Lace, Ancient and Modern

I promised you lace today and so here we go. The Bowes Museum is exhibiting work from the 98 Lace Group until 15 April and it is well worth visiting.

There are various events supporting the exhibition and you can find more information about the group on their website here:  98 Lace Group including good photographs of their amazing projects.
This project was inspired by the Blackborne Lace Collection and so here are some photographs of that antique lace (I apologise for the quality, the exhibition was lit wonderfully, but not ideally for photography).

 This pair of lappets are of Brussels bobbin lace, 

with a ground of drochel net, made between 1710 -1720.

 These lappets are slightly later, made c 1780, 

and are also Flemish bobbin lace with a drochel ground.

Thank you to Crista for a great post on lappets here:  http://fashionpreserve.blogspot.com/2010/03/closer-look-at-lappets.html

So, here are my favourites. 

This piece by Mary Colman is called "Frosted Cobwebs" 

and is bobbin lace worked in wool, silk, cotton and linen threads.

This is "Night Fall" by Jane Atkinson 

and depicts falling plum blossom worked in bobbin lace.

Coincidentally, my Kiwi friend, Jenny, has posted about a lace museum in New Zealand today, have a look at Lillia's Lace Museum.
Tomorrow I'll bring you quilts from Beamish...