Lace in the city of lace

 

I found plenty to see at this event in Nottingham, organised by the Nottinghamshire Bobbin Lace Society (NBLS), and had the pleasure of meeting up with old friends as well. The lace on display ranges from the contemporary, for example Louise West’s stunning metallic 3D forms, to the traditional, both in bobbin lace and beautiful examples of machine lace panels made in the 19th century. On the day I went I was fortunate enough to meet Malcolm Baker who worked for Simon May & Co for many years who was very informative about his travels as a representative for the company and also told me more about the lovely old lace panels which had been exhibited at International Exhibitions in the 1870s. There were also some interesting old sample books on display and tours of the Nottingham Trent University Lace Archive in the afternoon, although as places were restricted and I had been before I didn’t go on one this time. The NBLS members all wore lace collars and there were some lovely examples on show. As my particular love is Bedfordshire lace, I was of course drawn to those in particular, and enjoyed seeing some beautifully worked lace and talking to Louise about her lace designs and how she has redrafted some of the old Bedfordshire patterns. As well as the collars there were many other lovely pieces on display, in a variety of different lace types and designs, the NBLS members are a talented group and the exhibition is well worth a visit.