The Art of Lace and Lacemaking

A significant component of life in the Current Middle Ages is the study and creation of a wide variety of Arts & Sciences, and in particular, Fiber Arts. One of the wonderful things about this aspect of artistic endeavor is that it serves as a solid bridge between historical periods around the world and the modern era. To that end, the mission of Caid's Order of Arachne's Web is to encourage lacemking using techniques from different times and places, both pre- and post-SCA period.

European Lacemaking

SCA-Period Styles

• Bobbin Lace
  • Ilaria's Lace Bobbins
  • "Bobbin Along" from the AEthelmearc Gazette
  • "Bobbin lace with cheap tools" by Mistress Katherina Weyssin von Regenspurk, OL, OP (Lochac)
  • "Bobbin Lace Sampler" by Mistress Katherina Weyssin von Regenspurk, OL, OP (Lochac)

• Embroidered Lace

• Lacis/Filet Lace

• Needle Lace

• Sprang
  • Sprang by Mistress Phiala O'Ceallaigh, OL (AEthelmearc)

• Tatting

Lacemaking Resources

Caidan Lacemakers

• Comptesse Albra Katerine Marie Isabelle Bautiste, OP, OL
• Baroness Astra Christiana Benedict, OP, OL
• Baroness Cynthia de Wickersham, Guildmistress of the 1st Caidan Arachne's Web Lace Guild from 1979-~2012 (deceased)
• Contessa Ilaria Veltri degli Ansari, OL (currently lives in An Tir)
• Condesa Isabel Antonia de Aranjuez, OL
• Baroness Lynnette de Sandoval del Valle de los Unicornios, interim Guildmistress for Caid's current Arachne's Web Lace Guild
• Lady Susan of the Golden Heart

Books

• Digital Archive of Documents Related to Lace
• Annotated Database of Lace Books, created by Mistress Sabrina de la Bere, OP, OL, Guildmistress of West Kingdom's Arachne's Web

General Articles

• Glossary of Lace and Lacemaking Terms

Websites/Facebook

• The Lacemaker's Home Page (Created by Mistress Ilaine de Cameron, OL (East), but not associated with the SCA's Order of Arachne's Web)
• Choosing Lace for SCA Garb 1500-1600, by Mistress Ilaine de Cameron
• SCA Arts and Sciences (maintained by Master Gregory Blount, OL/Greg Lindhal - last updated March 2010)
• The Lace Museum in Sunnyvale, CA
• This 'n' Tat (last updated in 2015)
• Great Lakes Lace Group (includes Detroit area)
• The Structures of Antique Lace by Marla Mallett, with photos and a bibliography
• Textile Geek EXTENSIVE resource for fiber arts information
• The Lace Guild, The Hollies, 53 Audnam, Stourbridge, West Midlands UK (This is a long-standing non-SCA Guild in England)

The following are lace and lacemaking-related articles on Stefan's Florilegium Archives. As with many SCA-period arts, opinions about whether a form is "in period" or not tend to vary.

• Tatted Lace Includes an almost-complete scan of Elisa Ricci's book Old Italian Lace, published in 1913

Tools and Supplies

• Bobbins by Van-Dieren's, Rochester, NY
• Van Sciver Bobbin Lace, NY
• Lacis, Berkeley, CA

Arachne's Guilds in Other Kingdoms

• Atlantia
• East Kingdom's Arachne's Web Lace Guild and FB page
• Meridies
• West Kingdom