Featured What Kind of Lace - Hand or Machine Made?

I'm wondering what type of lace this is, the age, and whether handmade or machine made. I've looked through @Northern Lights Lodge interesting posts on lace and didn't see anything quite like it. I bought the tablecloth (28" diameter) at a thrift store earlier this year for $1.79.

 

It’s hand made alright. Maybe tatting? I’m not really good at lace, I gave up after a Battenburg class and now I wouldn’t buy it. Others would know I bet.

 

Thank you Msalicia -- good news to hear that it's handmade.

 

What a lovely piece! And what a price!
I am, however, sorry to break your bubbles... it is Scheffli - machine lace. I'm guessing circa 1900...
Still, it is in lovely condition... UNUSUAL what with the cherubs and dimensional (?) birds... and is really quite exquisite!
It does resemble crochet in it's form... but alas... no.
Leslie

 

I didn’t know how they made this sort of machine lace so it was interesting to read the background was dissolved to leave the lace.
Here’s an example I found on Wikipedia.

 

Hi Houseful, Yes, true. The machines stitched (almost embroidered) the lacy part over a very gauzy background fabric and then the piece was given an acid bath to remove the gauzy bit. EVERY once in awhile, I have seen an older example with a little nub of the gauzy bit still visible. Fascinating really, and it allowed them to create very fancy looking laces without having to follow any "specific" lace design (ie: Chantilly, Beds, Bucks, Alencon, etc)... it allowed them the freedom to just build any sort of design on the gauzy bit. Pretty example that you posted!

Leslie

 

A lovely piece! So relieved to learn that it was not handmade. Just visualizing the hundreds of hours it would have taken to create this lace work by hand boggles the mind. Especially since all that work today amounts to a buck seventy-nine; it would break my heart.

So glad we have computers today allowing talented ladies to break free of the acceptable ladylike pastimes of yore...

 

Thank you for that information NLL. I googled Schiffli lace tablecloth and found examples of round tablecloths similar to mine, but probably not as old. I've sold vintage dresses with Schiffli embroidery and lace trim, but never thought of that term for my lace tablecloth. So thank you again for educating me.

 

LOL... well, I'm glad you are relieved; not all would be so happy about that! None the less... it does boggle the mind. I have a piece that I'll post as soon as I get a chance that will do just that! So stay tuned!
Leslie

 

It is SO my pleasure! I'm glad that you are enjoying the posts and feel like you are learning something. Even though I'm no longer actively "teaching" lace making; I'm glad that I can at least serve to educate a few folks about lace and lace making. It is something I feel drawn to; and I'm happy to have found an interested audience.

Thanks for your comments.
Leslie

 

Joan,
I've just posted a new lace lesson in response to your hand/vs machine piece. I hope you'll enjoy.
Leslie

 

I had just finished some auction listings for the day when I got the message about your new post, so I went right to the Textiles forum and found it absolutely fascinating!!! You knowledge about lace making boggles the mind. I had no idea what was involved in making handmade Chantilly lace in the 1800s, and feel sorry for the amazing women who did all that work and were never recognized for it. It's a shame that the surviving pieces are so undervalued today.

 

Glad you enjoyed it Joan! It makes the effort worthwhile! Yes, I have pushed a long time for pieces to be appreciated for all the talent and time it took to make them... and truly, the only way to make that happen is to make sure people are educated about it. So, I do love what I do!
Cheerio, Leslie

 

well it's nice to see a knowledgeable person on the subject join in the fun lol
I posted this one a year or so ago and all i got was bells , i disagree and believe them to be crowns ( 4 kings and 4 queens ) 50th anniversary . what are your thought on this lovely piece i bought at the thrift store it was in a different frame but was broke taking it apart (to investigate it ) so i put it in this frame

 

Hi @lloyd249 What a charming little piece! I think it looks like bells AND crowns! Bells in the corners and crowns on the sides! The way the lace was mounted is excellent! I think that "sewing lace on the mat board" is the best way to mount lace! I'm so glad you included a pic of the back showing the process to mount. It looks great in the frame. It is hand made "filet crochet". Undoubtedly made for someone's 50th wedding anniversary! SWEET! Thanks so much for sharing!
Leslie

 

thank you for your opinion ,i think the corners are one of these crowns , i think if they were bells the would be off center so you would know that they are bells as i have seen in crochet and knitted bells , i believe this is the 50 anniversary of this queen and king as they were the only ones ( i believe made it more than 50 years in this time period ) which would make this very old . IMO it would make no sense to put her crowns on it and not his .

 

Hmmm... interesting... however;
Queen Victoria married Albert on February 10, 1840 and he passed away only 21 years later in December of 1861. So that rules out being a Commemorative for Victoria and Albert's 50th Anniversary. She was in perpetual mourning from the time of his death until she passed away in 1901....and wore primarily black.

It does not, however, rule out HER Commemorative 50th Golden Jubilee on the throne! That would have occurred on June 20, 1887. It is handmade "filet crochet"; which was probably being made at that time. So this is a possibility.

Did you find this item in the UK? If you did; then it is possible that it was for her Jubilee. If you found it in the US; although possible; I think it more likely it was for someone's 50th Wedding anniversary.

Just my opinion... unlikely that there is proof one way or another - unless one found the original pattern and it stated that it was for her Jubilee.

Still a sweet piece and fun to wonder!

Victoria DID love lace! She was a huge supporter of the handmade lace industry in England. She commissioned many large Honiton lace pieces that adorned her clothing. Probably the most well known of the pieces was the Honiton that was commissioned for her wedding gown.

Thanks for sharing!
Leslie

 

Again, I learn something every day here from knowledgeable posters. I now a specialist in lace. Thank you.

 

Thank you Msalicia; I have received so much lovely information here myself; in areas that I'm no expert in... that I wanted to share something I do have knowledge about. Cheerio, Leslie