The origins of tape
lace date back to the 17th c., when it was
conceived as a technique to satisfy the insatiable demands for lace in
this new age by simplifying the production of the time consuming and
very expensive hand needle laces.
It was not, however, until the mid 19th c. that this technique evolved
into a new and unique lace in its own right, supporting designs which
reflected the broad brush of the creative artist, as well as the needs
of a generation focused on innovation and creativity, a direct
reflection of the Industrial Age.
The magic of
openwork design in thread, as explored in the 16th century, quickly led
to demands for more ethereal
fabrics,
finer threads, and extraordinary skills for its execution. Demand
quickly
exceeded production as the wearing and display of lace filtered down
from the
highest levels of nobility.
A new technique, bobbin lace,
emerged
which was far quicker
than needle lace and could be mastered with far less training.
Nonetheless, needle
lace, which required the outlining of the motifs with a fine thread
which was
later completely covered with buttonhole stitches, remained the
preferred lace.
By the mid 17th century a new concept of lace making evolved
to meet the
demands of a new age. Rather than outlining the motifs with a fine
thread, a
narrow, flat bobbin lace tape was used. Infilling stitches were
connected to the
edges of the tape and the buttonhole stitching was eliminated. As the
tape got
wider, more space was filled and fewer needle stitches were required.
In the mid 19th
century,
the emerging middle class renewed
the demand for lace. The new industrialists had wealth, and lace, which
was
previously restricted to the nobility, proclaimed their new social
position.
There were revivals of the needle and bobbin laces of the previous
century, but
the time-consuming techniques of traditional laces limited production.
New lace
techniques were developed to bring lace of age, such as Irish crochet,
embroidered
tulle, tatting, knitted lace and a revival of tape lace. The printed
word was
available to every household and women’s magazines proliferated,
extolling the
virtues of hand work.
Tape lace now became one of the
most
popular techniques, as
evidenced by the number of patterns published in magazines and printed
on cloth
that could be ordered for a few cents. The tapes were now made by
machine and
evolved from a simple straight tape to a wide variety of shapes,
simulating the
designs of bobbin lace. From mimicking needle and bobbin lace, the new
tape
lace soon took on an identity of its own with bold designs, applique
techniques
and works of large scale appropriate for garments, curtains and table
covers. Traditional
needle lace stitches were explored and new stitches were invented,
stressing
ease of working and quick filling of the open areas. Buttonhole bars
were reduced
to twisted threads and net infillings were replaced by webs. Tapes got
wider to
further reduce the open area which required needle infillings and
eventually
reached a point where no infilling were necessary, since the tapes
simply attached
to themselves.
