Lace was a fashionable part of the wardrobe worn in court long before there was any lace made in France. Many portraits of kings and queens of France show an abundance of lace being worn on collars, hats and sleeves. Social status among the members of the court could be determined by the quality and complexity of lace that they wore. Women considered it vital to wear the most expensive lace they could find.
The Beginning of French Lace
Colbert, the Minister of Finance for King Louis XIV of France was disturbed by the amount of money that was being spent to import lace from Italy. On his recommendation France began to develop the lace-making industry at home. This was accomplished by encouraging accomplished lace makers from Italy and Belgium to come and start schools in France and teach the peasants the art of lace making. Since the teachers came from Italy it makes sense that the first lace produced in France looked exactly like the lace made in Italy. However, it didn't take long until France was creating unique lace designs and becoming established in the lace industry.
Schooling
Children were taught the art of lace making in schools and were paid for their efforts if the lace they produced was good enough to sell. However, half of the money earned from the sale was given to the teacher. Children as young as six could be included in a school for lace making and the school day would last ten to twelve hours.
Alencon
Alencon was chosen as a lace manufacturing center by Colbert in 1665. The lace industry was already started in Alencon though among the peasants. Alencon lace was made with the finest linen thread until the 1850's when cotton was introduced as an option. The lace that was made in Alencon was made with a needle which was considered an elite way to make lace. Only master lace makers could make the quality lace with a needle and Alencon was noted for producing such quality lace.
Bobbin Lace
Bobbin lace was already being produced in 1602 in a town called Arras and was noted for the gold lace that was made there. When production of thread lace was started it was very strong and coarse. The original bobbin lace style had a straight edge however; it was replaced with a scalloped edge as production of the lace was increased.
Chantilly Lace
Chantilly lace is a silk lace that lent its name to the town where it was made in France, Chantilly. This type of lace was a favorite among French ladies that were high in society. The records of the royal court also show that Chantilly lace was a favorite item to be purchased and kept in inventory. Chantilly lace was made of black silk and reached the height of popularity from 1830 to 1840.
China Swiss Voile Lace, African Lace, Cotton Lace, Voile Allover Lace, Embroidery Lace, African Embroidery Fabric Suppliers
Welcome to our website. http://www.tokaylace.com/
2012年9月28日星期五
2012年9月20日星期四
Advice for Sewing French Lace
Although lace is a little more expensive than regular fabrics, it adds a special touch that no other fabric can. Though lace can be a more challenging than other fabrics to work with because of its delicate makeup, with the right techniques for sewing lace, you can easily create beautiful works of art with a pretty touch.
Buying
There are a large variety of lace types available, and it's hard to choose the right type of lace when you don't know what you're looking for. First, when buying lace, consider the types of fiber used in the lace. For instance, laces made with cotton that contain more than 10 percent polyester are more expensive, but they are also more durable and will not yellow over time. Also consider that nylon lace cannot be ironed, because it will melt from the heat of the iron.
Preparation
You should always iron lace before using it, at least with a warm iron. Test a small corner to make sure it doesn't melt under the iron. When ironing lace, place the piece on a towel with a pressing cloth on top, separating the iron from the lace. Use a low-heat setting and a minimal amount of steam, if you choose to use steam at all.
Sewing
When lace is cut like fabric, you must sew on an edging to prevent fraying and snagging. To do this, use a picot or hemstitch with very small running stitches, rolling the edge to the underside of the lace. If you are gathering lace, begin with twice the length of lace that you want to end with, or roughly double the length that you actually need. Start at the straight edge and whip stitch, pulling the thread upward to gather a few inches of lace, then begin whip stitching again. This will allow you to gauge the fullness of the lace as you are stitching.
Joining
Joining lace can be tricky because the fabric is often patterned. However, once you master the technique, it is really quite simple. To join lace, go one pattern past where you hope to begin the new lace, and cut out the lace around that pattern. For instance, if there is a row of lace flowers, count over one extra row of flowers, and cut around the lines of the pattern. Place that pattern over its identical counterpart on the fabric you are sewing, and sew on the lines of that pattern, using a zigzag stitch. After the fabric has been joined, cut off the additional lace around the seam of the pattern.
China swiss voile lace, African lace, cotton lace, voile allover lace, embroidery lace, African embroidery fabric Suppliers
Welcome to our website. http://www.tokaylace.com/
Buying
There are a large variety of lace types available, and it's hard to choose the right type of lace when you don't know what you're looking for. First, when buying lace, consider the types of fiber used in the lace. For instance, laces made with cotton that contain more than 10 percent polyester are more expensive, but they are also more durable and will not yellow over time. Also consider that nylon lace cannot be ironed, because it will melt from the heat of the iron.
Preparation
You should always iron lace before using it, at least with a warm iron. Test a small corner to make sure it doesn't melt under the iron. When ironing lace, place the piece on a towel with a pressing cloth on top, separating the iron from the lace. Use a low-heat setting and a minimal amount of steam, if you choose to use steam at all.
Sewing
When lace is cut like fabric, you must sew on an edging to prevent fraying and snagging. To do this, use a picot or hemstitch with very small running stitches, rolling the edge to the underside of the lace. If you are gathering lace, begin with twice the length of lace that you want to end with, or roughly double the length that you actually need. Start at the straight edge and whip stitch, pulling the thread upward to gather a few inches of lace, then begin whip stitching again. This will allow you to gauge the fullness of the lace as you are stitching.
Joining
Joining lace can be tricky because the fabric is often patterned. However, once you master the technique, it is really quite simple. To join lace, go one pattern past where you hope to begin the new lace, and cut out the lace around that pattern. For instance, if there is a row of lace flowers, count over one extra row of flowers, and cut around the lines of the pattern. Place that pattern over its identical counterpart on the fabric you are sewing, and sew on the lines of that pattern, using a zigzag stitch. After the fabric has been joined, cut off the additional lace around the seam of the pattern.
China swiss voile lace, African lace, cotton lace, voile allover lace, embroidery lace, African embroidery fabric Suppliers
Welcome to our website. http://www.tokaylace.com/
2012年9月19日星期三
African Lace Styles
Lace was originally imported into Africa by European colonizers. Africans first began producing their own lace when Emily Hobhouse, a humanitarian activist, organized a lace school in South Africa to help women to earn money from home. These days, lace is still hand made in South Africa. Some of the country's finest lace is actually produced by inmates from a women's prison in Cape Town.
Handmade Lace
The first lace made by women in Africa was all made by hand. This skill was imported from Europe by Emily Hobhouse, who studied in Munich, Milan, Venice and Burano. Hobhouse's teachers visited farms on horseback and taught women to create lace with just a needle and thread. This method was very popular with women because it required little capital investment and could be done at home while children were sleeping or otherwise occupied. It required the women to tie extensive series of intricate knots in patterns. The first original South African lace pattern, called Wag-'n-bietjie after a local species of Acacia, was developed in 1900. Otherwise, women worked from pattern books imported from all over the world.
Tatting
The women inmate of Western Cape Correctional Services work primarily by tatting lace, following patterns set forth in pattern books. Tatting is another handmade method of crafting lace out of a series of knots and loops. This method, however, is done with a shuttle. A tatting shuttle holds a length of wound thread and guides it through loops to create knots. The women wrap their thread around one hand and hold the shuttle in the other. Tatting with a shuttle works much faster than crafting lace with just a needle, but it is still slow work. According to officials at the prison, all of the women who work tatting lace have volunteered for the job and several interviewed claim to enjoy it.
Bobbin Work
As a result of this history of lace making, South Africa is home to several collections and galleries that feature lace. These cultural artifacts create some demand amongst the public for lace goods, and there are currently a handful of businesses and artists in South Africa that manufacture lace. Most lace manufacturers work with a bobbin. Bobbin lace is made by braiding and twisting lengths of thread wound on bobbins. The lace is held by pins onto a lace pillow to keep the pattern from unraveling. Artisans can craft complicated lace patterns much faster on a bobbin then they can with either a needle or shuttle. You can see examples of South Africa's lacework in the town of Koppies.
China swiss voile lace, African lace, cotton lace, voile allover lace, embroidery lace, African embroidery fabric Suppliers
Welcome to our website. http://www.tokaylace.com/
Handmade Lace
The first lace made by women in Africa was all made by hand. This skill was imported from Europe by Emily Hobhouse, who studied in Munich, Milan, Venice and Burano. Hobhouse's teachers visited farms on horseback and taught women to create lace with just a needle and thread. This method was very popular with women because it required little capital investment and could be done at home while children were sleeping or otherwise occupied. It required the women to tie extensive series of intricate knots in patterns. The first original South African lace pattern, called Wag-'n-bietjie after a local species of Acacia, was developed in 1900. Otherwise, women worked from pattern books imported from all over the world.
Tatting
The women inmate of Western Cape Correctional Services work primarily by tatting lace, following patterns set forth in pattern books. Tatting is another handmade method of crafting lace out of a series of knots and loops. This method, however, is done with a shuttle. A tatting shuttle holds a length of wound thread and guides it through loops to create knots. The women wrap their thread around one hand and hold the shuttle in the other. Tatting with a shuttle works much faster than crafting lace with just a needle, but it is still slow work. According to officials at the prison, all of the women who work tatting lace have volunteered for the job and several interviewed claim to enjoy it.
Bobbin Work
As a result of this history of lace making, South Africa is home to several collections and galleries that feature lace. These cultural artifacts create some demand amongst the public for lace goods, and there are currently a handful of businesses and artists in South Africa that manufacture lace. Most lace manufacturers work with a bobbin. Bobbin lace is made by braiding and twisting lengths of thread wound on bobbins. The lace is held by pins onto a lace pillow to keep the pattern from unraveling. Artisans can craft complicated lace patterns much faster on a bobbin then they can with either a needle or shuttle. You can see examples of South Africa's lacework in the town of Koppies.
China swiss voile lace, African lace, cotton lace, voile allover lace, embroidery lace, African embroidery fabric Suppliers
Welcome to our website. http://www.tokaylace.com/
2012年9月12日星期三
Holiday for Spring Festival(Jan.-20th-2011)
Here is a kind Reminder for the Coming Holidays. We will have a seven days holidays from 1st to 7th Feb to celebrate our traditional Spring Festival. And the freight agent will stop to send the goods on 29th this month. So any demand what you want before our holiday, pls try to contact me before 25th.
China swiss voile lace, African lace, cotton lace, voile allover lace, embroidery lace, African embroidery fabric Suppliers
Welcome to our website. http://www.tokaylace.com/
China swiss voile lace, African lace, cotton lace, voile allover lace, embroidery lace, African embroidery fabric Suppliers
Welcome to our website. http://www.tokaylace.com/
订阅：
博文 (Atom)