Lace curtain designs inspired by handmade lace

 

Lace curtains were popular furnishings in the early 20th century and a 1904 catalogue from the Peach lacemaking company of Nottingham includes many examples. The detail in the image above comes from a wide store curtain which would have been hung flat across a large sash window. It is 52 inches wide and costs 3/9 for a pair of curtains 3 yards long and 4/6 for a pair 3.5 yards long.

The curtain is actually advertised as a ‘copy of old lace’. This is advertising blurb so I don’t think we are meant to think that the curtain itself is an exact copy of old lace, it just means the designer was inspired by old lace, which in this context refers to handmade lace.

This piece of old Bedfordshire lace shows the serrated ninepin edging, scrolls, floral shapes and fillings which are characteristic of this type of lace. Looking at the curtain, you can clearly see the influences of handmade lace in the scroll which runs down both sides and across the lower part. It does look as if it is a piece of Beds lace with its bold lines, serrated edge, flower shapes and filling stitches. The palmette shapes within each loop also look like motifs taken from a handmade piece of lace.

This curtain is also inspired by handmade lace. It is slightly wider than the one above at 60 inches and again is available in two lengths costing 4/6 for a pair of curtains 3 yards long and 5/6 for a pair 3.5 yards long.

Again you can see from the detail, how the designer was inspired by handmade lace. The scrolls look very similar to Beds lace with their serrated edges and the flowers and small scrolls joined by bars also resemble the shapes and joins, which in Beds lace include plaits and crossings or spider joins. The edging of the curtain with its scrolls, flowers and filling stitches also references handmade lace. At this time handmade lace was experiencing a revival and many people were also interested in antique lace and how it was made. There were regular exhibitions of lace, some of which included demonstrations of lacemaking. Lace was sold at these events, but it was expensive, therefore buying lace curtains inspired by handmade lace was a more economical way to be fashionable.