Lace is a textile product without a woven base, in which openwork patterns and images are formed as a result of the interweaving of threads (silk, cotton, metal and others). Of course, lace is an outstanding phenomenon of Russian folk culture, a magical world of weightless sophistication and airiness. The word lace has two meanings: one of them comes from the word “to surround” - it defined various trims in the form of a border on collars, hems and sleeves; in another meaning, this word refers to a patterned openwork product - an independent type of decoration of clothing or objects.
Lace napkin. ON THE. Larionova
Lace has always been a social symbol of its owner, his dignity and power. Lace touched not only the hands of royalty; lace was and remains a culture accessible to people of all social classes.
General description of lace materials
Lace is a textile that does not have a woven base, with a pattern that is created by interweaving threads. Thanks to this technology, the fabric is airy and elastic.
Lace fabric has the following properties:
- subtlety;
- complexity of the drawing;
- transparency;
- ease.
An important quality of the openwork is also the absence of the need to finish its edges with an overcast stitch due to the fact that the cut does not crumble. In this case, to complete the pattern, it is not necessary to determine the grain thread.
Preparation method
There are two main classifications of types of openwork - according to the technique of execution and the place of its origin. According to the first principle, lace is divided into manual and machine.
Textiles woven on a machine can have a straight cut (for subsequent joining with another fabric) or a wavy edge for the final design of the finished product. The machine program contains data about what pattern, structure, and density the material should have. Moreover, the devices are capable of weaving multi-colored laces and even with the addition of metal fibers, as well as gluing decorative elements.
A hand-made openwork can be simply a canvas that is later used to decorate products, or a finished item, for example, clothes, napkins or accessories. Handmade lace can have fabric as a base (sewing or embroidery) or have no base at all.
Lace – a gift from sunny Italy
Lace is a thin fabric in which a complex original interweaving of threads forms patterns of extraordinary beauty . In its production, both natural - linen, cotton, silk - and synthetic threads can be used.
Lace first appeared in Italy in the middle of the 16th century. Then it was called Punto Aria, which translated means “air loops”. Masters created stunningly beautiful weaving using an ordinary sewing needle. Lace quickly spread throughout Europe and gained popularity not only among the Italian, but also among the French, English, Spanish and Belgian nobility. Already at the end of the 17th century, lace weaving reached Russia. Russian seamstresses not only repeated the complex openwork weaving of the products of foreign lacemakers, but also added their own special flavor to it.
Since then, for several centuries, the beauty, airiness and grace of Vologda, Vyatka, Yelets and Mikhailovsky laces have been famous all over the world. According to the type of production, all types of lace are divided into handmade and machine-made.
Tools and weaving techniques
There are many techniques for hand-making openwork. Below are the different types of lace, their names, photos and descriptions.
Bobbin weaving
Bobbins are special wooden sticks on which threads are wound and then transferred from one bobbin to another in a certain order. Thanks to this technique, a long measuring strip is obtained, from which, if necessary, a piece of the required length can be cut. Sections of the pattern are woven in a concatenated manner and then connected to each other using a hook.
Needle
This ancient method is reminiscent of embroidery. The fabric is attached to paper with a pre-printed design. After this, the outline is first embroidered with a thick needle, and then the internal space of the design is filled with stitches. Most often, linen threads are used for weaving, and any thin material, such as organza, is suitable as a base.
Hardanger
Lace using the Hardanger technique is made on white linen with light threads (white or beige). The outlines of the pattern are embroidered using satin stitch, after which the necessary sections of material are removed with small scissors. The pattern is filled with stitches of different lengths. This vintage decor is great for decorating clothes and home textiles.
Author:
Zakharova Nina Afanasyevna
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