LACE (OF. las, laz. lags. Fr. bic.s• Its laecio, net, from Lat. 1(1qm-us, ',flare, from ?awry, to allure). An ornamental fabric of linen, or silk thread made either by the hands, some what after the manner of embroidery, or by ma chinery. It differs from embroidery in that it is not a decoration of an existing fabric. but a fabric in itself, and has been defined as "an open, perforated material formed by (I series of threads of Wh ich it is composed being twisted together in such a manner as to form patterns." 11A:cut-MADE LACE belongs to two general classes: That which is made with a needle. called ne, tile point, or simply point lace: and that which is made with bobbins on a pillow, culled bobbin or pillow lace. ln addition there is the machine lace, which is usually a more or Icy close imita tion of the patterns of both point and pillow lace. The various knitted and crocheted edgings. usually of domestic manufacture. though used for the same ornamental purposes as lace. are not true laces. See KN ITT' NG ; also CROC ET.
is no documentary or other evidence of race earlier than the fifteenth century, but the process of was so gradually from the much older art of embroidery that It is difficult to determine just when the first trite lace was made. Lace-making was doubtless sug
gested by embroidery on thin gauzes. nets, and linens. This form of embroidery was developed into embroidery on open grounds by two di f ferent methods: Sometimes the portions of the embroidered cloth in the pattern are cut out and the open space filled in with needlework; sometimes are first dram o out of the linen, and the remaining threads interlaced with needlework, as is done in the modern in which the :Mexican and Turkish women so much excel. Soon. instead of laboriously pulling out threads, a fabric was invented with the threads already omitted, ready for the needle work. This fabric. of an open. reticulated ground. was called a quiniuin, after a little vil lage in Drittany. famous for its linens. These quhltains became more and more open in texture until they were mere nets, called hiciA Tho needlework upon lacis was at first made in a simple darning pattern. the threads being run in and out among the meshes.