch at the Art Center. She gave me a few to play with months ago. The kids went back to school today and I got to work on them. I just love how they turned out!! I havent shown them to her yet, hoping she will love them and place an order. I never saw Lace Bobbins before its quite interesting how lace is made, who would have thought people still make lace. If you are curious how they are used and how lace is made en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobbin_lace . very interesting~!
74 Pages. (PDF - EBook - Digital Download) This book is an excellent study tool for the lace maker to use to hone their craft. Widely illustrated, with excellent detail - this book will lead you step by step through the process of making ten different laces. The unpricked patterns are included to make Fan Pattern, Cat's Face, Ring Pattern, Honeycomb Fan, True Lovers' Knot, Enlarged Honeycomb Pattern, Buckinghamshire Pattern, Floral Design, Lovely Insertion, and French Ground Laces. Each of these patterns are incorporated into lessons in this book, with many diagrams and detailed instruction. It is like having a teacher sit beside you while you learn your stitches! Contents of this book include: •Introduction •Apparatus for Lacemaking •To Begin a Pattern •Fan Pattern •To Work Honeycomb Filling •"Cat's Face" •Ring Pattern •Honeycomb Fan •The Lover's Knot •A Wide Honeycomb Pattern •A Fine Old Bucks Pattern •A Floral Pattern •An Insertion •French Ground •Varieties of Lace •On Teaching Lace Making •Pricking Parchments
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Bobbin lace collar, “Johannan Ruusu,”, from Roses in Bobbin Lace, by Eeva-Liisa Kortelahti. I worked it in linen thread, Bockens 90/2, probably around 1998. Wish I’d kept records!…
I discovered a video about the needle lace technique from Alençon. I was extremely impressed with this technique and was eager to try it out for myself.
I met fascinating women last saturday in Granada. They came from various parts of Spain to celebrate the art of lace making. They gathered o...
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Talking about bobbin lace on the blog!
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