Weldon’s magazines: Bruges bobbin lace

 

I’ve been lucky enough to be given some issues of Weldon’s practical needlework magazines from the early twentieth century (thank you Sue!). The advertising notes that each magazine ‘is devoted to one subject of fancy work’. There are over 350 different titles and 21 of them cover various types of lace. Weldon’s clearly published a wide range of monthly magazines covering domestic subjects such as needlework, dressmaking, millinery, cookery and ‘fancy work’ which included knitting, embroidery and various types of lacemaking. They also produced Weldon’s Ladies Journal every month which was a more general interest magazine and published stories, letters, and household hints as well instructions and tips for domestic crafts.

The issue I’m looking at deals with some of the pillow laces and describes how to make Bucks, Beds, Maltese and Bruges style bobbin lace. The magazine includes illustrations, patterns and instructions and suggests that Bruges lace is the easiest type to make because interesting designs can be made by just using cloth stitch. The lacemaker is therefore able to ‘perfect herself in one stitch before going on to the next and makes quicker progress in consequence’. Having been given that advice I am going to focus on Bruges point lace for this blog and the photo shows the pricking Weldon’s gives for the starter pattern as well as two worked examples. The instructions are thorough and the illustrations are clear but the lacemaker is expected to master whole stitch, straight and pearl edgings, gimp threads, removing and adding pairs, gaining on a pin, sewings (for which a fine crochet hook is recommended rather than a needle or pin), and raised and rolled work in this first motif. Just as well she only had one stitch to learn!

The second pattern is a border for a handkerchief with separate prickings for the corner motif and the edging. This pattern introduces half stitch as well as plaited connecting bars, a spider filling in the centre of the rose, and leadworks. I’m impressed by how competent the novice lacemaker was expected to be but, at that time, women of all classes would have had at least a basic understanding of needlework. Fancy work was also popular, as attested by the number of Weldon’s magazines, suggesting that most women had practical skills. Also by this time, people like the Tebbs sisters in London had written their books on The art of bobbin lace so there were other lace manuals to turn to if the reader needed more help. I’m certainly enjoying reading these old magazines as I’m sure their original readers did.