Valenciennes lace

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Valenciennes lace is a type of bobbin lace that began in Valenciennes, France, and flourished around 1705–1780. Later, lace-making moved to Belgium near Ypres, and the craft continued into the 19th century but on a smaller scale. By the 19th century it could be made by machine.

It is made on a lace pillow, with the ground (réseau) and the pattern (toilé) created at the same time. It stands out for its open réseau, its tight, even toilé like cambric, and for having no cordonnet (a silk outline). In true Flemish Valenciennes, the mesh sides are not twisted and the mesh is usually diamond-shaped without openings. The réseau ground is formed by four braided threads, with eight threads at the crossings, making a strong base. This ground is simpler and easier to make than the ground for Mechlin lace, though it looks similar.

Valenciennes lace grew in the 17th century when the Scheldt river was opened for navigation, boosting export of Valenciennes wool, fabrics, and fine arts. To use flax yarn, women began making Valenciennes lace. Early lace used a denser, decorative mesh; later, a more open mesh was developed in Valenciennes. By the 18th century the open mesh became the normal style, and by the 19th century the four-thread braided ground was standard. By the 1900s, only a small amount of Valenciennes lace was still made there.