User:Shardsofblue/Needle Lace



Needle lace (also known as needlelace or needle-made lace) is a type of lace created using a needle and thread to stitch up hundreds of small stitches to form the lace itself. It is also used to create the fillings or insertions in cutwork.

Overview
In its purest form the only equipment and materials used are a needle, thread and scissors. This form of lace making originated in Armenia where there is evidence of a lace making tradition dating back to the pre-christian era.

Beginning in the 17th century in Italy, a variety of styles developed where the work is started by securing heavier guiding threads onto a stiff background (such as thick paper) with stitches that can later be removed. The work is then built up using a variety of stitches - the most basic being a variety of buttonhole or blanket stitch. When the entire area is covered with the stitching, the stay-stitches are released and the lace comes away from the paper (see reticella).

This method was later adapted to make use of inexpensive cloths (such as muslin) as a backing. The muslin can be pinned to a pillow (such as the type used in bobbin lace) or stretched across an embroidery hoop to create the required stiffness.

Step by Step
The following is a step by step example of one modern method of creating needle lace.

Related Articles

 * Punto in Aria
 * Reticella