2015 is going to be a year of lace in fashion. Wedding dresses will be in center of attention for this elegant trend. Rich history of lace goes far back. The first writings on lace in Belgium occurred in the 15th century when Charles the Great ordered that lace making techniques were to be taught in the schools and the convents of the provinces of Belgium.
One distinguishes two types of lace: lace made with a needle and lace made with spindles.
It is thought that weavers were originally responsible for lace making using spindles or bobbins. They braided wire of chain with fabrics to carry out pretty completions. Lace making with spindles probably developed from the improvement of this braiding technique.
Needle-point lace is a natural evolution of embroidery. At the beginning increasingly fine fabrics were woven. Then embroidery was added to decorate these fabrics. To carry out prettier embroideries the fabric was first cut and then threads were drawn out of the fabric. And finally embroidery was performed without the support of a fabric. One carries out `points in the air' or `indented edges', from which the word lace is derived.
Little by little the demand for lace grew in Europe. Gradually schools were established everywhere and each area developed its own style of lace making design and technique.
It was in the 17th and18th centuries that the production of lace reached its apogee. Lace became a sign of richness and refinement. Lace became an accessory of luxury. Its price increased and it was primarily used as trimming. All through the 17th and 18th century lace was extremely appreciated to decorate wedding veils and gowns.
The creation of the most beautiful laces requires an extremely fine linen thread of exceptional quality. The most beautiful flax occurs in Flanders and it is thus natural that the needle-point and the bobbin lace of these areas are the most appreciated. Thanks to the exceptional linen thread one can carry out designs with smoothness and delicacy never equaled elsewhere.
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