Crafts
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Lace
General
Jo Edkins' Lace School
An on-line lace school which has very helpful sections on all aspects of lace-making for beginners and for those with more experience: equipment, lace stitches (with animated illustrations) design, patterns and examples of English lace.
http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/ jo/ lace/ index.htm
Lace Fairy
A large, beautifully illustrated site covering all aspects of lace and lace-making. Search the lace identification section alphabetically or by technique to find examples, or search for lace-making by country in the International section. There are pages for beginners, suggested books and a useful links section too.
http://lace.lacefairy.com/
Bedfordshire
Bedford Borough Council - lacemaking in Bedfordshire
Information about: the history of lacemaking in Bedfordshire, Bedford lace dealer - Thomas Lester, lacemaking equipment, patterns and contact details for the Aragon Lace Makers society.
http://www.cms.bedford.gov.uk/ Default.aspx/ Web/ AragonLacemakers
Windmill Lacemakers
Information about Windmill Lacemakers, a Flitwick based group of lacemakers of all abilities. Beginners are welcomed.
http://www.galaxy.bedfordshire.gov.uk/ cgi-bin/ infopoint.sh?enqtype=REF&rcn=3229
Lace collections
All Hallows Museum
The All Hallows Museum in Honiton, Devon has a special collection dating back to the 17th century, of one of the best known lace types - Honiton lace. Its website includes a brief history of lace-making in the area.
http://www.cyberlink.co.uk/ allhallows/ museum/ index.html
Bedford Museum
Bedfordshire was famous for its lace villages in the 19th century and in its Social History collection, Bedford Museum houses a small collection of lace, lace making equipment, lace prickings and a substantial collection of East Midlands bobbins including 'hanging bobbins'.
http://www.bedfordmuseum.org/ collections/ social1.htm
Cecil Higgins Art Gallery
Thomas Lester, a Bedford lace dealer, set up his business in the 1820s and the Thomas Lester Lace collection, bequeathed by his granddaughter, is housed at the Cecil Higgins Art Gallery in Bedford. Although the gallery is closed for refurbishment until 2009, useful information about lace is available on its website.
http://www.cecilhigginsartgallery.org/ lace/ tllace.htm
Cowper and Newton Museum
The Cowper and Newton Museum is based at Olney in Buckinghamshire. Its website includes a well-illustrated section about lacemaking in the Eastern counties of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire and has photographs of some of the exhibits of lace-making equipment at the museum such as prickings, bobbins and pillows.
http://www.mkheritage.co.uk/ cnm/ lace/ index.html
Nottingham Trent University
This weblink gives information about a current project to make the Nottingham Trent University Lace Collection (75,000 items) available on the Internet. The collection 'is housed in the Arkwright Bulding and is available by appointment only. It contains pattern books, portfolios of machine-made and hand-made laces and published books on lace history.' For more information contact the Art and Design information specialists at the Boots Library, Nottingham University Tel. 0115 8486434. (Main University switchboard 0115 9418418).
http://www.ntu.ac.uk/ news/ press_releases/ 54293.html
The Bowes Museum
The Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle, County Durham, houses one of the finest lace archives in the world - the Blackborne Lace Collection which contains 'important study collections and the remaining stock of nineteenth century lace dealers, Anthony and Arthur Blackborne.'
http://www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk/ collections/ textiles/
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum in London is one of the major museums for art and design. Search under 'Lace' for references and images throughout its collections.
http://www.vam.ac.uk/
Lace courses
Spark: Lifelong Learning in Bedfordshire
Search for lace-making courses in Bedfordshire.
http://www.myfuturetoday.org.uk/
Time to Learn (City and Guilds)
The Time to Learn website - the online version of the City and Guilds Directory of Courses - brings together a wide range of learning breaks including ones on lace-making. Search under 'Lace' in 'Course Search'.
http://www.timetolearn.org.uk/ pls/ ttl/ show_index
Lace magazines
Lace
The quarterly magazine and newsletter of the Lace Guild. More information and excerpts are available on their website.
http://www.laceguild.demon.co.uk/
Lace organisations
The Lace Guild
The Lace Guild is one of the largest organizations in the UK set up to support and promote lacemaking . It provides information about the craft and its history as well as encouraging high standards of lace design and development. Links to information about events, exhibitions, Lace Days, suppliers and illustrations of various lace patterns.
http://www.laceguild.demon.co.uk/
The Lace Society
Anyone interested in the making, collecting or teaching of lace, can become a member of the Lace Society. Its aims are to support lace-makers and develop lace-making. Links to suppliers and events.
http://www.thelacesociety.org.uk/
The Lacemakers Circle
Open to lacemakers of all ages, the Lacemakers Circle promotes workshops, courses, demonstrations and lace days. The Circle keeps members up-to-date with a quarterly magazine and maintains a library which loans to members in the UK. Links to lace events throughout the country.
http://www.lacemakers-circle.org.uk/
Lace shows, lace fairs and lace days
Lace Makers Circle List of Events
Lists regional events.
http://www.oz-arnold.net/ lmc/ events.htm
Lace-making.com
Information about the Harrogate Lace Event and the National Christmas Lacemakers' Fair.
http://www.lace-making.com/
The Lace Guild's List of Lace Days
The Lace Guild lists lace days in England. Select 'Events' and then 'Lace Days'.
http://www.laceguild.demon.co.uk/
Lace suppliers
The Lace Guild
Search under 'Lace Suppliers' for beads, bobbins, books, patterns, pillows and general suppliers.
http://www.laceguild.demon.co.uk/
General | Beadwork | Embroidery | Lace
Page last updated: 7 October 2008
