Handmade Lace

Lace has been made for thousands of years.

The oldest evidence of lace making dates back to around 2500BC, from which time fragments of knotted hair nets have been found in Pharoahs' tombs in Thebes and elsewhere in Egypt. Lace-making was well-known to the Greeks and Romans and fine pieces have been found buried beneath the ashes of Pompeii. 

Through the early centuries of the last millennium, lace garments were worn by high-up clergy but were a luxury most could not afford. It was not until the 16th century that the use of lace became widespread and handmade lace has been produced all over Europe since Medieval times, with each country having its own specialty and often each part of the country having further local variations. For example, in England, lace was made by hand as a cottage industry and areas such as Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Honiton had their own specialties.

The first simple lace machine was not invented until 1589 by William Lee in Calverton, Nottinghamshire.