Lacemaker's Mailing List FAQ

General Definitions, or
FIT: Frequently Incomprehensible Terms

by Mimi Dillman, ntrop@ix.netcom.com. Please provide me with feedback!

All mistakes are mine (after all, I accepted everything from those who kindly lent their help). The contest-winning definitions of bobbin lace and tatted lace are included.

Often we discuss quite specialized subjects on Arachne, and not every one may know what is being talked about. People who tat may have had no exposure to bobbins or bobbin lace (or vice-versa); and while needles are common household items, what kind of laces does one make with them?

Below is a list of some of these terms. Hopefully most will be expanded upon as the FAQs for the major categories of laces are built. I encourage you to have a look at http://www.oocities.org/Heartland/Fields/1404/gallery.html, where pictures of many of these terms and items are referenced.

Some abbreviations I'll use:

BL = bobbin lace
NL = needle lace
TL = tatted lace
* = defined elsewhere in the listing

Also, remember that many laces are named for the locality in which they originated. They could be made anywhere these days!

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N P R S T V W

AERO SHUTTLE (TL) - This particular tatting shuttle, named for the original manufacturer, is plastic with a small metal crochet hook embedded in the end (in some editions, the hook is plastic). The thread is held on an inner plastic bobbin which is ratcheted (and makes a distinctive noise when the thread is tugged hard!)

ALENCON (NL) - The queen of all needlelaces, it originated as the French answer to Venetian needle laces, the reigning beautiful lace of the 17th century.

ARMENIAN LACE (NL) - Composed mostly of looped threads, it is also called *bebilla.

BATTENBERG (NL) - Is composed of a cloth-stitch *tape (can be handmade, but more commonly machine-made), which is basted down onto a pattern, and then needle and thread are used to make the *fillings which connect the loops with decorative, lacy stitches. Another common tape-lace is *Branscombe Point.

BAYEUX (BL) - A French *point-ground lace which co-existed with *Chantilly. The main differences lay in some design elements, and the preference for white over black threads.

BEBILLA (NL) - See Armenian Lace.

BEDFORDSHIRE, OR BEDS (BL) - A floral lace composed mainly of cloth-stitch trails connected by plaits and other design elements, including leaves (usually in clusters). It is named for the area of England in which it originated. Thomas Lester was one of the more famous designers and dealers in this type of lace.

BEDS-MALTESE (BL) - A derivative of *Bedfordshire laces, it's patterns are simplified and often mimic *Maltese laces. Again, it originated in England.

BINCHE (BL) - This lace orignates from a Belgian town called Binche. Its characteristics are the so called snowballs or snow-flakes, which are worked in many different ways. It also lacks a gimp, which distinguishes is from *Flanders and *Mechlin.

BLOCK PILLOW (BL) - Block pillows have component smaller square blocks to which the pricking is attached. These blocks can be moved from the end back to the beginning after the lace has been worked over them, thus allowing the lacemaker to make continuous lace without having a roller. They can be particularly helpful when making a lace piece with corners.

BOBBIN LACE (BL) - Bobbin Lace is a form of off-loom weaving. The lacemaker uses a *pillow to make the lace upon, and *bobbins are used to hold the thread. The lace is made using the combination of *Twist and *Cross to move the threads, with pins holding the thread on place upon the *pricking, or pattern. (definition by Judy Sexton)

BOBBIN (BL) - The essential, stick-like tool of BL (see border at left). Although bobbins can vary in size (usually 3-4"), shape and decoration, they all have two features in common: the upper part ("neck") is an elongated, narrow spool topped by a "head" and the lower one a handle. The spool holds the thread, the handle serves a dual purpose:it allows the lacemaker to manipulate the threads without touching them and it provides the weight necessary to keep the thread under tension. The extra weight is achieved differently on *Continental and *East Midlands bobbins. Often highly ornamented, bobbins are most commonly made of wood or bone, but can be found in other materials such as metal, glass, plastic or ivory (those mostly antique).

BOBBINS (TL) - Bobbins which resemble those which are commonly found in sewing machines are sometimes designed as the thread-holding area of *tatting shuttles.

BOLSTER PILLOW (BL) - Basically a large cylindrical pillow, which requires the aid of a stand (or "horse") to keep it from rolling and keep it in reach of the lacemaker. The *pricking goes all the way around the bolster. These are mostly intended for continuous laces, but due to their size, can easily be used to make motifs, too. The bobbins will hang from the pattern, rather than being spread out and away from it as on a *cookie pillow.

BRAID 1 (BL) - see plait

BRAID 2 (BL) - see tape

BRANSCOMBE POINT (NL) - Like *Battenberg, it is made from *tape, but the tape is much finer, and the threads making the *fillings are much finer as well. This type of lace is named for its original location of manufacture, Branscombe, Devon.

BRIDGE (TL) - see split chain.

BRUGES BLOEMWORK (BL) - Originated in 19th Century Belgium, made of much coarser threads than the related *Duchesse. Named for the characteristic flower motifs in the lace, and the city of Bruges in Belgium.

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE OR BUCKS POINT (BL) - This lace originated in England, and was named for the area where it was chiefly (but not exclusively) made. Usually a continuous lace, it is characterized by the use of *point ground and honeycomb ground with cloth-stitch and half-stitch design elements, and *picots decorating the head-side. It frequently has *tallies as decorations in the ground.

BURANO LACE (NL) - Made in Italy, its designs supposedly are inspired by the waves in the ocean surrounding the island. Burano was a lacemaking center for some time in the past.

BURATTO - Made in Italy, it is a form of counted canvas embroidery, it is finer, looser, and more flexible than needlepoint. Done on an open-weave backing of stiffened gauze, buratto was used as border trim on clothing and various draperies.

CARRICKMACROSS (NL) - An Irish lace composed of embroidery and applique of cloth upon a needlemade or machine-made net.

CHAIN (TL) - Series of double knots around a carrying thread which is left straight rather than in a *ring. It is commonly used to connect rings. The use of chains is a later development in tatting.

CHANTILLY (BL) - A *point-ground lace from France, almost always made with black threads, and made in strips which are later stitched together with an invisible stitch called racroc stitch. The result is a very large and beautiful piece of lace which looks continuous.

CHRISTINA PILLOW (BL) - A *pillow of Swedish manufacture, the outer cushion revolves around the bolster stand, thus reducing the need to move many pairs of *bobbins from place to place on the pillow when working smaller sections of the pattern. Most modern lacemakers would dearly love to own one, and those that have them, love them.

CITY & GUILDS - Certification courses in England which test and prove the skill of those applying for certification. These courses last as long as 3 years. Due to the need to attend classes in England, it is difficult for outsiders to be certified in this manner.

CLOTH STITCH (BL) - CTC (*cross-*twist-cross) sequence of *bobbin movements. When repeated over and over, the effect is that of woven cloth. Sometimes also called *whole stitch (but beware, sometimes whole stitch is used to refer to other stitches as well).

CLUNY (BL) - Refers to a simplified form of lace which is characterized by its geometric design, trails of *cloth stitch, and frequent use of braids (*plaits) decorated by *picots, and leaves (pointed *tallies). *Beds is said to have developed from Cluny lace.

CLUNY (TL) - Refers to the leaves made which look like those in cluny bobbin lace.

COGGESHALL LACE - see Tambour Lace.

CONTINENTAL BOBBINS (BL) - Have slender shanks which widen out into a bulb for weighting- see picture at the left.

COOKIE PILLOW (BL) - Also called a mushroom pillow, it is a flat, circular, slightly domed *pillow. It is very helpful for making motifs since it can be easily turned to match the direction of the work.

CORDONNET (NL) - The larger outlining thread that appears in some needle laces. It sometimes is couched and stuffed with other materials. Not to be confused with a DMC variety of thread!

COVER CLOTH (BL) - Used to cover and protect the *pricking from friction of bobbins and fingers while that portion of the pricking is not in use.

CROSS (BL) - Abbreviation: C. One of the two basic bobbin moves, the cross involves the movement of the right member of the left-hand pair over the left member of the right-hand pair.

DIVIDER PIN (BL) - A long necked pin stuck into the cushion of a *pillow to help divide the *bobbins in use from those which are not. Also very decorative just to have on the pillow, or to spear other things to it.

DOUBLE STITCH (BL) - *Cloth stitch and twist, or CTCT (or TCTC if you prefer). Also called *whole stitch or whole throw.

DOUBLE STITCH (TL) - The basic tatting knot. It is composed of two halves. Abbreviated ds in patterns.

DUCHESSE (BL) - Belgian bobbin lace similar to *Honiton in that the individual motifs are made then connected by bobbin-made ground made later.

EAST MIDLANDS BOBBINS (BL) - Bobbins which are for the most part straight, and spangled with beads at the end opposite that end where the thread is wound. These kinds of bobbins are often decorated around the shanks, painted with pictures, and inscribed with sayings for fun. Antique collectors love these bobbins (and the price shows).

EDGING - Straight lace intended to go on the edge of a piece of cloth. One side (the *footside, where it will be attached) will usually be straight, but not always. The *headside (opposite the foot, of course) is often scalloped or decorated with *picots, *plaits, or *winkie pin edge.

EXCELSIOR - Dried wood shavings, more familiar as packing material for such things as china packed in crates for shipping. It can be used to stuff lace *pillows in place of straw, which, while more traditional, must be chopped first and has annoying knots which prevent pins from going smoothly into the pillow. It has an advantage over sawdust in that the resulting pillow is not so heavy.

FILET LACE (NL) - Lace made from embroidery on net. Usually the net is also handmade by means of knotted loops, then stretched on a frame so that it can be embroidered with a design. Filet crochet mocks imitates this lace. Lacis is another name used to refer to this craft as practiced in Italy with particularly fine threads.

FILLINGS - Fancy stitches which fill in enclosed areas in the design.

FLANDERS LACE (BL) - Originally made in Belgium, this lace differs from the English bobbin laces in that the ground stitch is quite dense and requires many bobbins. It differs from other Belgian bobbin laces in its use of *gimp.

FOOT-SIDE (BL) - This is the edge intended to be attached to fabric. It is opposite the decorative edge, or *head-side.

FREE HAND LACE (BL) Sometimes called Free Lace, it is a bobbin lace worked with pins only in the foot- and headside (none in the *ground or design areas). These kind of laces have been made probably in rural regions and as they didn't have any pins, they used fish-bones or wood chips. This kind of lace has been found in different countries but as far as I know, the best known one is the "Schonen Lace" from the Southern part of Sweden. (Thanks, Manuela!)

GIMP (BL) - Thicker thread used for outlining design areas. It usually is worked singly, rather than in pairs as in most other areas of the lace.

GROUND - Also called reseau, this is the area of the lace that extends between design elements, usually some sort of net or other less prominent stitch. The ground of a lace is very often the best clue to the type of lace or its origin.

HALF STITCH (BL) - CT or TC. When repeated, it makes a diagonal mesh which is much less dense than *cloth stitch. It can be confusing for beginners to first attempt, because the pairs of bobbins do not stay together as they do in cloth stitch.

HEAD-SIDE (BL) - Decorative edge of the lace, it is the side opposite the *foot-side, which is the side attached to fabric.

HONITON BOBBINS (BL) - Straight, slender bobbins which come to a point at the end. No extra weighting is required due to the extreme fineness of the threads used in *Honiton lace. The pointed end helps make *sewings (connections between motifs) much easier.

HONITON LACE (BL) - A lace of very fine threads, made as individual motifs that are later joined together with bobbin-made ground. Queen Victoria's wedding veil was made from this style of lace. The style originated in Honiton, Devon.

HOODED BOBBIN (BL) - The German style of *bobbin. Thread wound on the neck is protected by a barrel-shaped hood which slides down over the top.

INSERTION - A lace where both sides are straight and is normally used "inserted" between two pieces of cloth.

IRISH CROCHET - A beautiful lace crocheted with fine threads, it is composed of motifs of 3-D flowers and shamrocks, connected by chains which are decorated by *picots.

JOSEPHINE KNOT (TL) - A small bud made by making several loops of the first half of the *double stitch around a ring, then pulling the ring closed. Works best in two-shuttle tatting so that it projects out from the chain or ring to which it is attached.

KNITTED LACE - Yes, lace can be knitted, and frequently is found in doilies, antimacassars, as well as shawls and stoles and other decorative linens.

LACE - A decorative openwork fabric in which the pattern of spaces is as important as the solid areas (definition courtesy of Powerhouse Museum Lace for Fashion Award competition rules).

LACIS (NL) - See Filet Lace.

LADY HOARE SHUTTLE (TL) - An old-fashioned, but still-used *tatting shuttle. It is difficult to describe, but is different from other shuttles in that the thread is exposed to the touch of the worker's fingers.

LEAF, or LEAF TALLY (BL) - See tally.

LILLE (BL) - A French *point-ground lace.

LIMERICK - see Tambour lace.

LOCK JOIN (TL) - Used to make mock *picots, the lock join consists of the combination of the first half of the *double stitch, followed by the second half - but this second half is not flipped. The result is a knot which forms the first stitch of the next ring or chain.

MALTESE (BL) - Chiefly made from cream-colored silk (although other threads are known), this lace from Malta is characterized by the same trails and plaits as *Beds, but differs in making frequent use of a distinctive cross in cloth stitch, called a Maltese or St. John's cross. The leaves in this lace tend to be wide and fat, much more so than any other of the related laces such as *Beds and *Beds-Maltese.

MAT - Also can be a doily, but is completely made of lace (no cloth at the center at all).

MECHLIN (BL) - Since the city of Mechlin (Malines) has belonged to both France and Belgium, this lace is claimed by both. The distinctive hexagonal *ground combines both *twists and short *plaits (and so is rather a bridge between *Val and *point-ground laces).

MILANESE LACE (BL) - A variety of *tape (UK - braid) lace, of Italian origin. Rather dense in appearance, it has no *ground and the design is composed almost entirely of flowing, fairly narrow (12-18 pairs) strips, which are often highly decorative in themselves. The strips (tapes) are joined to each other with *sewings or simple *plait arrangements.

MISS CHANNER'S MAT (BL) - The pinnacle achievement for some *Bucks Point lacemaking enthusiasts, this pattern is a challenge and not for the faint-hearted (but it's sooooo pretty).

MUSHROOM PILLOW (BL) - see Cookie Pillow.

NEEDLE LACE - Made strictly from a needle and thread, the pattern is usually drawn on fabric, and an outlining thread couched down upon it. The lace is then built up with other stitches connecting the outlining thread (but not the backing) so that the backing can be later cut away, leaving only the lace. Some of the most famous needlelaces are Venetian Point and *Alencon. An early form is called Reticella.

NEW PITSLIGO LACE (BL) - New Pitsligo lace is still made in the small northeast Scottish town that it is named for. It is a *Torchon lace with some interesting features. A few of the edging patterns have a ground that is worked without pins. To make a corner, the lacemaker works to a 45 degree angle, ties off the pairs, takes out all pins but the one on the selvedge edge, turns the whole piece, replaces the pins, and recommences the work. (Thanks to Sandy Milliken)

NINE-PIN EDGE (BL) - A feature of *Beds lace, it is a decorative edge composed of *plaits and *picots in a distinctive pattern of triangles and squares.

PAG LACE (NL) - A needlelace made on the Croatian island of Pag in the Adriatic.

PASSIVES (BL) - Also called downrights, these threads seem to stay in place while the *workers go through them in making the design.

PICOT - Picots can appear in any kind of lace (may be a little difficult in knitting!). They are small, decorative loops of one or two threads that can appear at the *head-side of the lace, or on plaits inside the lace. Some pronounce it "pee-coh" and some say "picket."

PILLOW (BL) - The surface on which the pattern is laid and the threads worked. It comes in many different forms (see cookie, bolster, roller, etc), and has been stuffed with various materials through the years, from sea-grass, to straw, to sawdust, to wool (and so on).

PLAIT, or BRAID (BL) - Woven from 2 pair of threads (sometimes more or less, but 4 is most common), they appear as straight legs connecting design areas, and are often decorated by picots.

POINT-GROUND LACES (BL) - Laces whose ground consists of CTTT, a distinctive light (and quickly-made) hexagonal net, like *Bucks Point, *Bayeux, *Chantilly, Lille, and *Tonder.

PRICKING (BL) - A card or parchment which has the pattern for a bobbin lace piece. It is composed of dots which are pricked to receive the pins that hold the stitches in place. Frequently lines will be drawn in to better define the pattern areas, and where the *gimp will go.

PRICKING (NL) - The act of adding holes to a needlelace pattern to allow the needle to pass through. The pricking for needlelace must be sturdy enough to hold the work rigid.

PRINCESS LACE (NL) - *Tape lace made on net with fancy tapes. Has also been called *Renaissance lace.

PUNCETTO LACE (NL) - This is an italian knotted needlelace. It is also called Puncetto Valsesiano since it was born in Valsesia , in an Italian region called Piedmont. Unlike *Armenian lace, Puncetto lace has almost exclusively geometrical designs.

RENAISSANCE LACE (BL) - Can refer to the laces made in Italy during the Renaissance (patterns for which still survive in Le Pompe). It has also been applied to tape lace, such as we now call Battenberg.

RING (TL) - a loop of double stitches pulled closed into a ring.

ROLLER PILLOW (BL) - The bolster has been shrunk to being only a part of the cushion. It rotates freely, and has the pattern mounted on it. The bobbins rest on the cushion in a more horizontal fashion (more like on a *cookie pillow).

RUSSIAN LACE (BL) - The best known of the "peasant" laces. A very narrow (usually 6 pairs) *tape with *winkie-pin edges, mostly *cloth stitch outlines the design. Very intricate, *plaited *grounds and/or *fillings, often using many *leaves and spiderwebs are constructed with two pairs of bobbins at the same time as the tape.

SCHNEEBERGER (BL) - An East German lace which is characterized by trails of double stitch CTCT rather than being completely cloth stitch. The effect is more open. The designs are usually quite modern and pleasing and supplemented by leaves.

SEW EDGE (BL) - A method of working the footside which produces a nice straight edge for sewing to fabric. It involves the exchange of the current weavers for the pair last left on the edge.

SEWING (BL) - Method used to join one motif or trail with another. One thread of a pair is pulled through a pinhole of the existing motif, and the other thread is passed through the loop bobbin first, making a join.

SPANGLE (BL) - Beads used as a weight at the end of a bobbin. This practice originated in England. Spangles are attached to the bottom of a bobbin by means of running a wire (or fishing line!) through a hole drilled horizontally across the end of bobbin. Many superstitions surround spangles.

SPLIT CHAIN (TL) - Also called a bridge, it is a method of climbing out from one row to the next by tatting the chain up to the picot going up to the next row, then connecting the chain with the shuttle thread to the desired end point. By use of a crochet hook, the bare thread is covered in reverse with double stitches back to the connecting picot, and a lock join completes the jump to the next row.

SPLIT RING (TL) - Two-shuttle tatting method which allows the threads beginning a ring to both come out a the other side (normally both remain at the base). In working a split ring, the first half is performed as usual for a ring, then the second half is done with the second shuttle, tatting over the ring thread rather than flipping it, and reversing the order of the halves of the double stitch (second half first, first half second). The ring is pulled tight with the first shuttle.

TALLY (BL) - A tally is a woven decoration found in the ground or as part of the design of many laces. It is made from 2 pairs of bobbins, where one thread of one pair becomes a weaver weaving back and forth among the remaining three threads. These tallies are made either as squares, or with points a the beginning and end so that they resemble leaves.

TAMBOUR LACE - Lace made using machine-made net (tulle) as a base and a hook, somewhat similiar to a crochet hook. There are two mains strains of Tambour Lace: Limerick (made mostly in Ireland) and Coggeshall (made mostly in England). In Limerick, you outline the design with the tambour hook and make needle fillings. In Coggeshall, the entire design, both outline and fillings are made using the hook.

TAPE (BL) - a narrow strip of lace, either in cloth stitch or open. Made with bobbins, it is the base of all tape laces such as Milanese and Russian. May also be called a *trail. Called "braid" in UK.

TAPE (NL) - A narrow woven strip, usually machine made. Used as the outline in laces such as Battenberg and Branscombe.

TATTED LACE (TL) - Tatting is a form of lace made out of knots. It is created in the hand using only a *shuttle (or needle) and thread. The working thread is knotted around a carrying thread in such a way as to allow the knots to be pulled up into rings, or to be to formed into chains. *Picots (small loops) add delicacy to the work and are used to join the rings and chains together. (definition by Adrienne Quinlan)

TATTING SHUTTLE (TL) - These come in many different forms, but most commonly are flat ovals with points at either end, and a post in the middle connecting the 2 halves. It is around this post which thread is wound (later un-wound as the knots are made). The shape speeds guiding the thread through the movements required to make the knots. Sometimes a bobbin may be substituted for the post. Sometimes a hook or pick is attached to one end so that the worker can use it to make joins rather than setting the shuttle down to use a crochet hook, then resuming work with the shuttle.

TENERIFFE (NL) - Laces made in the Teneriffe style consist of many smaller medalions formed from a wheel or small round pillow. The medalion base is a wheel of spokes which are then darned in a lacy pattern.

TONDER (BL) - A Danish lace with much in common with Bucks Point. What distinguishes it from Bucks for me are the Copenhagen Holes (eight or more points rather than the familiar 6 of honeycomb) and also the use of tallies in wheels and flowers like those on either side of the corner.

TORCHON (BL) - Characterized by a 45 degree angle between the pinholes and the horizontal, and is often geometric in form. Typical design elements are fans and diamonds, either of half-stitch or of cloth-stitch, and also spiders (so called because the pairs of threads that enter the central cloth-stitch area look like the legs of a spider). Beginners are frequently started out making this type of bobbin lace because it is relatively straightforward and easily taught.

Some say that the name comes from the French word for "dishcloth," but recently a Frenchwoman pointed out that French word for twist is "torsion"', which was distorted as torchon with in the "Auvergnat" accent and remained that way.

TRAIL (BL) - see tape (BL).

TWIST (BL) - Abbreviation: T. Refers to the movement, within a single pair of threads, of the right thread (bobbin) over the left thread (bobbin). This is a contrast to the cross, which involves a movement in the opposite direction between 2 adjacent pairs.

VALENCIENNES, OR VAL (BL) - Made in France, this lace was one of the queens of bobbin lace in its time. It is quite time-consuming and difficult to make, as the ground is composed completely of tiny plaits which cross each other without the aid of pins to guide them.

WEAVERS (BL) - See Workers.

WHOLE STITCH (BL) - Has been used to refer to the cloth stitch or the double stitch, depending on the author. Please read books and patterns which use this terminology with care so as to discover which set of movements is required.

WINKIE PIN (BL) - An edge stitch which sets an extra set of twists on the workers between the stitch approaching the edge and the stitch which closes the pin.

WITHOF (BL) - A variety of Duchesse lace (see above).

WORKERS (BL) - Also called weavers, the name refers to a pair of bobbins which moves from one side to the other of a design element in the course of work, rather like the shuttle weaves through the warp of a loom.

First composed 19 April 1997 by Mimi Dillman for the Lacemaker's Mailing List FAQ. I gratefully acknowledge the editorial help of Janet Charlton, Tamara Duvall, Joan Posener, Marina Meyrat-Morosani, and Lori Howe, the Sewdoll, for the lovely border she designed for this page.

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This page written by Mimi Dillman - send comments to me at ntrop@ix.netcom.com

This page last updated 2 January 2000