Who It Suits

Lacemaking is the craft of making openwork fabric from thread alone — there is no woven base, just thread arranged into a pattern. The two main families are bobbin lace, where several threads wound on bobbins are twisted and crossed over a pattern pinned to a pillow, and needle lace, where a single thread is worked freehand or over a pattern with a needle. Tatting (thread knotted into rings and chains with a small shuttle) and crochet lace (openwork made with a hook) are lighter, more portable ways in.

It suits people who enjoy patient, structured handwork and patterns that build slowly through repeated movements. The honest appeal: it is cheap to start, needs no dedicated space, is easy to pause and resume, and a first small piece can be finished in a few weeks of short sessions. The honest constraints: progress is slow and repetitive, the first rows look uneven, reading a pattern takes practice, fine thread and small details can tire the eyes and hands, and it is harder to self-teach than some crafts because hand position and tension are difficult to diagnose from text.

Lace as we know it arose in the early sixteenth century. Venice was an early hub — the first known lace pattern books were printed there in the 1550s — and by 1600 fine lace was being made across Flanders, Spain, France, and England. Famous centres include the French needle laces of Alençon and Argentan, the Flemish bobbin laces of Binche, Valenciennes, and Mechlin, and Honiton in Devon, England. Machine lace, developed from the late eighteenth century, had copied most hand-made laces by 1870, and in England most of the handmade industry had disappeared by 1900; today lacemaking is mostly a leisure craft.

Getting Started

A beginner’s first task is to learn the vocabulary, then choose one method and make one small piece:

  • Bobbin lace — several threads, each wound on a bobbin (a small spool). You twist and cross pairs of bobbins following a pattern, pinning the work in place. It is generally quicker to work than needle lace.
  • Needle lace — a single thread worked with a needle, freehand or over a pattern. Slower and finer.
  • Tatting — thread knotted into rings and chains using a small boat-shaped shuttle. Very portable.
  • Crochet lace — openwork patterns made with a crochet hook.
  • Pricking — the pattern for bobbin lace: a diagram of dots and lines showing where bobbins cross and twist, traditionally punched into paper.
  • Pillow — a firm pad that holds the pins and supports the work. Traditionally a fabric bag stuffed with straw, now usually polystyrene.
  • Pins — short pins that hold the pattern and thread in place on the pillow.
  • Picot — a small loop of thread used as a decorative edge or detail.

How to choose: if you like structured, pattern-following work and want quicker visible progress, start with bobbin lace. If you prefer freehand, fine, meditative work, try needle lace. If you want something that fits in a pocket, tatting is a good entry point. A small beginner kit or a short course is usually easier than assembling materials from scattered instructions.

Basic Gear

Essential:

  • A beginner lace kit, or the materials for one clearly chosen method.
  • Smooth cotton or linen thread — start with a medium weight, not fine.
  • For bobbin lace: a lace pillow, a set of bobbins, and short pins.
  • For needle lace: a fine needle and thread.
  • For tatting: a shuttle and thread.
  • A pattern — a pricking for bobbin lace, a chart or written instructions for the others.
  • Small scissors and good lighting.

Optional at first:

  • A magnifier, if the pattern or thread is hard to see.
  • A thread organiser or bobbin case.
  • A task lamp.
  • A bobbin stand or lap desk.

First Session

Use the first session to learn the basic movement for your chosen method. For bobbin lace, set up the pillow, place a very small pattern (a simple edging or a few motifs), and practice crossing and twisting pairs of bobbins on a small sample, following the pricking in order and keeping the tension even. For needle lace or tatting, practice a short line of repeated stitches or knots before attempting a finished motif.

First Month

During the first month, make small samples rather than large decorative pieces. Repeat simple edgings, bookmarks, flowers, or squares until the thread tension becomes more consistent. Keep notes on thread size, pattern names, and where mistakes happened. By the end of the month you should be able to read a simple pricking without constantly checking, keep your tension even, and know whether you prefer bobbin, needle, or tatting.

Costs

Lacemaking starts cheaply: a small beginner kit — thread, bobbins, a pillow, and a pattern — is a modest one-off purchase (roughly a few pounds or dollars, depending on where you shop; prices vary by region and change over time, so check current listings before budgeting). Free and inexpensive patterns are widely available, and The Lace Guild’s magazine Early Days in Lacemaking is aimed at novices and contains mostly easy patterns. Costs rise when you buy many bobbins, fine linen thread, specialty pillows, pattern books, storage boxes, or antique tools before you know which style you prefer.

Space Needed

Most lacemaking needs little room. A bobbin lace pillow takes a stable table or lap stand, while tatting, crochet lace, and small needle lace projects can fit in a pouch. Good lighting matters more than floor space.

Solo or Social

It works well alone, but instruction is especially useful early on because hand position, tension, and pattern reading are hard to diagnose from text. The Lace Guild in the UK runs short courses for complete beginners, an assessment scheme, and a triennial exhibition and competition, and its museum and library in Stourbridge hold over 15,000 items of lace and lace-related artefacts. Local lace groups, textile societies, museums, craft schools, and online communities can all help.

Common Mistakes

  • Starting with thread that is too fine.
  • Choosing a first pattern with too many crossings, picots, or joins.
  • Pulling the thread unevenly and distorting the lace.
  • Moving pins or bobbins before understanding the pattern.
  • Buying a full set of specialist tools before choosing a lace style.
  • Working in poor light, which strains the eyes and hides tension errors.

Safety / Accessibility

Eye strain, neck posture, and hand fatigue are the main concerns. Repetitive strain injury (RSI) develops gradually from repeated movement; the NHS advises keeping active, taking breaks, and seeing a GP if pain does not go away or gets worse. In practice: bright task lighting, magnification if needed, short sessions, a comfortable work height, and a relaxed grip. Larger thread and simpler patterns make early practice more accessible for people with limited vision or fine-motor control.

Pins and needles are sharp: keep them away from young children, do not carry a threaded needle or a pin loose in a bag, and put them down when you pause.

Where It Can Go

Most people stay in the casual tier — bookmarks, edgings, gifts, and small decorative pieces — and that is a complete hobby in itself. The technical tiers build on the same basics: finer thread, more complex patterns, and the named historical styles such as Alençon, Binche, Mechlin, and Honiton. The Lace Guild offers an assessment scheme for those who want formal progression, and a triennial exhibition and competition for those who want to show and compete. Lace also feeds into historical costume, textile conservation, and contemporary fibre art.

References

Last reviewed: 17 August 2026.

Standards and safety:

Learning:

  • The Lace Guild, A Brief History of Lace — the origins, spread, and decline of hand-made lace, from sixteenth-century Venice to the modern amateur craft.
  • Pamela Nottingham, The Technique of Bobbin Lace (Batsford, 1976) — a classic practical reference for bobbin lace, with clear diagrams and instructions.

Background:

Community resources (optional):

  • The Lace Guild — the largest lace organisation in the UK and an accredited museum; short courses for beginners, an assessment scheme, a triennial exhibition and competition, and a library that loans lace books by post.

Embroidery, crochet, knitting, weaving, sewing, quilting, cross-stitch, macrame, and needlepoint all sit nearby because they reward patience, pattern reading, and steady handwork with thread.