ROMANIAN LACE COSTUME

And 

SENTIMENTAL EMBROIDERIES

October 1st - February 4th, 2006

Slide Show


A relatively new lace, only popular since the 1950s, its origins can be traced back to the early 20th century. Romanian Lace, also referred to as Romanian Point is part of a family of tape laces, the earliest dating date back to 17th c. Italian Mezzo Punto.  Today, Battenberg Lace is the name assigned to most laces of this type where a machine made tape defines the design and needle lace infillings define the texture.
 
A unique form of tape lace, Romanian Point uses the needle and crochet hook to incorporate techniques borrowed from other textile forms, namely crochet, weaving, wrapping and knotting. Always considered an innovative technique, new infilling and braid stitches are continually being created.

The uniqueness of Romanian Point is that it is entirely hand made. The tape is hand crocheted, and the filling stitches incorporate needle weaving stitches in addition to the normal  buttonhole stitches found in other tape laces. While the braid can take many forms, the unusual characteristic is that the forming thread can be pulled from either end. The best of these laces are finished on both sides, all thread ends carefully buried in he crocheted tape. The structure is typically firm, with tightly twisted threads, like those used in macrame and sailor’s work,  used.

Sylvia Murariu must be given credit for popularizing this lace through her writings, teachings and creative erergy in producing her own innovative designs and stitches.  Her books, first published in 1966, were the first to document this lace and insure its richly deserved heritage.

Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles lacismusuem.org