Category: History

7/1/2022 0 Comments

The History of Lace - Margaret Simeon

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Stainer & Bell Ltd; 1st Edition (1 Jun. 1979)
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0852494459
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0852494455

The History of Lace by Margaret Simeon
One of the first lace history books published during the late 20th Century lace revival.

With a background in textile design, Margaret Simeon first became interested in lace and its history in 1940 when she discovered some pieces in Red Cross shops across London.

The book contains pieces exclusively from her collection, many of which had not been published previously.

What works well?

Fully illustrated throughout with black and white photographs which works well with the traditional lace
Good glossary of lace terms at the end of the book

Anything that we need to take into consideration?

This book is out of print, but does appear regularly through second book sellers, lace suppliers and eBay.

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1/8/2021 0 Comments

Lace - Heather Toomer, photos - Cynthia Voysey

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Batsford Ltd (5 Nov. 1989)
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0713457015
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0713457018

Lace by Heather Toomer, photos by Cynthia Voysey
A guide to identification of old lace types and techniques
This book is definitely one to have on the night stand so you can sit and adore the photos and text.

What works well?

The quality of the photos is outstanding and really add to the text.
There are also clear black and white illustrations of how stitches are put together with augment the text.

Anything that we need to take into consideration?

This book is out of print, but readily available on online book sellers, eBay and through lace suppliers

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1/8/2021 0 Comments

The Dryad Book of Bobbin Lace - Raie Clare

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dryad P.; 1st edition (24 Jun. 1987)
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0852197101
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0852197103

The Dryad Book of Bobbin Lace by Raie Clare
The 1980s saw a slew of books produced on bobbin lace during it's resurgence.

During this period, Dryad created their now 'infamous' bobbin lace kit. The pillow was, surprisingly, of good quality and the patterns and instructions spurred a number of people to learn. Whilst the plastic / nylon bobbins may not have been the most glamorous, they helped to make the kit accessible, price wise.

What works well?

The book gives simple instructions across a number of lace techniques using clear diagrams.

Anything that we need to take into consideration?

The pattern on the front cover is included at the end of the section on Bucks Point
This book is out of print, but readily available on online book sellers, eBay and through lace suppliers

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30/7/2021 0 Comments

Knyppelboken - Tradition och eget skapande - Ulla Fagerlin, Birgitta Hulterstrom, Kirstina Malmberg

ISBN-13: 9153411005

Knyppelboken - Tradition och eget skapande by Ulla Fagerlin, Birgitta Hulterstrom, Kirstina Malmberg
Lace book - it's tradition and creation

The book does contain the pattern for lace shown on the front cover along with both standard patterns and pictoral patterns.

What works well?

There are technique lists (in Swedish) on how to approach each pattern
Some of the diagrams are multicoloured using the standard colours for stitches

Anything that we need to take into consideration?

Whilst this book is in Swedish this should not prove an issue for those who do not speak Swedish, check out my post on translations
This book is out of print

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11/3/2021 0 Comments

Le Pompe, 1559 by Santina M Levey and Patricia C Payne

Publisher : Ruth Bean Publishers; First Edition (1 Sept. 1983)
ISBN-10 : 0903585162
ISBN-13 : 978-0903585163

Le Pompe, 1559 by Santina M Levey and Patricia C Payne
Subtitle - Patterns for Venetian bobbin lace
Across the lace world, the book Le Pompe is mentioned in hushed, reverential tones. This books seen as one of the historical root publications of lacemaking and was referenced by a number of writers at the turn of the 19th / 20th centure.

The patterns have a heavy look to them, as though they were drawn using marker pen, but this due to the book being printed using woodblock. Whilst to today's lacemaker, Venetian bobbin lace looks and feels like a cross between Milanese and Bedfordshire with a hint of Idrija and Russian.

This book is split into sections:

Facsimile of the 1559 book with an introduction by Santina M Levey
Facsimile of a selection of pages from the 1560 edition
Technical Section by Patricia Payne
Glossary
How to make your own prickings.

What works well?

The text is clear and the black and white illustrations (by Bridget M Cook) / photo work well.

Anything that we need to take into consideration?

A number of the patterns need to be enlarged; the percentage for doing this is clearly stated on the prickings.
This book is currently out of print, however, occasionally second hand copies do appear. Check closely though, at the price being asked.

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22/2/2021 0 Comments

Bedfordshire Lace - Jean Leader

Publisher : The Crowood Press Ltd (22 Feb. 2021)
ISBN-10 : 1785008188
ISBN-13 : 978-1785008184

Bedfordshire Lace by Jean Leader
As always, Jean has produced clear, easy to read text that compliments the colour diagrams and photos.

Although designed to stand alone, this would make a fantastic follow up book to Jean's Introduction to Bedfordshire Lace, published by the Lace Guild.

The techniques are grouped at the beginning of the book so that they are easily referenced.

The 26 patterns take you from a very simple plaited circle, with picots through learning leaves and tallies to floral bucks.

Included in the book are the three butterflies on the front cover along with 3 collar patterns.

What works well?

Jean uses colour work at the start of the book to create interesting patterns but also to demonstrate the way that the stitches work through the trails.
Jean shows how to place large patterns onto block pillows in order to make them

Anything that we need to take into consideration?

A number of the patterns need to be enlarged; the percentage for doing this is clearly stated on the prickings.
This book is currently in print and available from online sellers and lace suppliers.

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15/2/2021 0 Comments

Duchess Lace : An Introduction - Jane Newble-de Graaf

Publisher : Batsford Ltd; First Edition (5 Mar. 1989)
ISBN-10 : 0713456299
ISBN-13 : 978-0713456295

Duchess Lace : An Introduction by Jane Newble-de Graaf
Often mentioned in the same breath as Withof, Duchess Lace is named after Marie Henriette, Duchess of Brabant, who married the future King Leopold III of Belgium in 1853.

As the author points out, because this lace was in vogue until the early 1900s, it often appears as antique pieces which makes it accessible to buy actual pieces for study and reproduction.

For me, Duchess lace makes a nice bridge between Bruges Flower Lace and Honiton / Withof as it has similar techniques to Bruges, but is more delicate, which can then be a gateway into the finer and smaller laces of Honiton and Withof.

Jane takes you through the history and techniques of the lace along with discussion and help on designing your own pieces.

What works well?

The lace on the front cover is included in the book in the section on designing
The contains lots of large scale drawings and diagrams which really work well with the text on the techniques.

Anything that we need to take into consideration?

This book is currently out of print, but is often available on from online booksellers and eBay

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14/2/2021 0 Comments

Royal Honiton Lace by Elsie Luxton - Yusai Fukyama

Publisher : Batsford Ltd; 1st Edition (1 Aug. 1988)
ISBN-10 : 0713457643
ISBN-13 : 978-0713457643

Royal Honiton Lace by Elsie Luxton and Yusai Fukyama
With unprecedented access to the Royal Lace collection this book shows the history of Honiton lace through it's Royal connections and support.

Access was given to the Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace and also the Royal Archives.

The cover shows the Honiton Lace covered Christening gown originally made for Queen Victoria and used up until Prince Williams christening.

What works well?

The photos included in this book give access to the Royal lace that is normally unavailable for viewing

Anything that we need to take into consideration?

This is a history and appreciation of the Royal Lace and not a book of patterns
This book is currently out of print, but is often available on from online booksellers and occasionally on eBay

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14/2/2021 0 Comments

The Technique of Tonder Lace - Inge Skovgaard

The Technique of Tonder Lace by Inge Skovgaard
At first glance, Toner lace looks very similar to Bucks Points and in fact, it has the look and feel of Bucks, however, the patterns are unique to this area of Denmark and developed independently.

Tonder is a great lace to get into after having worked on Bucks Point.

The book covers the history of Danish lace, along with the techniques of Tonder and finally some key patterns to work through with clear diagrams, photos and explanations.

What works well?

The clear line drawings, coupled with the black and white photography really enhance the instructions and techniques in this book

Anything that we need to take into consideration?

This book is currently out of print, it is occasionally available on eBay and is worth buying when you see it.

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6/2/2021 0 Comments

Devon Trolly Lace - Carol McFadzean

Publisher : Carol McFadzean; First Edition (26 Jun. 2004)
ISBN-10 : 0954768302
ISBN-13 : 978-0954768300

Devon Trolly Lace by Carol McFadzean
Subtitled : The lost lace of the East Devon Coast
Carol McFadzean's book throws new light on one of Devon's great laces that has lost its place in current memory to its more well known cousin, Honiton.

Its name comes from the Flemish Tolle Kant - which you can read more about here

Devon Trolly lace has the look and feel that is similar to bucks point. And with its origins being in the Flemish laces, then this isn't surprising.

This book not only contains 40 redrafted patterns, but describes the really interesting history of this lace.

What works well?

The history that is explained in this book really augments the patterns meaning

Anything that we need to take into consideration?

The book has very little guidance in it so this definitely a book for the adventurous beginner
This book is out of print, but readily available on online book sellers, eBay and through lace suppliers

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The Book Blog

The History of Lace - Margaret Simeon

Lace - Heather Toomer, photos - Cynthia Voysey

The Dryad Book of Bobbin Lace - Raie Clare

Knyppelboken - Tradition och eget skapande - Ulla Fagerlin, Birgitta Hulterstrom, Kirstina Malmberg

Le Pompe, 1559 by Santina M Levey and Patricia C Payne

Bedfordshire Lace - Jean Leader

Duchess Lace : An Introduction - Jane Newble-de Graaf

Royal Honiton Lace by Elsie Luxton - Yusai Fukyama

The Technique of Tonder Lace - Inge Skovgaard

Devon Trolly Lace - Carol McFadzean

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