Lásadóireacht | A Practical Workbook for Carrickmacross Lace

A Practical Workbook for Carrickmacross Lace

Plot

Inspired by the laces they saw during a trip to Italy in 1816, 2 Irish needlewomen developed an entirely new type of lace using linen cambric applied to machine made net to reproduce the effect of lace made with handmade (reseau) net. The new style came to be called "Carrickmacross", from the area where it was developed in County Monaghan, after an example was awarded a certificate and medal at the Dublin Exhibition of 1872. Carrickmacross is a needle made lace with organdie applique on a ground of net. This is decorated with a combination of point stitching, intricate filling stitches, tiny circles of stitching called "pops" and a finely looped border. The designs are usually floral in character, but the motifs must be kept simple, with a continuous outline, so that the background organdie can be cut away. Contemporary lace makers use a combination of Guipure and Applique techniques to create the Carrickmacross lace we know today. The author, born and raised in County Louth, first learnt the art of lace making and other needlecrafts from her mother, who was an accomplished needlewoman. Mary Shields is a member of the Guild of Irish Lacemakers and the International Old Lacers Inc. U.S.A. She has taught the technique of Carrickmacross lace at workshops in Ireland and America, and won many prizes for her work, including the California Gold Medal in the prestigious Royal Dublin Society Crafts Competition.

Gives a good "materials and equipment" section and setting up your first sample. Steps for making your first designs with the recommended directions of work on a kind of working diagram. Filling stitches with nice large diagrams of thread paths. Patterns include a collar, floral doily, hankie, cuffs, fingerless gloves, scarf end, baby carriage, corner design, bookmark, small motifs with flowers and a butterfly.