Fashion Word of The Day: Bobbin Lace

Bobbin lace is a form of handmade lace using bobbins wound with thread and woven over a pillow. Pins are used to outline the pattern and threads are drawn and woven between them to create the grounds and motifs. Originally the fish bones were used in place of pins and that is why it is know also as bone lace. Another term for it is pillow lace.

These are all pictures of my own work. I made the bobbin lace pillow and the lace that's being worked on the pillow.

I use a crochet cotton thread or a pearl cotton in these early examples. But fine bobbin lace is worked in linen thread that is no bigger than sewing thread.

You can see the pins on the outside edges of the lace. The pattern or pricking is wrapped around the middle part of the pillow, called the bolster. The bolster is circular so you can work an edging for as long as you need to. The pricking is done on a heavy card stock or poster board. I used a dark color as so I can see the work better.

Finished example of bobbin lace edging.

This was a lace bookmark I made using colored pearl cotton.