Irish lace
Encyclopedia
Irish lace has always been an important part of the Irish needlework tradition. When times were hard, women had to find ways of supporting their family. This was particularly true during and after the great potato famine of the 1840s. During that time period, most women could do needlework, so it was only a short step to lace-making. Irish Crochet and Tatting traveled particularly well as equipment needed was simple, a ball of cotton and a shuttle for Tatting and simple crochet hook and cotton for Irish Crochet lace.
" is a needlepoint Irish lace
based on the detached buttonhole stitch. (It is sometimes called needle-lace to distinguish it from canvas needlepoint
.) Linen thread was used by nuns to make needlepoint lace. Suitable linen thread is no longer available so today cotton thread is used.
Kenmare needlepoint lace begins with two pieces of cloth. Over this is layered a pattern and a matt contact. Thread is laid over top in the outline of the design and secured with a fine detached buttonhole stitch in a process called "couching". The pattern is filled in by working in from the outline. The tension makes the pattern. How tightly the stitches are pulled determines whether the pattern's stitches are open or tight. When the work is finished, the thread holding down the outline is cut thus releasing the lace from the cloth backing.
"Irish crochet" is a type of lace
that has its origin in the famine
years of the 19th century in Ireland
. Charity groups sought to revive the economy by teaching crochet lace technique at no charge to anyone willing to learn. This type of lace is characterized by separately crocheted motifs, which were later assembled into a mesh background. Other types of Irish crochet include Rosslea
and Clones
lace.
Irish Crochet Lace is made with a very fine steel crochet hook and fine crochet cotton or linen thread. It begins with an outline of the pattern on a piece of cloth. Each motif is then crocheted separately, using cotton cord for volume and shaping. The finished motifs are then basted (sewn with a loose stitch for temporary tacking) onto a cloth in the shape of the pattern. The motifs are then joined using chains
and picot
s. When all the motifs have been joined together forming one piece of lace the basting stitch is removed from the back cloth revealing the completed lace.
Kenmare lace
"Kenmare laceKenmare lace
Kenmare Lace is a hand made needlepoint lace originally made in Kenmare, Ireland. In the 19th century, sisters of the Poor Clare convent introduced needlepoint lace to the women and girls of the locality. It was a response to the poverty that followed the Great Famine...
" is a needlepoint Irish lace
Needle lace
Needle lace is a type of lace created using a needle and thread to stitch up hundreds of small stitches to form the lace itself....
based on the detached buttonhole stitch. (It is sometimes called needle-lace to distinguish it from canvas needlepoint
Needlepoint
Needlepoint is a form of counted thread embroidery in which yarn is stitched through a stiff open weave canvas. Most needlepoint designs completely cover the canvas...
.) Linen thread was used by nuns to make needlepoint lace. Suitable linen thread is no longer available so today cotton thread is used.
Kenmare needlepoint lace begins with two pieces of cloth. Over this is layered a pattern and a matt contact. Thread is laid over top in the outline of the design and secured with a fine detached buttonhole stitch in a process called "couching". The pattern is filled in by working in from the outline. The tension makes the pattern. How tightly the stitches are pulled determines whether the pattern's stitches are open or tight. When the work is finished, the thread holding down the outline is cut thus releasing the lace from the cloth backing.
Irish crochet
Lace
Lace is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by hand. The holes can be formed via removal of threads or cloth from a previously woven fabric, but more often open spaces are created as part of the lace fabric. Lace-making is an ancient craft. True lace was...
that has its origin in the famine
Famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including crop failure, overpopulation, or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. Every continent in the world has...
years of the 19th century in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Charity groups sought to revive the economy by teaching crochet lace technique at no charge to anyone willing to learn. This type of lace is characterized by separately crocheted motifs, which were later assembled into a mesh background. Other types of Irish crochet include Rosslea
Rosslea
Rosslea or Roslea is a small village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, near the border with County Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland. It stands on the River Finn and is beset by small natural lakes. Roslea Forest is nearby...
and Clones
Clones
Clones is a small town in western County Monaghan, in the 'border area' of the Republic of Ireland. The area is part of the Border Region, earmarked for economic development by the Irish Government due to its currently below-average economic situation...
lace.
Irish Crochet Lace is made with a very fine steel crochet hook and fine crochet cotton or linen thread. It begins with an outline of the pattern on a piece of cloth. Each motif is then crocheted separately, using cotton cord for volume and shaping. The finished motifs are then basted (sewn with a loose stitch for temporary tacking) onto a cloth in the shape of the pattern. The motifs are then joined using chains
Chain stitch
Chain stitch is a sewing and embroidery technique in which a series of looped stitches form a chain-like pattern. Chain stitch is an ancient craft - examples of surviving Chinese chain stitch embroidery worked in silk thread have been dated to the Warring States period...
and picot
Picot
A picot is a loop of thread created for functional or ornamental purposes along the edge of lace, ribbon, crocheted, knitted or tatted material. These loops vary in size, according to their intended function and to their creator's artistic intention....
s. When all the motifs have been joined together forming one piece of lace the basting stitch is removed from the back cloth revealing the completed lace.
Other types of Irish Lace
Other types of Irish lace include:- Carrickmacross laceCarrickmacross laceCarrickmacross lace is a type of needle lace. Originating in Carrickmacross, Ireland in the early 19th century, it is still practised today.The lace is worked by tacking fine muslin onto machine netting...
- Youghal laceYoughal laceYoughal lace is a needle lace inspired by Italian needle lace developed in Youghal, County Cork, Ireland.-Origins:...
- Limerick laceLimerick laceLimerick lace is an embroidered needle lace formed on a mesh using one or both of two techniques...*Tambour – where chain stitch is created using a hook.*Needlerun – where stitches are darned onto the ground using a needle....