Hands on Traditional skills and where to learn them

Lacemaking

What is it?A traditional craft that was widely practised in 19th-century Ireland. Many of the old techniques have been revived and adapted in recent times.

What are the styles and techniques involved?Numerous styles and techniques are used around the world. In Ireland the principal styles are Limerick lace, Carrickmacross lace – used for Kate Middleton's wedding dress – Irish crochet and bobbin lace. For Limerick lace you use a needle and thread to stitch a design on to a toile or mesh cloth. You can also use a hook to pull the thread through mesh stretched over a tambour, or circular frame. For Carrickmacross lace you stitch the design on to fabric that you have fixed to the net, then cut away the unwanted fabric. For Irish crochet – Clones lace, for example – you use a crochet hook and very fine thread to make individual pieces of lace that you then stitch together. For bobbin lace – Mountmellick work, for example – you braid threads to form a pattern; the loose end of each thread is wound on to a bobbin, to make the threads easier to handle.

What kind of motifs might you incorporate?Roses and shamrocks have traditionally been popular; nowadays you'll also see leaves, acorns and other flowers. "The motifs used in lacemaking are usually taken from nature," says Mary Shields, a member of the Guild of Irish Lace Makers who gives classes in Ireland and abroad.

How long does it take, and what might you make?You'll need an hour to make two centimetres of lace, according to Shields, who spent about 300 hours making a lace fan for her daughter to carry at her wedding. Lacemakers make everything from christening robes to wedding gowns. Contemporary lacemakers make pieces to frame or hang on a wall. Another lacemaker, Louise Curran, says it takes about an hour to make a baby coat using Limerick lace techniques. Curran, who is a fine-art student at Sligo Institute of Technology (louisacurran@eircom.net), also designs lace shrugs and collars for Irish-dancing costumes.

Where do I sign up?The Guild of Irish Lace Makers (irishlace.org) holds monthly meetings in Dublin. The next one is at the Royal Hospital Donnybrook, in Dublin, next Saturday, from 10am to 4pm. (Contact Imelda Kelleher on 087-2211618.) It is not an open day, but new members can join and then sign up for the classes that are held throughout the year. Lacemakers in Carrickmacross (carrickmacrosslace.ie), Cork (traditionallaceireland.com), Clones (cloneslace.com) and Kenmare (kenmarelace.ie) also run classes.

What if I'd like to see examples of lace?Constant Thread, an exhibition of lacemaking and weaving, runs from today until May 29th, from 10am to 4.30pm, at Rathfarnham Castle, in Dublin, as part of the Bealtaine festival (01-4939462, bealtaine.com). You can see permanent exhibitions of lace at Mountmellick Museum, in Co Laois (mountmellick development.com), and Carrickmacross Lace Gallery, in Co Monaghan (carrickmacross lace.ie).

Sylvia Thompson