Lace

In the context of textiles and clothing lace is a collective term for a wide variety of decorative elements, which consist only of yarn or yarn and fabric. All manifestations of the peak in common is that they are broken, that is, between the yarns are formed holes of different sizes, so that there is a pattern. Thus, for example, is an embroidered with a motif fabric no tip.

Most of the tips were and are used as border decoration on garments; but there are also " entre -deux- peaks" as an insert between two pieces of fabric, flat lace fabrics (so-called Plains ) and va since the end of the 19th century alone, independent of clothing items from top (eg as window decoration as Macramés, Florentine or as table linen ).

Today peaks are mainly used for clothing lingerie, sleepwear, ladies wear, wedding dresses and costumes. Moreover tip is used in the manufacture of table linen, curtains and liturgical vestments. The region around Plauen is the German center machine- embroidered lace (see Plauen lace ), while the region around St. Gallen Swiss textile center applies (see St. Gallen tip).

• 2.2.1 Maschinengeklöppelte top
• 2.2.2 Air Lace / mordant lace
• 2.2.3 application tip

History

The first needle tips ( Reticella ) were made ​​in the 15th century in northern Italy and obtained in the course of the 16th century widespread. In the 17th century it developed into the needle lace technique, which was first cultivated in Venice and Milan. Tips were attached to sleeve cuffs and served as a collar for men and women. The elaborate production were due to needle tips so extremely expensive that only the wealthiest could afford them. Your popularity with the French nobility gave a huge transfer of capital to Italy, where Louis XIV, by failing steered that he promoted the lace-making in France.

To 1700/1710 replaced the ( cheaper because quicker ) clapper technology largely from the needle tip. Were initially patterned closely the tips, sat down in the course of the century the Tüllgrund with integrated or applique pattern becoming increasingly popular. Tüllgrundspitzen were again faster and cheaper to produce than densely patterned, so that towards the end of the 18th century, less well-off citizens could afford to tip their Sunday best.

Early to mid -19th century, crocheting, which was developed in Ireland by home-based workers to the highest perfection was. Occhispitze that emerged around the same time, played a role only as a domestic pastime. From the beginning of the 20th century could also manufacture lace and lace hole machine, so that the traditional lace techniques were threatened with extinction. The lace-making has been and will only regional associations and schools alive, while the needle lace technique can be regarded as extinct. Today, bobbin lace, only machine made ​​(and also the barely ) or as small works of art. As a top one acquires in the haberdashery trade machine drill bit ( hole tip), machine-embroidered tulle top, mordant lace or the coarser macramé lace.

Types of lace / embroidery (selection)

Handmade lace

Crochet

Crochet lace mimics the pattern of the needle tip in crocheting. Particularly well known is the Irish crochet lace or Irish Guipüre that earned some extra money in the 19th century, the impoverished Irish peasantry.

Under Csetneker tip refers to a specific technique of Häkelspitzenanfertigung. The equipped with figure parts are crocheted separately and then attached to an apparatus bearing the sketch of the peak pattern paper sheet or cloth and secured with a crocheted in position network.

Tüllspitze

A machine-made embroidery Tüllgrund is similarly laced with threads. Since this technique could easily be imitated by machine, is Tüllspitze - also woven lace or Bobinetspitze called - still widely used today and can be found in haberdashery.

Pillow lace

When lacemaking threads are crossbred for a specific pattern or twisted (called beats). On roll-shaped ( traditionally, especially in Germany ) or flat lace pillow ( traditionally mainly France and Belgium) or combination of both a pattern drawing is pinned, the pricking. The yarn is wound on bobbins, needles with attached in pairs on the lace bag and then twisted, braided or woven together by mating and turning the bobbin. The crossing locations are held at the needle points specified by the pattern with thin needles in place until its position is fixed by the subsequent blows. At the end of a working clapper them with hair spray or Special ( modern times) or laundry starch is fixed.

True, so handmade bobbin lace are traditionally in cream / white or black made ​​from linen, cotton or cream silk ( Blonde ); today and colorful threads are used. The clappers enjoys great popularity today and has various centers worldwide. In the Erzgebirge, a traditional center of German lace making, hand lace is still maintained. Known bobbin lace are about Mechlin, Brussels, Honiton, Valenciennes, Torchon or Schneeberger.

Needle tip (French guipure )

On a black box, the pattern is drawn and then stretched along the drawing threads that form the basis of the peak. This basic grid is then mostly umstickt in buttonhole stitch, pulled threads and some other compound the spaces between them filled. Sometimes thicker yarns are additional parts of the grid and down umstickt to achieve a surface in relief. Finally, the box is removed.

Needle tips are the most demanding on the workload fro peaks whose production requires good eyes, lots of light and a steady hand. They were exclusively made of cream-colored or white linen. Towards the end of the 19th century came the technology into oblivion. Known needle tips are, for example, Point de Venise, Point d' Alençon, point de neige or point rose.

A native of Italy Needlepoint type Reticella. From a linen weave woven fabric threads are stripped and the thus formed webs umstickt with buttonhole stitch, filled the holes with diagonal threads, which in turn umstickt. With so many threads are stripped that of the base material almost nothing remains, it is called Punto in Aria (Italian embroidery in the air).

Occhi ( frivolities )

Occhi ( Italian for " eyes ", also known as Frivolitätenarbeit or tatting ), is woven from one thread, which was wound on a boat. This circular ( the "eyes" ) and arc-shaped figures are formed and connected together to form larger shapes.

Knit lace

Forms openwork pattern in knitting technique.

White embroidery

In fine white linen or cotton fabric holes are drilled, cut or formed by stringing and the edges of the holes then close umstickt with white yarn. The technique was V.A. performed particularly fine and artfully in Saxony, so that the product as Point de Saxe Dresden lace or an export hit was.

A still popular form of white embroidery is the so-called Richelieu or cutout embroidery. First, the contours of the image as you wish (even Languetten or Schlingstich ) nachgestickt with a Festo stitch thick, then then certain parts are cut out. Bridges in the openings and is stuffed spiders at the crossing points give extra grip work.

(Also called drill, cotton or linen top ) hole tip, is a subspecies of white embroidery. In a base of white batiste be drilled round holes with an awl and then tight umstickt with a white cotton thread. Hole peak was the late 19th and early 20th century popular as border decoration of underwear, hence the name " lingerie lace ". The machine-made variant called drill bit; it is still inter alia be found in the haberdashery trade today.

Machine lace

Maschinengeklöppelte top

Machine-made lace on lace-making machine has simple geometric shapes with most popular pattern. It is often referred to as " Torchon lace" and is very difficult to distinguish from the handgeklöppelten tip. Among the important production locations in Germany since the early part of 1900, the city of Wuppertal.

Air Lace / mordant lace

Produced by machine embroidering a fabric substrate and then removing the superfluous, not embroidered reason. The result is an openwork fabric that looks from a distance like needlepoint. Today, the ground fabric is made of a water-soluble or non-temperature -resistant material.

Application tip

At a machine-made net ground Handmade braided elements are sewn on.