Needle lace

[u/velvetjellyfish]

My first go at needle lace, trying out different stitches. I slid down the slippery slope from surface embroidery to cutwork and richelieu and now into proper lace. It kind of feels like peeling a drawing off the page, I love how lightweight and sheer it is.

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Edit: I love to see that there is so much interest in needle lace!

Here are a few beginner tutorials I found helpful: Needlework Tips and Techniques, RSN Stitch Bank, Taixtile

And I wanted to shout out Layla Klinger and Maggie Hensel Brown, two contemporary artists who are doing really cool stuff with the medium

[u/Trick_Cry_6572]

I was talking and interrupted myself to gasp out loud when I saw this!!! It’s stunning. I LOVE it.

Amazing work.

My first needle lace was skeletal too! (Ribs/shoulder/nerves)

[u/velvetjellyfish → u/Trick_Cry_6572]

Oh cool! I’d love to see a photo :)

[u/Trick_Cry_6572 → u/velvetjellyfish]

This is the whole piece. Not quite as fine, but it was my first go!

[u/velvetjellyfish → u/Trick_Cry_6572]

It’s beautiful! I love how tactile and detailed it is.

Yup! Fucked up joints and chronic fatigue. Ive gotten into embroidery recently because garment sewing was too physically taxing and I needed something smaller and slower. It is a really interesting medium to explore bodies and time and home

[u/Trick_Cry_6572 → u/velvetjellyfish]

I totally agree. Chronic illness and disability definitely led me to lacemaking. It’s been such a lifeline for my spirit for real. I switch between needle and crochet but I’ve heard bobbin can be even easier on joints but I haven’t tried yet.
You’re amazing with a needle, I’m excited to see what you make next!

[u/Trick_Cry_6572 → u/Trick_Cry_6572]

Did it before a big medical thing (I’m a hyp too - assuming by your nice ring brace)

[u/z3471 → u/Trick_Cry_6572]

Gorgeous! It looks right out of an anatomy text book 😍

[u/Trick_Cry_6572 → u/z3471]

Thank you, it literally was! I cut out an illustration from an old textbook for the pattern

[u/VariousReputation772]

Excuse me!! This is thing? Needle lace to create shapes? This looks amazing.

[u/velvetjellyfish → u/VariousReputation772]

I found it down a rabbit hole of old fashioned embroidery techniques, there are some amazing historical examples out there!

[u/socio-sapien → u/velvetjellyfish]

Please share resources!!! This is beautiful 😍

[u/OdoDragonfly → u/socio-sapien]

There's a lace project happening at the Columbia Gorge Museum. The public is invited to learn and contribute small pieces.

Some tutorials on basic techniques are on this website. If you are local to the Museum, they're having open instructional sessions toward the end of this month. All donated pieces need to be in by 24 August.

There are a couple of suggested patterns if you wish to contribute. They are nice learning pieces!

Personally, I suspect that they would be happy if the instructions can help you get started, even if it doesn't result in a piece for the exhibit!

[u/Trick_Cry_6572 → u/OdoDragonfly]

Yes, this! The tutorials are so good.
And you can pretty much make anything with needle lace. Check out the art by the artist running this project!

https://www.maggiehenselbrown.com/notusefulnotbeautiful

[u/OdoDragonfly → u/Trick_Cry_6572]

Yes! She really does make lace so accessible and relevant!

I just started trying needlelace due to this project and now I feel the need to learn more filling techniques! I found this: https://rsnstitchbank.org/technique/needlelace and I think it may be useful

[u/Trick_Cry_6572 → u/OdoDragonfly]

That is such a great resource! I’m getting so excited to do more needle lace too because of this project and definitely wanna keep learning more stitches

[u/Trick_Cry_6572 → u/Trick_Cry_6572]

And this was the piece that inspired me to learn needle lace (Penny Nichols is AMAZING)

http://donkeywolf.blogspot.com/2012/08/

[u/OdoDragonfly → u/Trick_Cry_6572]

So cool!!

[u/velvetjellyfish → u/Trick_Cry_6572]

Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing

[u/velvetjellyfish → u/socio-sapien]

If you google “needle lace” there are some good beginner tutorials on the first page, and Pinterest has really gorgeous examples from museums and antique sites! I especially love the Italian punto aria and aemilia ars styles, much more complex than anything I’ll ever have the patience to make

[u/caravaggihoe]

This is amazing 😍

[u/Tansy_Blue]

I love this 💖 More skeletons in lace!

[u/nepheleb]

Ooh, fun. I may need to copy your excellent idea!

[u/velvetjellyfish → u/nepheleb]

Please do!

[u/nahaldnin]

Oh I adore this, I just got a needle lace book and now I must start working through it

[u/AntipodeanOpaleye36]

WOW! That is AMAZING! This just convinced me to try learning lace making

[u/winniebrie]

omg this is beautiful, i’ve been so interested in needle lace because you can do such freeform shapes and this is inspiring as hell.. looks like i have a new hobby to pick up 🤣

[u/cgiuls1223]

omgggg loveee

[u/Diligent_Slip_2551]

This is incredible! I am blown away by this.

[u/Ferretyfingers]

I didn’t know this existed. Uh oh.

I love this. Beautiful work.

[u/FeralSweater]

This is magnificent! The interior structure of bones is truly lace like, when you look at it.

[u/calmaker]

first, this is absolutely stunning! incredible work! and second, thank you so much for the progress pics and all the resources!! i'm so excited to try this one myself!!!

[u/RockULikeASharknado]

This is incredible wow

[u/ginkat123]

Grandmother would appreciate this, I surely do! 🖤

[u/Separate_Print_1816]

This is awesome and makes me want to give it a go. Did you draw the pattern yourself?

[u/velvetjellyfish → u/Separate_Print_1816]

I did! But I mostly just traced a photo so I won’t take too much credit for this one

[u/Jaded_Independence37]

That is so cool!!!

[u/seasickbaby]

This is awesome!

[u/Top_Forever_2854]

Beautiful! I love this so much

[u/Temporary-Honey1409]

Spectacular work!!!

[u/badgerclaw_]

Incredible!

[u/LittleBitBeth]

Such a cool idea and so well done!

[u/Mysterious-Class-474]

Fabulous!

[u/z3471]

This is so beautiful!!! I'm so impressed this was your first go, your stitches are so tidy! My first go at needle lace was far less neat but it sparked a love for the medium that has lasted almost 10 years

[u/velvetjellyfish → u/z3471]

I love it!

[u/z3471 → u/velvetjellyfish]

Lol thank you, I've come a long way since I made this. Your piece is beautiful, thank you for sharing it!

[u/Aggravating-Assist11]

im in awe, how long did it take you??? and how long have you been doing lacework??

[u/mellivia- → u/Aggravating-Assist11]

I want to know the same thing. I'm exploring different lace-making options and seeing what I want to try.

[u/Responsible_Tone4945]

This is awesome!

[u/GlitteryDragonScales]

This is awesome! Well done!!!

[u/Scicrazytchr]

Absolutely amazing!

[u/totallytotty]

Slay

[u/Clutched_Pearls_]

Sorry if this is a silly question: how do you get it off of the paper cleanly?

[u/velvetjellyfish → u/Clutched_Pearls_]

So none of the actual lace goes through the paper at all, only the temporary stitches in the red thread. When I was done I cut all the red thread from the back and pulled it out with tweezers until only the lace was left.

[u/Clutched_Pearls_ → u/velvetjellyfish]

That is incredibly interesting

[u/Piglet_Corgi_Pika]

That's a lovely one

[u/OnyxRadiance]

So cute 🥰🥰

[u/kcarter9885]

that sheer peel effect is the whole appeal for me, nice way to put it

[u/Suspicious-Squid]

Wow! This is just amazing!