Fine Needlelace

If you are a fan of needlelace you may want to watch this short video from the Musee des Beaux-arts et de la Dentelle in Alcernon, France. I've watched it a few times.

The video is on the Museum's Facebook page. Click here to see it.

Lace was a much prized luxury in the fifteenth and sixteenth century in Europe and it attracted high import taxes in countries where it was not locally made. A lace-making workshop was established in France to produce lace similar to the renowned Italian needlemade laces and so reduce the expenses of the extravagant French Court. A unique style developed and the lace became known as Alencon Lace.

 Although the production of labour intensive handmade lace declined with the introduction of machine made lace, a small band of dedicated embroiderers are working to ensure that the tradition of Alencon Lace continues. 

The video shows some of the steps in the creation of this most exquisite lace that is painstakingly embroidered with a needle and thread. The attention to detail and the level of perfection is a joy to see. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I did.