Imagine threads dancing, guided by a constellation of pins on a plump pillow. This isn’t just imagination; it’s the heart of bobbin lace making, an art form that transforms simple strands into intricate, airy fabrics. For centuries, hands have deftly manipulated weighted bobbins, weaving threads around pins stuck into a pattern, creating everything from delicate edgings for handkerchiefs to elaborate collars and even contemporary art pieces. It’s a craft steeped in history, requiring patience, dexterity, and an eye for detail, resulting in textiles of ethereal beauty.
The Essential Toolkit: Pillow, Pins, and Bobbins
At first glance, the setup for bobbin lace might seem complex, but each element plays a crucial role. The foundation is the lace pillow. Traditionally, these were firmly stuffed bolster shapes, long cylinders allowing for continuous lengths of lace to be worked and moved around. Today, you’ll also find flat, circular, or square pillows, often called ‘cookie’ pillows, especially popular for learning or working smaller motifs. The pillow’s primary job is twofold: to securely hold the pattern (known as the ‘pricking’) and to provide a firm, yet yielding, surface for the pins that define the lace’s structure.
Next come the pins. These aren’t just ordinary sewing pins. Lacemaking pins are typically made of brass, stainless steel, or occasionally nickel-plated steel to resist rust, which could disastrously stain the delicate threads. They need to be sharp enough to enter the pricking and pillow easily, strong enough not to bend under thread tension, and have small heads that don’t interfere with the bobbins. Pins act as temporary scaffolding; the threads are worked around them, and once a section of lace is stable, the pins from the earliest part are removed and reused further along the pattern. They are the silent architects defining every twist, turn, and tiny open space (holes or ‘pinholes’) within the design.
And then, the stars of the show: the bobbins. These are far more than simple spools. Each bobbin holds a supply of thread and provides the necessary weight to keep the threads under gentle tension. The rhythmic clicking and movement of bobbins are characteristic sounds of lacemaking. Bobbins vary significantly in style depending on regional traditions. English Midlands bobbins are often slender, made of wood or bone, and famously decorated with ‘spangles’ – loops of wire threaded with colourful glass beads. These spangles add weight and prevent the bobbins from rolling too far on the pillow. Honiton bobbins from Devon are typically smaller, lighter, and pointed at one end, suited for the extremely fine threads used in Honiton lace. Continental bobbins often have a bulbous ‘neck’ or ‘head’ around which the thread is wound, lacking the spangles of their English counterparts. The choice of bobbin often relates to the type of lace being made and personal preference, but their function remains the same: managing the threads and facilitating the weaving process.
Threads and Patterns: The Soul and the Map
Of course, no lace exists without thread. Historically, fine linen was the gold standard, prized for its strength and smooth finish. Cotton became widely popular later, and silk has always been used for luxurious items. Modern lacemakers might also incorporate metallic threads, rayons, or even fine wires for artistic effect. The thickness of the thread dramatically impacts the final look, ranging from gossamer-fine to more robust textures.
Guiding the entire process is the pattern, or ‘pricking’. This is typically drawn onto sturdy cardstock. Holes are then precisely pricked through the card along the pattern lines. This pricked card is pinned securely to the pillow. The lacemaker pushes pins into these pre-pricked holes as they work, ensuring accuracy and consistency. The pattern is the blueprint, dictating where pins go and, consequently, how the threads interlace around them.
The Dance of Threads: Cross and Twist
Making bobbin lace involves manipulating pairs of bobbins. While the intricate results look complex, the magic lies in combinations of two fundamental movements performed with a pair of bobbins held in each hand: the cross (one bobbin passing over the other) and the twist (each bobbin twisting over its neighbour within its own pair). By combining these simple actions – cross, twist, cross, twist – different stitches are formed.
Four bobbins (two pairs) are usually involved in making a basic stitch. The fundamental building blocks include:
- Cloth Stitch (or Whole Stitch): Typically worked as cross, twist, cross. This creates a dense, woven fabric resembling miniature plain weave cloth.
- Half Stitch: Usually worked as cross, twist. This creates a much looser, more open, and textured mesh.
Variations in the sequence and repetition of crosses and twists, along with how different groups of bobbins interact around the pins, create the vast vocabulary of bobbin lace. Different grounds (the mesh-like background connecting decorative elements), plaits (braids), tallies (small woven leaf or petal shapes), and picots (tiny decorative loops on edges) are all built from these core movements. Setting up the bobbins on the pillow according to the pattern’s requirements is the first step, followed by the meticulous, rhythmic process of working the stitches, placing pins, and advancing the bobbins across the pattern.
Verified sources confirm that all bobbin lace stitches, regardless of complexity, are built upon two fundamental pairs of movements. These are the ‘cross’ and the ‘twist’, usually performed with pairs of bobbins. Mastering these simple actions unlocks the potential to create an astonishing variety of textures and patterns found in laces across the globe.
A World of Styles
Over centuries, distinct regional styles of bobbin lace evolved across Europe, each with its own characteristics, techniques, and typical materials. While a deep dive is vast, some well-known categories include:
- Torchon Lace: Often considered a good starting point for beginners, Torchon is a non-continuous lace characterized by geometric patterns, fans, spiders (a type of decorative join), and a grid-like ground, usually worked at a 45-degree angle.
- Cluny Lace: Recognizable by its plaits, leaf-shaped tallies (often called ‘wheat ears’), and decorative picots. It’s generally bolder than Torchon.
- Bedfordshire Lace (Beds): An English style known for its flowing lines, abundant picots, plaits, and ‘ninepin’ edge. It evolved partly from Lille lace but developed its own distinct features.
- Buckinghamshire Point (Bucks Point): Another English lace, related to continental Lille and Mechlin laces. It features a characteristic hexagonal mesh ground, often with heavier ‘gimp’ threads outlining floral or geometric motifs, creating a delicate, net-like appearance.
- Honiton Lace: An English lace famous for its extreme fineness and sprig motifs (individual flowers, leaves, etc.). These motifs were traditionally made separately and then joined together using needle lace techniques or subtle bobbin-made joins on a net ground.
- Brussels Lace: A term covering various high-quality Belgian laces, often combining bobbin-made grounds and motifs with needle lace elements, renowned for its complexity and fineness.
These are just a few examples, and many other beautiful traditions exist, each reflecting local history, available materials, and evolving fashions. Exploring these different styles reveals the incredible versatility of the basic bobbin lace techniques.
Bobbin Lace in the Modern Era
Is bobbin lace a dying art? Far from it. While it’s no longer a mainstream commercial industry as it was centuries ago, it thrives today as a cherished heritage craft and a vibrant contemporary art form. Lace guilds, societies, and online communities connect enthusiasts worldwide. Workshops, classes, and dedicated suppliers ensure that skills and knowledge are passed on.
Contemporary artists are pushing the boundaries of bobbin lace, experimenting with unusual materials like wire, plastic, or horsehair, and creating large-scale installations, sculptures, and intricate jewelry that move far beyond traditional edgings and doilies. They explore colour, texture, and form in innovative ways, proving that this ancient technique has a dynamic future. The precision and mathematical nature of bobbin lace also appeal to those with interests in geometry and pattern.
Taking the Plunge: Starting Your Lace Journey
Learning bobbin lace does require an initial investment in tools and materials, but starter kits are readily available. Finding a teacher or joining a local group can be invaluable for mastering the foundational techniques and troubleshooting early challenges. Patience is key; the movements become intuitive with practice. The reward is not just the beautiful lace you create, but the meditative focus involved in the process – the gentle rhythm of the bobbins, the satisfaction of seeing a pattern emerge thread by thread, and the connection to a rich history of skilled artisans. It’s a journey into a world of delicate beauty, woven one cross and twist at a time.
Important Note for Beginners: Maintaining consistent, gentle tension on the threads is crucial. Too loose, and the lace will be floppy and uneven; too tight, and it can distort the pattern or even bend pins. Finding the right balance comes with practice, paying attention to how the threads feel and lie on the pillow.
The enduring appeal of bobbin lace lies in its blend of technical skill, artistic expression, and historical resonance. Whether admired in a museum display case, worn as a modern accessory, or created on a pillow in someone’s home, it represents a fascinating intersection of mathematics, dexterity, and pure artistry, spun from simple thread and the magic touch of human hands.
