Lace doilies with attitude

I like to give a voice to lace that is generally overlooked and ignored and these three doilies are part of a series of mats with attitude that speak their minds. The inspiration was gothic literature from the 19th century in which the ideal heroines are outwardly quiet, well behaved and often seated at their embroidery frame and unable to voice their opinions. In some respects the doilies are embodiments of those women. Doilies are also anachronistic furnishings. Whereas they were once ubiquitous in family homes they now languish in the charity shop or under a pile of old tablecloths in a cupboard; unwanted and unused.

Get off me, seemed to reflect the fact that they are essentially table mats, constantly being pinned down by vases, glasses or plates and that they might like to throw off this burden occasionally and experience freedom. I designed this one in Bedfordshire style lace with the hint of a ninepin edging and leaves breaking the inner circle of the mat suggesting the promise of escape.

#MeToo was made as a response to the 2017 social movement and campaign to raise awareness of sexual abuse and harassment. It encouraged women to share their experiences of sexual harassment, particularly that in the workplace, and to emphasise the widespread prevalence of the problem. This doily was designed by combining a Bedfordshire style central panel and an outer ring of Russian style tape lace.  

F**k off was chosen as the text for the third panel as that is the common response from young women today to those who harass or annoy them. It is a universally understood slang phrase which gains more effect by being quoted on a dainty, old fashioned doily where a platitude about the home would be more likely to appear. This design also has a central panel of text, leaves and plaits, surrounded by a tape lace outer circle. The lace doilies form a group of traditional furnishings with attitude that aren’t afraid to speak their minds.