I love making historical lace and whitework embroidery. I often research how different types of lace and embroidery were traditionally called. But over time I forget the names again. 😉 That’s why I put together this list of historical lace and embroidery styles – rather for myself. But maybe you find this list useful too! 😀
Related: 4 Edwardian Camisoles Made With Lace & Fabric Scraps
Let me know in the comments: What’s your favorite type of lace or whitework embroidery? And do you want me to post a tutorial about how to make one of these lace or whitework embroideries? 😀
Embroidery List In Progress
This list is not a complete ultimate list of historical lace and whitework embroidery yet: I keep adding new types of historical embroidery when I find new interesting types. Many historical types of lace and embroidery are still missing. So come back to this post to find new historical lace and embroidery styles.
And I’m by no means an expert on historical embroideries. But I know a lot about almost forgotten types of hand embroidery.
Historical Names – Primary Sources
In this list I compiled how different types of lace and embroidery were historically called. I used at least two (or more) primary sources to verify the historical names of the different types of embroidery. And I noticed that many historical types of embroidery are often misnamed, even in museums and modern embroidery books.
The Best Primary Sources For Historical Embroidery
So far, the best primary sources for identifying and verifying the traditional names are the Priscilla embroidery books like the Priscilla Hedebo And Cutwork Book (1916, pdf), the embroidery books by Thérèse de Dillmont like the Encyclopedia Of Needlework (1890), A Dictionary Of Lace (1900) by Emily Jackson and The Cult Of The Needle (1915) by Flora Klickmann.
With A Focus On The Victorian & Edwardian Era
I mainly focus on the Victorian and Edwardian era, what the types of lace and embroidery were then called and what designs and patterns were popular at the time. Because names and patterns change over time. So it’s basically a snapshot of the Victorian and Edwardian era because most of the costumes I make are from those historical eras and I want to use authentic patterns.
History Of Embroidery
But I also add older types of lace and embroidery to the list, like Reticella lace which dates back to the Middle Ages or Hedebo embroidery which emerged in the mid-18th century.
And I also include details on the history of the different types of embroidery: what they are based on and how they evolved.
Highlighting The Differences
I also try to highlight the differences between very similar types of embroidery such as Renaissance embroidery, Colbert embroidery and Venetian embroidery – all historical cutwork with subtle differences.
Whitework Embroidery
Whitework means that the embroidery is traditionally worked with white thread on white fabric. But especially later in history, traditional whitework embroidery could also be worked with a non-white thread or on non-white fabric. For example, in the Edwardian era, the traditional whitework embroidery broderie anglaise was often worked with colored embroidery thread on white fabric or white embroidery thread on colored fabric.
Broderie Anglaise Aka Eyelet Lace
Broderie anglaise – also know as eyelet lace, English embroidery, Madeira embroidery or Swiss embroidery – is a floral whitework or cutwork consisting of large and small eyelets. It was very popular in the Victorian era and its popularity continued through the Edwardian era until today. Broderie anglaise lace is a whitework lace which means that the lace is traditionally worked with white thread on white fabric. And it’s also a kind of cutwork lace. The embroidery stitches of broderie anglaise are overhand stitch, buttonhole stitch and running stitch to outline the motif. Satin stitch doesn’t belong to broderie anglaise but it’s often combined.
Ayrshire Lace
Ayrshire lace, a whitework from Scotland, which is inspired by tambour and Dresden work was very popular in the Victorian era. It is a very varied floral lace with satin stitches worked in high relief. The popularity of Ayrshire lace declined after the 1860s.
Dresden Lace
Dresden work – a kind of whitework with pulled thread and shadow work embroidery elements –Â was especially popular in the 18th century. It’s made on thin fabric using various embroidery stitches.
Mountmellick
Mountmellick is a floral, 3-dimensional whitework embroidery. Like Ayrshire whitework, its main popularity was in the Victorian era.
Schwalm
Schwalm embroidery is a peasant whitework embroidery from Germany imitating Dresden work. It used similar free-style embroidery, drawn and pulled thread work. The motifs are usually large and simple like hearts, birds and flower baskets.
Cutwork Embroidery
Cutwork is made by cutting away a small area in the fabric and reinforcing the cut-out motif with overhand or buttonhole stitches. The cut-out motif can have bars, bars with picots or can be filled with needle lace. The basic embroidery stitches of cutwork are buttonhole stitch, overhand stitch and running stitch (to outline the motif).
Italian Aka Ancient Cutwork
Italian cutwork – also known as ancient cutwork (pdf, p. 51), art embroidery or old-fashioned embroidery in the Edwardian era – is similar to broderie anglaise only with larger cut out areas which are connected with bars. Bars can be overhanded, buttonholed or woven.
Related: How To Make Italian Cutwork
Colbert Embroidery
Colbert embroidery is an imitation of Gros point Venise. It’s related to point Colbert or point de France, but Colbert embroidery (pdf, p. 32) is cutwork unlike point Colbert which is needle lace. Colbert embroidery is made with point lace filling stitches and the bars are often just a single thread. It can be very simple buttonholed cutwork or it can be a very lace-like imitation of Venetian needle lace worked with satin stitches in very high relief.
Richelieu Embroidery
Richelieu embroidery was especially popular between the 14th and 16th century. But it came back in style in the Edwardian era. The difference to other historical whitework is that Richelieu embroidery is made without point lace filling stitches and the connecting bars have picots.
Renaissance Embroidery
The motifs of Renaissance embroidery are covered with satin stitches. And unlike Richelieu embroidery, the connecting bars of Renaissance embroidery are made plain without picots.
Roman Cutwork
Unlike other types of cutwork, the motifs of Roman cutwork (pdf, p. 35) touch each other which means that there are no connecting bars.
Wallachian Cutwork
Wallachian embroidery is a colorful surface embroidery using buttonhole stitches. It became popular in the late Victorian era. Wallachian cutwork, on the other hand, is usually whitework with cut-out areas and connection threads like in Colbert embroidery. And like the motifs of Renaissance cutwork, the motifs of Walachian cutwork are also covered with satin stitches.
Carrickmacross Guipure
Carrickmacross guipure – not to be confused with Carrickmacross applique lace – is an Irish cutwork. The picots of Carrickmacross guipure are longer and look like thorns.
Venetian Embroidery
Venetian embroidery – not to be confused with Venetian lace – is a beautiful lace-like cutwork. It’s an imitation of Venetian point lace. Venetian embroidery can be worked rather plain. But usually it is worked in very high relief imitating raised Venetian point.
Florentine Cutwork
In Florentine cutwork (pdf, p. 18), the cut spaces are filled with needle lace stitches, such as Brussels point stitch, instead of with connecting threads or bars. There can also be surface embroidery on the fabric, such as chain stitch, herringbone stitch, feather stitch, French knots etc. The embroidery thread is silk or mercerized cotton.
Reticella
Reticella lace – aka Greek point – is the most lace-like of all historical cutwork. It’s a precursor to needle lace: After embroidering, the foundation fabric was almost completely cut away. Reticella is a geometrical, lacy whitework embroidery consisting of squares. It dates back to the Middle Ages. Later reticella was sometimes worked as real needle lace with a thread foundation instead of fabric.
Hedebo Embroidery Aka Danish Cutwork
Hedebo embroidery – aka Danish cutwork (pdf, p. 103) – is a historical open work or whitework embroidery which originated in Denmark in the mid-18th century. Hedebo embroidery (hedebo means heathland) can be rather geometric or very floral or a combination of both. There are two basic embroidery stitches used in hedebo lace: buttonhole and overhand stitch.
Teneriffe Lace Aka Sol Lace
Teneriffe lace – also known as sol lace – features round cutwork with needle lace fillings. Unlike other types of cutwork, in teneriffe lace the round motifs are made first and are later stitched to the fabric. Teneriffe lace was popular in the Edwardian era for blouse and sometimes underwear.
Spachtel Work
Spachtel work (pdf, p. 36) is a whitework and cutwork – a coarse imitation of Venetian point. The basic stitches of Spachtel embroidery are buttonhole stitches and surface embroidery with seed stitches. The cut out areas may be filled with needlepoint stitches.
Catalan Embroidery
Catalan embroidery is a kind of cutwork embroidery worked on a piece of fabric: The motifs are embroidered with padded buttonhole and other embroidery stitches and are connected with a mesh consisting of open buttonhole stitches. After the mesh is made, the fabric is cut away underneath.
Baro Embroidery
Baro embroidery is a type of cutwork imitating drawn-thread work. But unlike drawn-thread work, baro embroidery strengthens the fabric according to Flora Klickmann. The fabric is cut in a regular pattern and the threads of the background are bound together in a ladder-like bar pattern which makes the motifs stand out. The basic stitches are buttonhole stitch and overhand stitch (binding stitch).
Counted-Thread Embroidery
Counted-thread openwork embroidery, like drawn thread work or hardanger, is made by removing the warp threads or both the warp and weft threads of the fabric. The remaining threads are then grouped together with overcast or buttonhole stitches.
Drawn Thread Work
Drawn thread work and hemstitching are made by removing threads of the fabric and tying the remaining threads together in groups creating a pattern. Drawn thread work is a kind of whitework, open work and counted-thread embroidery and was already made as early as the Middle Ages and it’s popularity continued through the Victorian & Edwardian era and the 1920s. Here‘s an antique Edwardian corset cover with drawn thread work.
Related: How To Make Drawn Thread Work
Cut Openwork
Cut openwork embroidery is similar to drawn-thread work except that both, warp and weft threads are drawn out. The raw edges and the remaining threads are then overcast creating lace-like patterns.
Hardanger
Hardanger is a geometrical drawn-thread or counted-thread embroidery from Norway with origins in ancient Persia and Asia. Hardanger is the basis for other types of lace such as Reticella.
Pulled Thread Work
Pulled thread work looks a bit like drawn thread work but it’s quicker to make because you don’t have to actually remove threads. In pulled thread work, the threads of the fabric are tied together forming small holes in the fabric. Historically, there are different types of pulled thread work like punched work or Bermuda fagoting.
Punched Work Aka Rhodes Embroidery
Punched work aka Rhodes embroidery, four-sided stitch, was popular in the Edwardian era. Punched work creates regular holes in the fabric making the areas without punched work stand out. Here‘s an antique Edwardian dress with punched work.
Related: How To Make Punched Work
Bermuda Fagoting
Bermuda fagoting –Â aka three-sided stitch – another pulled thread work technique was also popular in the Edwardian era. It pulls the thread together on a line so that it looks like hemstitching without removing any threads. Unlike hemstitching, Bermuda fagoting can also be embroidered on curved lines. Here‘s an antique Edwardian blouse with bermuda fagoting.
Related: How To Make Bermuda Fagoting
Net Embroidery
Net embroidery, like Limerick or Carrickmacross lace, is embroidery on cotton bobbinet tulle. The embroidery is done with thin thread and a needle or tambour hook. Sometimes, fabric is appliqued to the net like in Carrickmacross lace.
Limerick Lace
Limerick lace is an embroidered tulle lace. It was made since 1829 in Limerick, Ireland, hence the name Limerick lace. There are two types of Limerick lace: needle-run and tambour lace. In needle-run lace, the net ground is embroidered with a needle and darning stitches. Whereas in tambour lace, the net ground is embroidered with chain stitches and a tambour hook which is similar to a crochet hook. The materials for Limerick lace are cotton bobbinet tulle and cotton thread.
Related: How To Make Limerick Lace By Hand
Carrickmacross Lace
Like Limerick lace, Carrickmacross lace – not to be confused with Carrickmacross guipure – was also very popular in the Victorian era. Carrickmacross lace is applique lace and an embroidered net lace with hand-appliqued fabric motifs. The materials of Carrickmacross lace are cotton bobbinet tulle, thin cotton fabric like UK muslin, cotton yarn and cotton sewing thread.
Applique Lace
Applique lace was either made by applying fabric to net or net to fabric or bobbin lace motifs to a machine-made net ground. Applique lace often tried to imitated expensive lace types such as Brussels lace.
Braid Applique On Net
Braid applique on net is made by applying honiton lace braid or featherstitched braid to cotton bobbinet tulle.
Point De Gaze
Point de gaze is a very delicate lace made from the early 1800s until after the Edwardian era. Brussels point de gaze is an applique lace: floral motifs are stitched to a net ground.
Princess Braid Applique
Princess braid applique is another beautiful delicate applique lace. Small pieces of bobbin lace braid are attached in a floral spray pattern to Brussels net. The stems of the sprays are stitched with cotton thread.
Brussels Applique Lace
Brussels applique lace – aka Brussels braid lace – is made by applying two different lace braids to Brussels net. The spaces are filled with various needle lace stitches and eyelets.
Net Applique
Net applique – today I’ve seen it referred to as fine whitework – was popular in the Edwardian era. Net applique is made by appliqueing a small piece of cotton bobbinet tulle or cotton Valenciennes lace with satin stitches or other embroidery stitches to fabric. After the net applique is finished, the fabric underneath the net is cut away.
Related: How To Make Edwardian Net Applique
Knotted Lace
Knotted lace is made by knotting threads together to form a pattern. Sometimes, the knotted ground is then embroidered with filling stitches like in filet lace.
Punto Groppo
Punto groppo is an Italian knotted lace – a precursor to bobbin lace.
Netting
Netting is a knotted lace made like a fishing net using a needle, spool and thread.
Filet Lace
Filet lace is embroidered netted lace. First, the net is made. Then the knotted net is embroidered with filling stitches.
Tatting
Tatting is a knotted lace either made using a shuttle, needle or crochet hook.
Macramé
Macramé is a coarse knotted lace used for household items.
Armenian Lace
Armenian lace is a less known delicate knotted lace or needle lace. In the 1900s, it was used to make lace-like edgings on underwear and household items.
Cord Work
Cord work is another knotted lace. The motifs are round or square, inspired by crochet motifs, and worked with buttonhole stitches and thick thread – either silk or linen thread.
Tape Lace
Battenburg Tape Lace
Tape lace – aka Battenburg or Battenberg lace (pdf, p. 4) – is made by forming bobbin lace or tape into shapes and joining these shapes with embroidery stitches like fagoting and needle lace stitches like wheels. It is a coarser type of lace imitation traditional needle lace but it is much quicker to make! Be careful, tape lace is now often mistakenly referred to as Renaissance lace: However, historically Renaissance lace was a type of cutwork.
Related: DIY Tape Lace Yoke
Princess Lace
Princess lace – an imitation of Duchesse lace – is a delicate floral tape lace using machine-made lace tapes.
Bohemian Lace
Bohemian lace is made with very narrow tape or lace braid. The spaces are filled with herringbone stitches.
Branscombe Lace
Branscombe lace is a floral tape lace with a picot edge. The spaces are filled with various needle lace stitches.
Bobbin Lace Aka Pillow Lace
Bobbin lace aka pillow lace is made by twisting threads together. There are countless varieties of bobbin lace like Valenciennes lace, Mechlin lace, Torchon lace, Maltese lace, Maline lace, Honiton lace, Brussels lace, Buckinghamshire lace, Blonde lace, Chantilly lace etc. The materials for bobbin lace are bobbins, a lace pillow and pins.
Valenciennes Lace
Valenciennes lace is a floral, fine type of bobbin lace which was one of the most popular laces in the Edwardian era.
Mechlin Lace
Mechlin lace is another type of a fine floral bobbin lace. In contrast to Valenciennes lace, Mechlin lace is made with an outlining thread.
Crochet Lace
Even though crochet lace is no embroidery, I added it to this list because it has been very popular since the Victorian era until today. There are different types of crochet lace: Irish crochet lace with motifs worked in 3D effect – an imitation of Venetian needle lace- then the grid-like filet crochet. And in the Edwardian era, there was novelty braid crochet (combining bobbin lace and crochet lace), honiton braid crochet (crochet lace imitating bobbin lace) and hairpin lace crochet.
Related: DIY Edwardian Crochet Lace Yoke
Needle Lace
Needle lace aka point lace or needlepoint lace – not to be confused with needlepoint – is lace made only with a needle and thread. Unlike lace-like cutwork and other embroideries, needle lace is considered “real lace”. The basic stitches of needle lace are open and close buttonhole stitches. First, thread is basted to a piece of paper. Then the areas, or skeleton pattern, are filled with various needle point stitches.
Punto In Aria
The first needle lace to be ever made was Punto in aria. Punto in aria evolved from reticella – a very lace-like cutwork. But Punto in aria is considered the first true lace because it was made without a fabric foundation. Punto in aria, translated as embroidery in the air, is a geometric needle lace with some floral motifs.
Venetian Lace Aka Venetian Point
Venetian lace Рaka Venetian point or Punto di Venezia Рis a beautiful floral needle lace. It evolved from Punto in aria Рthe first real needle lace. Venetian lace is similar to other types of needle-point lace such as Brussels point lace: Venetian lace, however, has a greater variety of stitches and openwork than Brussels point lace according to Th̩r̬se de Dillmont.
There are different varieties of Venetian point lace: Gros point de Venise aka raised Venetian point or punto tagliato a foliami is worked in very high relief. Spanish point or point d’Espagne is an imitation of raised Venetian point. And Point plat de Venise or flat Venetian point is worked flat.
Related: How To Make Venetian Needle Lace – Flat Venetian Point
Rose Point
Rose point is a very delicate, ornamental variation of raised Venetian point. The picots of rose point are more like rosettes.
Coraline Point
Coraline point is another, more natural variation of Venetian point with smaller motifs and more visible net ground.
Brussels Point Lace
Brussels lace Рaka Brussels point lace or needle-point lace Рis similar to Venetian lace. But Venetian lace has a greater variety of stitches and openwork than Brussels point lace according to Th̩r̬se de Dillmont.
Innishmacsaint Lace
Innishmacsaint lace is another raised needle lace.
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