19th century
Needle lace, machine-made burato (twined ground and darned in two directions), cutwork, drawnwork, and applied fringe; bleached linen (est.)
Overall: 79.8 x 71.4 cm (31 7/16 x 28 1/8 in.)
Bequest of Louise Tifft Brown 1933.334
The various techniques used in this fragment suggest that it may have been made as a sampler to practice different lacemaking techniques.
Textiles often incorporate multiple needlework techniques within a single piece. One of the main techniques in this example of lace is called cutwork. In cutwork, portions of the textile ground, such as a linen or cotton cloth, are cut away and threads are removed to create holes. The edges of the hole are then reinforced with embroidery and a pattern of needle lace can be created within the perimeter. Rather than adding to the cloth to create a design, the craftsperson removes threads to fabricate a pattern.
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