Nottingham Table Lace “is in our genes”.. ..
Machine made Lace, originated with the father of lace making, the Rev William Lee in 1589 in the Nottingham village of Calverton - hence the beginning of the generic term Nottingham Lace. Subsequently generations of Nottingham families have grown up with and passed on their “lace making gene” - providing the skill and pride, for supplying this “ aristocrat of textiles” to the world at large.
Our own ancestors have been traced back to the Nottingham village - Burton Joyce back to the mid 1600’s (authenticated by archive material), where together with their relatives in the villages of Gedling, Lambley, Woodboro, Calverton, Oxton, Lowdham, Caythorpe and Gunthorpe- then as thro’ the years to today they were/are part of a cottage industry continually creating lace related products for sale direct or via the Lace Merchants of Nottingham. This cottage industry continued alongside the major factories thro-out the18th, 19th. 20th centuries and still exists today albeit in a much smaller form.--
Nottingham Lace is in our genes !………
The finest Nottingham Lace Machines are 14 point and have 17920 threads , they are 8 metres long and if one thread unfortunately breaks the whole machine is stopped while the damaged thread is located and replaced. ( costly - no other answer though)
Nottingham city was the perfect place for the "finishing of" lace as it is built on “bunter sandstone”, from which comes the brightest water, free from all organic matter yet containing Chlorine and Ammonia. These two natural constituents present in the water assist greatly the bleaching and cleaning process and thus "quality finishing"
The finest Nottingham Lace Machines are 14 point and have 17920 threads , they are 8 metres long and if one thread unfortunately breaks the whole machine is stopped while the damaged thread is located and replaced. ( costly - no other answer though)
Nottingham city was the perfect place for the "finishing of" lace as it is built on “bunter sandstone”, from which comes the brightest water, free from all organic matter yet containing Chlorine and Ammonia. These two natural constituents present in the water assist greatly the bleaching and cleaning process and thus "quality finishing"
Today the Nottingham's lace industry is relatively quite compact with individual specialist supplier/provider companies.. One of these companies are our friends at - the “Doyenne of Nottingham’s Lace Industry - Peggy Wilkins” - for whom we thank for all the exclusive designs within our collection of
“Quintessential English”
Many years ago at the same time as John Livesay invented his machine, referred to as the Nottingham Lace Curtain machine, another process, the Madras was also invented -
The Madras is a narrow machine only 4 meters wide ( compared with 8 meters for the Lace Curtain Machine), uniquely the structure of the fabric it produces is a very fine net with the pattern imposed over it. This technique gives the very raised affect of the pattern, however when lace is produced on the Madras machine, the pattern has long threads attached and all these have to be cut off by hand before dyeing and finishing off by hand before dyeing and finishing ( very costly, but there is no cheap alternative). The "Madras technique is a very special process, there is only one machine which can make this complicated pattern.
Designs created on the Nottingham Lace Curtain machine are Stratford, Rosemary, Derby etc
Designs created on the Madras machine are Malmesbury, Milton Chatswoth etc
Hopefully we have helped to make clear an understand producing authentic Nottingham Lace cannot ever be an easy or cheap process . It requires the input of many constituents ( many the result of nature and resources unique to the geography of Nottingham) plus other complimentary, human techniques developed over generations contribute in the creation of our own offering of this superb example of ingenuity -
"Quintessential English" - EXCLUSIVE and AUTHENTIC NOTTINGHAM LACE
When choosing lace products , remember, it is not only the pattern which is of interest, but also the stability of the colour, the stability of dimension, the quality/consistency of each thread, the overall material quality, and finally its beautiful appearance…… hence
Do not be mislead - Nottingham Lace - from the “City of Lace” has an unsurpassed individual quality and beauty, created and managed with an expertise passed down from generation to generation……
YES !!.Nottingham Lace is in our genes ! ……….
Take note also that simply because you may be offered “Nottingham Lace “ it does not guarantee it is supplied from Nottingham . There are now many Lace Producers in the USA, Russia, China, Japan, Poland, Europe and South America who have purchased second hand lace making machines, originating in Nottingham and describe the lace produced as “Nottingham Lace” -!!!!!!
Quintessential English Table Lace.
www.english-lace.co.uk
Nottingham, England
e mail : wetwo@brianalvey.co.uk
