Passion for antique dolls led to the study of antique materials. Lace is beautiful in itself, I can admire lace like a picture!.. And it is also a material and inspiration for new puppet outfits! Valenciennes, alencon - like a purr caresses the ear ... But I wanted to understand the types of lace and systematize them. I count on the help of experienced!
I'll probably start with Chantilly.
Named after the French city of Chantilly - the center of fine, elegant silk lace.
Chantilly is a typical lace from the time of Napoleon III. Typically, these products big size: mantillas, scarves, capes, skirts, umbrellas, etc. But there are also miniature products - various tattoos, veils and handkerchiefs. The stylistic features of these products evoke the lace of the middle of the 18th century. The drawing is always distinguished by the complexity of the compositional construction and the perfection of the execution of individual details. A large pattern with intricate bouquets of large realistically interpreted flowers (roses, tulips, irises, poppies, creepers, bluebells) fills almost the entire surface of the lace, leaving some free space for the background to cover it with flies and small flowers. The edge of the product is framed by the invariably repeating motif of ribbons hanging like lambrequins, trimmed with ruffles or fringes, and sashes with tassels, characteristic of the times of the Second Empire.

Farther - Valenciennes.
This type of lace originated in the city of Valenciennes in the second half of the 17th century. In the 18th century, various specific traits creating the basis of this lace. There are 2 varieties: "Valenciennes lace of Bruges" and "Valenciennes lace of Ypres". The difference in the shape of the mesh loops is the basis. The former is characterized by a mesh of round loops, while the latter has characteristic square loops. Both types of warp are very durable and are created by interweaving four threads.
Parts of the woven fabric are created from solid loops and are surrounded by a ring of small holes that are used to create the patterns of the composition to give lightness to the lace itself. The whole composition mainly consists of patterns inspired by nature: flowers, leaves and animals.
Valenciennes lace is the finest work of craftswomen, which became famous for the absence of any relief due to the fact that the patterned pattern is woven simultaneously with the grid. One can notice a certain similarity between the pattern of Valenciennes lace and the pattern of tulle curtains. In Valenciennes, narrow and wide measured lace was produced, which was used to decorate arbors, carriage windows, various elements of clothing, such as cuffs, dress hem or sleeves. Piece lace was also woven: paths for decorating temples, women's and men's collars, weightless shawls.
Perhaps this is the most common lace in tailoring antique dolls. Since children's christening gowns(generously, or modestly, but always decorated with Valenciennes) ... Cotton thread lace. (Information about cotton was taken out mainly from the descriptions of lots on eBay and YM. I would very much like confirmation or refutation from the masters who have been dealing with Valenciennes lace for a long time!)

Now it's your turn Bruges lace.
The technique of this type of lace was invented by craftswomen of the Belgian city of Bruges in the 18th century on the basis of Flemish lace.
In the old days, lace served to decorate clothes and interiors, and its cost was high. This is due to the fact that the technique of creating such lace is very complicated. Bruges lace is woven on bobbins. Bobbins are wooden sticks with a thin neck for winding thread. The number of bobbins for weaving lace can reach up to 50 pcs.
A characteristic difference of Bruges bobbin lace is a wide twisting, as it were, braid, from which the ornament is created. And thin threads create the basis of the canvas.

Please correct me if I'm wrong!

Next is the most mysterious, or mysterious type / s of lace: alencon and Alencon. I have a suspicion that this is the same thing, only in different transcriptions (in French, Alencon is written like this - Alençon).
Alencon lace is a type of classic needle lace or guipure embroidered with a needle. Produced in Alencon (France) from the middle of the 17th century. until the end of the 19th century. A small floral pattern was made with a needle on a regular mesh background. In the 18th century appeared A.K. with a floral pattern on a tulle background.
The process of working on Alencon lace began as follows: a pattern was pierced onto a dense paper pattern, followed by “tracing” - the lines of the pattern were outlined with a dense thread. Then the smallest stitches were cut to release the finished thing. This "stroke" with a dense thread, in my opinion, is hallmark alencon lace.

A bit of history. Irish lace got its name from a legend. It is believed that Irish sailors, missing home sailing, wove various flowers and patterns from ropes. Later, it occurred to someone to combine these patterns into one weave, which is lace. And since the sailors who invented this knitting technique were Irish, the lace is also called Irish. But this is a legend.

Irish lace began to be produced in the 19th century in Ireland. Their ornament was taken from guipure of the 17th century. Lace was very popular at the beginning of the 20th century. They were also called "Renaissance". Although such lace was found in France of the 17th century. From there they came to Ireland and England. This is a very painstaking work, to create a thing from the motifs of Irish lace. But they are very beautiful and spectacular from an aesthetic point of view.

It is by the effect that things create, connected way Irish lace, they give odds to tatting and Viennese guipure. By the way, sometimes Irish lace is called Viennese guipure, but these are completely different things. The similarity with guipure is only in the knitting of individual elements and the subsequent layout according to the pattern. Guipure is connected by brids or groups of brids.

It seems that the sailors had enough free time, since the lace, in its complexity and beauty, suggests the presence of virtuosity. This is real art. But, if you just decide to start, don't let these words scare you. After all, the main thing is to fill your hand. This applies to needlewomen of the widest range and style of knitting. We will just look at the technique of knitting in the style of Irish lace, or rather one of the techniques - stacked lace.

The meaning of the technique is to connect separate compositions, mainly floral motifs, and combine them into one canvas, whether it is a napkin or a blouse.

Some authors describing this technique argue that only an experienced knitter can master Irish lace, with which we disagree. After all, the individual components - stars, flowers and leaves, can be knitted by everyone. Then it remains to combine them into one canvas, and this is already a matter of time and patience. If you have patience and time to knit, try knitting Irish lace. In any case, it will become a source of pride.

You can combine individual elements into a common composition different ways. And it is not necessary to connect one canvas in only one way. They can be combined, because one element can be conveniently connected in one way, and another element may be more convenient in another way. To begin with, let's look at how individual motifs can be combined into a composition.

1. The simplest way to connect elements is to tie them to each other in the process. For example, you knitted the first element, or a motif, when you finish knitting the second, the last row is knitted with the edge of the first element. Or such an option. If large motifs will be located around one small one, then it is better to tie these large elements separately, and when you knit a small one, tie the large ones to its edges. Of course, this method is good when you tie a small canvas, and the elements are approximately the same. But when the composition consists of elements very different in size and shape, it becomes very difficult to assemble the entire canvas in this way. Small motifs to knit and connect is very long and difficult. Therefore, knitters, unsure of their patience and free time, it is better to let them try to knit large motives.

2. A more well-known and used method is the connection of individual motifs with a grid. The principle of creating a composition is the layout of motifs on a flat surface and filling the voids with a knitted mesh. When the mesh is knitted, the motifs are combined into one common composition. The voids do not have a specific shape, so knitting with honeycombs or sirloin net won't fit here. Rather, on the contrary, the grid should be with arbitrary-shaped cells that have an arbitrary shape and direction, as it seems to you more beautiful. Best of all, when it flows around the individual parts of the canvas.

3. If this method is too time-consuming for you, make it even easier. First, tie the mesh, or openwork fabric. Tie separate motifs on top of it. The main thing is to create a beautiful base.

5. The canvas, which consists of motifs that fit snugly, many needlewomen simply sew with threads. At the same time, of course, it is desirable to have fewer gaps. It is advisable to leave the tip of the thread long enough from the motif so that it can be threaded and the connection section can be sewn.

6. Brides - stitches of threads that can be used to connect lace. After that, they are sheathed with a “richelieu” seam, or the mesh itself is performed like needle lace.

It is not necessary to immediately take on the manufacture of a single element of the wardrobe using the technique of Irish lace. After all, individual motifs can be used as decorative elements when decorating clothes, false decorations or appliqués on fabrics or jersey. Finishing a skirt, dress or blouse with elements of Irish lace can make any item elegant and original.

Take a look at the drawing. This is what real Irish lace looks like. This is impressive.

The pattern of such lace should be approached according to all the rules of sewing with all the tucks. This is an important element of a good start.

If you do not belong to the category of professionals in tailoring, and made a pattern yourself, or you use magazine patterns, then it is better to do the following. On an inexpensive fabric, make a pattern, fit it to yourself, and make the final pattern based on the fitted elements, rebuilding the details, taking into account the adjustments. These manipulations may seem redundant, but they actually save a lot of time and nerves, because it is already very difficult to correct the product when it is a knitted fabric. Having thus created a pattern adjusted to perfect quality (you will have time to make mistakes in the process), we collect the details. The pattern should preferably be made of thick cardboard. To assemble the parts, you need to “think up” some kind of platform into which you can stick pins to secure the base and individual elements. It can be a flat board covered with foam rubber and fabric. We lay out the motives on the pattern. Some motifs may already be assembled in the composition. You should not knit all the motives at once, except when you are doing according to a ready-made example. Usually several motifs are knitted, assembled into compositions, trying to create a successful combination. This moment is perhaps the most important in Irish knitting, because it is not technical, or mechanically worked out. There is art and creativity here. And it's so interesting. If you managed to create a beautiful combination, the rest of the motifs fit already within the framework of the intended theme.

Sometimes pinning motifs on a paper pattern is not very convenient. In this case, motifs should be sewn onto the fabric, having previously applied the contours of the pattern to it. There is also the practice of gluing lace with tape. Knitters sometimes fasten the elements face down to make it easier to tie the elements with a grid. Another way is to collect small completed compositions, which are then easily connected into a common canvas. For example, back and shelf.

The main rule for stitching elements is that the joints must be stitched invisibly. Having filled the entire space of the pattern, you will notice that there are unfilled areas that are braided with a grid. Having done one detail, move on to another. The seam should be invisible, especially in the side and shoulder joints, so it is important to think over these areas in advance. If a leaf or flower extends beyond the edge of the joint, that's great! After all, it will just close the connection, or the back can be made taking into account that half of the part begins, for example, on the back, and the other goes to the shelf.

The grid usually causes the most questions for beginners. We have already said that the grid can be regular and irregularly shaped cells. The correct mesh is usually tied to the same, or graphically “correct” parts. An irregular or irregular grid is used if the motifs are very intricate, have different sizes and shapes, that is, complex elements. Irregular mesh has no front and back sides, as it is knitted in a random direction.

There are no specific techniques for knitting a net. Some knitters knit it immediately when connecting the elements, others knit it separately for motifs, then sewing on. It is likely that you will develop your own style of attaching motifs, your own grid. Here we only cover the basics.

For knitting a net, a thinner thread is usually used than the one from which the motifs are knitted. Knit the mesh as tight as possible, otherwise it will become loose. Elements should not be lost on the grid, for this they are obliged to "crawl step". Breaking the thread every time you finish tying another motive is not at all necessary. You can move on to the next one on the wrong side.

The main thing in Irish lace - harmonious combination. However, it can be used on the same product. different variants mesh weaving and motifs. Remember that in this kind of knitting there are no boundaries. Instead of a grid, you can use braid and knitted cords, tie them to the desired length, then turn on the fantasy.

Needlewomen who are constantly engaged in Irish lace are advised to slightly moisten and steam the motifs before assembling the product. Steam, but do not iron! The motives should not sit down, otherwise you will have to knit, and this can violate the whole idea, violating individual drawings.

It is desirable to give relief to the elements, unless a light thin knit is specially conceived. To add volume, "knitting on bourdon" is used. Bourdon is several threads assembled into one, or one thicker thread. It becomes the base, which is tied with a single crochet, passing through knitting. If you need to make the area thicker, the bourdon is laid inward, if you need a thinner relief, it is pulled out.

I hope that such a detailed description is not too tiring. However, the material can hardly be considered complete if you do not show examples of how individual motifs can be connected.

How to knit Irish lace motifs

So, we knit a leaf. The first leaf will have a flat texture. The rest given here are ribbed.

According to this scheme, a leaf is obtained, wide at the base of the cutting and tapering towards the end. If you make an increase on the arch, the shape of the leaf is sharper at the handle. If you dial more VP (10-12) and the usual indent 2СБН the sheet will be wider. The teeth will be concentrated in front and oriented towards the point. It is easy to create one complex sheet from sheets of this form (photo 7). If the number of VPs is reduced in the initial chain (4-6), then our leaf will turn out to be much narrower and longer under the condition of multi-row knitting. The teeth will be located throughout the sheet.

Well, here a reasonable question arises - what to do if you need such a motive as a wide sheet with teeth along the entire length. To do this, you just need to increase the RLS of the indent. To get a clear and intricate composition, several types of leaves are used in one composition. Who loves free storylines, who are strict and even geometrically correct, the main thing is that in general it looks harmonious and beautiful. For a free plot, draw a sketch with leaves of different shapes and sizes. To make the sheet curved, knit a different amount of RLS on one side and the other. If the difference is small, such as 1-2 or 2-3, the turn will be smooth, while 1-3 is a sharp turn. In photo 9 we see a sheet that is turned, connected according to scheme 4. In photo 10, a sheet is connected with a turn in different directions according to scheme 5. For a free composition, such diverse variations are simply necessary. Only in this way can it look quite expressive and aesthetically complete. You can experiment on your own different ways knitting sheets so that they are curved. You can also make rounded leaves and arbitrary, which are even more popular today. Often in the compositions you can find small leaves that are connected by one row of columns of various sizes. To make the composition more expressive and tougher, it is tied with a “crustacean step”, or next to RLS (diagrams 6 and 7).

Just as small leaves are knitted, it would seem that knitting medium-sized leaves should be the same. However, such a sheet will turn out to be somewhat loose even after you tie it. Such leaves should be knitted, RLS, PS, S1N on both sides of the VP chain (photo 12, scheme 8). Such a sheet must be tied twice in the same column heads. On rounded places, do not forget to add RLS on the right side. The stalk is knitted on 6-7 VP, RLS is knitted in the opposite direction.

In another type of leaf, columns of different sizes are knitted on RLS, which are tied with a VP chain on both sides (photo 13, diagram 9). Weave a bourdon into such a sheet, that is, a thicker thread, or a thread twisted into several threads, which the leaf is knitted with.

Tatting is a special technique lace weaving. It is also called knotted, shuttle or French lace. Why nodular? Because products are made in the technique of tatting with the help of knots tied in various ways. Why shuttle? Because the main tatting tool is a special shuttle. Why French? Because the name of this technique came to us from France.

It is believed that tatting is the easiest way to make handmade lace, as it requires a minimum number of tools and material costs. What is this technique of fine needlework? Where can it be used and is it difficult to learn? Let's find out more about all this.

History of French lace

This Technics lace weaving very, very old. So ancient that researchers still cannot accurately name the homeland of this needlework. Only in one they do not have disagreements - tatting appeared in the East, and only then came to Europe. In the East, such lace was called “ makuk" ( shuttle), in Italy - " okko" ( peephole), in England - " teting" ( woven lace), the literal translation from German " schiffchen spitzen" also meant " shuttle weaving", and in France this kind lace weaving was called "tatting" (frivolous).

V in our language, the art of weaving shuttle lace was fixed under this name. Unconstrained and uninhibited technique did not become a type of folk craft, such as, for example, bobbin lace-making but was popular widespread women's needlework. The peak of its popularity came in the eighteenth century, when simple coarse threads were first used to make openwork trim for curtains and outerwear, and then handbags, hats, umbrellas, gloves and other fashionable wardrobe items for secular ladies.

Very widespread was this type of needlework and in pre-revolutionary Russia . But after October of the seventeenth year, the shuttle lace-making(like many other things) was declared a relic of the bourgeois past and was considered an occupation unworthy of a "liberated" woman. And only half a century later, the tatting revival began, first in the Soviet Baltic countries (after all, they are closer to Europe!), And then in other parts of the USSR.

Shuttle lace technique

V basis of this technique lace weaving lies a knot tied with a special shuttle. Finished products made using the tatting technique are a whole system of tightly tied knots. The technique itself is quite simple to learn and is available to both experienced craftswomen and beginner needlewomen.

For the beginning of training will need only two shuttles, and only then you can use different shuttles for threads of various thicknesses and textures. Tatting shuttles themselves can have different sizes and various designs. They are made from wood, plastic, bone, metal and plexiglass. Shuttles can be purchased at craft stores or even made on your own, for example, from scraps of a plastic bottle and a bobbin from a sewing machine.

In addition to shuttles for making French lace, you will need the following tools:

· crochet hooks, with which individual elements are connected to each other;

· a needle in order to dissolve "defective" nodules;

· scissors for cutting the thread;

· accessories in the form of beads , beads , rhinestones , sequins and fasteners for jewelry ;

· the threads themselves, from which lace is woven.

A variety of threads are suitable for French lace: cotton, linen , silk , synthetic . The main qualities of a thread for such lace are its good twist, strength and a high degree of slip. Cotton and linen threads are used to make lace napkins and clothing items, and synthetic threads are used for decorations. So, for example, when weaving tatting with beads or beads, then they take a kapron thread.

The whole variety of patterns and elements of shuttle lace is based on only one main knot, which is called “tatting knot” and consists of two symmetrical parts. This node can be direct and reverse. It is from the direct and reverse knots that the main elements of shuttle lace are made: ring, arc, pico. Moreover, the ring can also be a semiring, combined a ring, a ring within a ring. In this technique, the simplest connections of individual elements are used: direct hitch and reverse hitch.

Possibilities of knotted lace

Tatting craftswomen work wonders with their skillful hands with a minimal set of tools. Products made in this technique are so varied and elegant that you simply marvel. In addition to openwork napkins, collars, hats and gloves using the nodular technique lace weaving jewelry is made, and some motifs are used in decorative panels and paintings. This lace is used to decorate tablecloths and bedspreads , exclusive bed linen , wedding dresses and designer clothes . French lace is combined with unexpected materials such as metal, leather and stone. On the shuttle technique lace weaving a new handicraft technique “ankars” was also founded, where, in addition to knotted lace, beading and macrame techniques are used.

France was not the birthplace of the invention of lace. But she gave the world several techniques that had a significant impact on the development of fashion in the world. French Chantilly lace, Argentan and Alencon products are highly valued and are considered among the most expensive in the world.

The fashion for lace in France was introduced by Catherine de Medici. A Florentine by birth, the wife of King Henry II and the mother of three kings, she made a splash with her lace dress at the wedding. Catherine became the trendsetter of the new fashion, with her the reticella ornament gained popularity. Not only clothes and bedding were decorated with lace, but carriages were upholstered with it and used in the interior.

french lace

Under Catherine, the first catalog of lace appeared, which was painted by her order by the Italian artist Frederico de Vinciolo.

Under Louis XIV, a fashion for Italian guipure arose. Venetian lace was fabulously expensive, it happened that the nobles went bankrupt, acquiring outfits. Finance Minister Colbert ordered 30 lace makers from Venice to teach local craftswomen the secrets of weaving.

French lace makers perfected the technique. The guipure was notable for its subtlety of decoration: not only bizarre ornaments were reproduced, but also genre scenes, the profiles of angels and people were woven.

Louis, whom Colbert showed samples of the work, was very pleased: the Sun King, confident in the skill of French women, banned the export of lace to France. Manufactories were founded in Alençon, Quenoy, Sedan, Argentan, Reims and many other cities. Since the end of the 17th century, lace from France has been an example of perfection and high style. For two whole centuries - an obligatory attribute of female and men's suit worn by the upper classes. Only in the 19th century did men stop decorating their outfits with lace.

Alencon lace

In Alençon (lower Normandy) they were the first to use tulle with hexagonal small cells as a background. The hair of white-maned horses was sewn onto the contours of the ornament. The pattern of bouquets, floral ornaments is applied with a small needle.

Garlands, rocaille patterns have a characteristic ornament, which was decorated with a thicker thread. Alencon lace is an extremely painstaking, labor-intensive weaving. To weave one square. see lace it takes four hours self made!

By the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th century, the ornament of Alencon lace was lightened. It is placed along the contours, and the background is filled with small patterns, polka dots, butterflies.

Alençon lace is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Now most of the lace is made by machine knitting. Hand embroidery is almost never found on sale. But in the lace-making museum, craftswomen work, who introduce the technique.

Argentan lace gained fame. Their difference was that larger cells on the background were overcast with a buttonhole stitch. Alencon lace is more airy than that made in Argentan.

One of the world's most popular lace used for decoration wedding dresses, is Alencon lace.

Chantilly lace

This technique - black thread lace - became widespread in the 19th century. Chantilly came into vogue under Napoleon III. The ornament of the pattern is made with a lattice, which in some details, to achieve depth and volume, is woven more tightly. The contours of the pattern, as well as the openwork background, are outlined by a dense thread of silk.

Capes, shawls, covers for umbrellas, capes were woven using the Chantilly technique, and dresses were decorated.

The technique comes from the town of the same name. At first, blond lace, then fashionable, was woven in Chantilly, then they began to produce lace from black threads. Chantilly got its name when the city was no longer engaged in their production. But the best manufactories were considered Cannes and Bayeux.

French lace dress

Chantilly lace is an indispensable part of the costume attribute of a European fashionista of the 19th century. Many portraits have survived, depicting beauties whose dresses or capes are decorated with chantilly. According to the memoirs of a Frenchwoman who lived in the era of the Third Republic, the ladies felt undressed if they were not wearing lace or a Chantilly cape.

In the 40s of the century before last, only ladies from high society could afford to decorate dresses with Chantilly lace. In the 60s, black lace shawls, capes, collars became more affordable: they began to be produced by machine.

At the end of the 19th century, Chantilly dresses came into fashion in Europe, which were worn over a white case. It was an exquisite and expensive outfit of a representative of high society.

Nowadays, lace from France is an indispensable attribute of pret-a-porte and haute couture clothes. Leading lace manufacturers are the haute couture houses Sophie Hallette and Riechers Marescot.

French lace is always in fashion. Of particular interest in them arose after the wedding of Kate Middleton, who married in a dress made of lace made in France.

Vintage lace is also valued, which is collected for collections, making outfits for antique dolls.

They were highly valued at all times, because a huge amount of time and skill of lacemakers have always been invested in them. The thinnest and most delicate tulles, lace collars and capes elegant in their originality - the ancient art of lace weaving is still considered a source of inspiration, admiring us with the perfection and filigree of handmade work. Fast forward to the era from which the history of lace began. Imagine Venice at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries.

The Republic of Venice is flourishing. Warehouses are full of goods: linen, furs from the north, carpets, silks and incense from the East. Air filled with fragrance orange trees and spices, mixed with the stench of canals, reminds us that life, as always, is full of unexpected contrasts. The faces of great artists that have not yet become shadows can easily be found in the crowd. The green-eyed Durer, the magnificent Titian, the irresistible Bellini: all of them together - this is the Renaissance.

White linen, white-on-white embroidery are in fashion. With a thin needle with a gilded eye made of a light shiny fabric - flax batist - the weft threads are pulled out, then they are sheathed in accordance with a pre-applied pattern. This through embroidery was called "fillet". Almost all the women of northern Italy were obsessed with her. The wife of the procurator of Venice was so successful in decorating her bedroom that her bed looked more like a throne.

VENETIAN NEEDLE WOMEN

A simple peasant woman and a lady from society devoted every free minute to needlework. This type of creativity gave the European woman the first lessons of dignity, developing the talents of some and giving others the opportunity to join the beautiful. See how the Venetian lacemakers were depicted by the artist A. Paoletti.

» Venetian Lacemakers » A. Paoletti

The Venetians, the minions of fate, unmistakably trusted the great engravers who printed albums for embroideries and lace, used parchment (splits) with a pattern and pinpoints applied to it (if the craftswoman preferred to work on bobbins), but this type of lace seemed to the Venetians too simple. They have achieved unthinkable perfection in complex needle lace. A parchment with a pattern was sewn to the canvas, a pattern was sewn directly on it, after which the threads between the parchment and the canvas were cut and the pattern hung in the air. That's what it was called - "stitch in the air".

Needle lace, 1620-1640, Italy

HIS MAJESTY LACE COLLAR

So, before the astonished Europe, a tightly starched, shimmering, like the silhouette of a castle in the air, Lace Collar appeared. White is the color of security and peace. These are sensations rooted in the prehistory of a man who feared the dark. All the features of this color found their expression in lace, not only thanks to fashion, but also thanks to a modest needle, whose role is so significant that it undoubtedly deserves a separate story.

15th century - the time of the invention of forging in the form. This type of craft was excellently mastered by Italian blacksmiths. The tools of Italian artisans of the High Renaissance, during the lifetime of many of them, became the subject of collecting of some European monarchs. It was these collections that subsequently became the basis for museum collections in Germany and France. 150 years after the method for producing steel calibrated wire was invented, the needles became strong and thin.

In those days, no one could have imagined that centuries would pass, fashion would change beyond recognition, but lace would not disappear, it would reach the heights of the classics (guipure of the 17th and tulle of the 18th century). Lace will conquer Russia at the end of the 17th century, Latin America and China, where at the end of the 19th century they will open their own production. It will constantly change, reflecting fashionable artistic trends and styles.

MAGIC WHITE

The special property of lace (white, slightly grayish or cream-colored) - to highlight the face and hands against the background of dark fabric - made it possible to quickly and more clearly examine the model. This "close-up" effect is especially noticeable on the canvases of the old masters.

Venetian lace cuffs. Lace jabot. Venetian collar (tie).

The variability and rich variety of white captivated artists. No wonder all portrait painters since the Renaissance have enjoyed his game, reveled in the elegance of lace.

Hippolyte Cochet in his book "Lace" says that ancient lace was kept in special boxes lined with cloth on the inside - so that they would not become damp and covered with rusty spots. They were passed down through the female line.

Textiles tend to keep smells for a long time, especially since in the 16th century lace was practically not washed. A thick starch layer protected the delicate lace from the soot of tallow candles, only sometimes they were rinsed in running water. They were fragrant with the East: Trebizond, caravans to Shiraz, Isfahan… Essential oils and incense from roses, cinnamon, jasmine, ylang-ylang. The rustles of a fabulous flower garden ...

DOWN IN LACES

The history of Venetian lace is like a picaresque novel. By the middle of the 17th century, Venetian guipure, embroidered with a needle, became an indispensable part of the costume of a European nobleman. But, when many of them begin to go bankrupt, unable to pay crazy money for new collars, cuffs, jewelry for over the knee boots and sword baldrics (so many laces, perhaps, men have never worn and will never wear!), when numerous royal prohibitions cease to help and decrees (after all, without lace it was impossible to appear at Versailles and even please oneself), then, to the delight of the Venetian lacemakers, whose work has always been highly paid, Mr. Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Minister of the Court (i.e., Finance) of Louis 14, will appear.

His services to France are well known (from the fleet to the famous doctrine of " French mercantilism"), but still the great Frenchman would be flattered that his name was immortalized in the name of the seam "colbert", which exists to this day in needlework. He came up with a simple and wonderful idea to secretly take 30 lacemakers out of Venice, settle them in his estate Alencon (closer to the Brabant flax) and give them the task of teaching French women their skills. The decision of Monsieur Colbert could not be prevented either by the threats of the Venetian authorities to hang the fugitives, or by the terrible curses on the relatives of the traitors. Practical Venetians can be understood.

For 150 years, Venice and a number of cities in northern Italy were monopolists in the lace business. Very laborious needle lace, thanks to the great artists who created patterns for it, the traditions of the craft, the diligence and artistry of the lace makers, was unparalleled. It was the best, incomparable, luxurious lace, and no one could compete with it. After all, in lace craft, just like in perfumery, everything is decided by details, nuances. In them lies main secret every master.

Shuttlecocks. Needle-sewn lace “Point de France”, late 17th century. - early 18th century Alençon or Argentan.

In the estates of Mr. Colbert - Alencon and Argentan - nimble French women learned how to sew lace with a needle in just six months. The French sense of proportion, impeccable taste, care in finishing all elements of the pattern have changed lace so much that it is no longer difficult to distinguish it from Italian. The art style is changing. In the town of Tulle in the south of France, they begin to weave the finest lace - mesh. Gone are the days of lonely lacemakers and nameless mistresses. Craftswomen unite in manufactories, and in the process of sewing or weaving lace, each one does the part of the work allotted to her.

By hand, only with the help of a needle and thread, tulle was sewn, a background for flowers, flies, garlands and bouquets. This lace is a breath that reflects the aesthetic ideals of Rococo. About that era, we can say that it was "immersed in lace".

RUSSIAN… » FRENCH LACE «

By the end of the 17th century, wonderful lace was already woven in Russia from gold and silver threads. This craft was taught even earlier to Russian craftswomen by Genoese merchants. After all, it was the Republic of Genoa that had its colonies in the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov and was the birthplace of metal lace. But the reforms Peter I and Western European fashion pouring through the “window to Europe” forced some nobles to create needle lace workshops in their estates. Brabant flax, French lace maker (for a lot of money) were ordered, and serf girls with abilities were selected (zeal alone is not enough to make lace of this quality). And work began. Lace patterns were massively printed in many countries, the first such album was published in Venice at the beginning of the 16th century.

The idea of ​​the Russian landowners was the right calculation, because real French lace is a jewel. For the sake of historical truth, it can be added that the packaging was also imported from Paris and lace was handed over to the capital's stores as French. But in the work of lacemakers everything was without deceit, individual products, neither then nor now, can not be distinguished from French ones. In St. Petersburg and Moscow newspapers of those years, advertisements appeared for the sale and purchase of serf lace makers who knew how to weave "blonde" (French silk lace, very popular in Russia).

Vologda lace

By the beginning of the 19th century, Russian lace-making became widespread, such famous centers as Vologda, Yelets, Balakhna, Kalyazin appeared. But the topic of Russian lace weaving is so extensive that it deserves a special discussion.

Russian line valances, lace valances. From the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

ALWAYS IN FASHION

Machine-made tulle appeared at the end of the 30s of the 19th century, and lace made on the machines - only by the end of the century. And although people, even judging by the names, vaguely imagined where these laces came from, there was not a woman in Europe who had not heard about them.

Over time, antique lace will become the subject of collecting and museum rivalry. Connoisseurs will appear with a magnifying glass in their hands, distinguishing genuine lace from late and numerous fakes. Then all this will cease to interest the public and there will be almost no connoisseurs. But the hearths of lace making will not go out. Glorious Brussels school, crafts center in Bruges and, of course, on the island of Burano in Venice, on the island of Tenerife in Spain.