No leather, but lots of lace

February 4, 2009 8:43 PM

Near-psychedelic mandalas made of lace - the newest exhibit at Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles. Previous exhibits include an impressive variety of styles of lace, historical fashions and related equipment.
posted by mediareport (14 comments total)

Via the always interesting Sideshow.
posted by mediareport at 8:44 PM on February 4, 2009

Every chair in my grandmother's living room was festooned with doilies like these. There was a big one on the back and two offspring on the arms -- leftovers from her battle against my grandfather's dirty farmer hands and my uncles' greaser hairdos.
posted by Foam Pants at 9:23 PM on February 4, 2009

I forgot to add that this lace is awesome. Human ingenuity is vast and beautiful. Just like my uncles' greaser hairdos.
posted by Foam Pants at 9:25 PM on February 4, 2009

Awesome! Doilies are among my favourite things.

p.s. In addition to its excellent collection of lace, Lacis has a pretty big selection of pattern books for sale if you want to make some of your own.
posted by bewilderbeast at 9:55 PM on February 4, 2009

When I was a teen I wanted to learn how to make lace, but then I learned 'tit for tat' didn't mean what I thought it did.
posted by BrotherCaine at 10:04 PM on February 4, 2009

This one looks like a DMT vision I once had. Who knew drugs were so girly?
posted by Jake Apathy at 11:06 PM on February 4, 2009

wow. This is definitely one of my favorite posts in a long time. I love lace. And these are examples of exquisite workmanship, each image as it passed in the slideshow is astonishing in its own way, so beautiful I felt giddy looking at some and almost overwhelmed, even tearful, looking at others.

You're so right about the psychedelic mandala aspect. There is something primordial to the pattern somehow, a Fibonacci simple-complexity of such natural beauty. Fractal snowflakes. I couldn't help thinking of the incredible math and memory skills required for these works of art. They remind me of the math skills in the Indian decorative art of kolam and rangoli.

That lace museum site has a an extensive list of related craft books.

Adding to the lace links: contemporary Dutch lace can be fun and it's affordable. Here's is one called rabbit hollow, which has nothing to do with rabbits but has a nice tree design.

Antique laces samples from Europe, which are also quite breathtaking. wow. A Battenburg Lace Bedspread.

mediareport, thanks for the bliss rushes.
posted by nickyskye at 11:35 PM on February 4, 2009 [1 favorite]

It's especially psychedelic at 4 a.m. when you haven't slept is 5 days and you put it on a 1 second scroll.


I'm just saying.
posted by nax at 2:08 AM on February 5, 2009

I think we can admit that these lace patterns have gone beyond the "near-psychedelic" into the actual psychedelic.
posted by twoleftfeet at 2:47 AM on February 5, 2009 [1 favorite]

I have a copy of "Traditional knitted lace shawls" that I love to pour over. It looks easier than traditional lacemaking but I still don't have the skills unfortunately.
posted by saucysault at 5:35 AM on February 5, 2009

those are real real pretty. real real real pretty.
posted by fancyoats at 5:40 AM on February 5, 2009

These put my knitted lace to shame.
posted by MaritaCov at 6:30 AM on February 5, 2009

Everything I thought I knew about making lace now lies in tatters.
posted by stonedcoldsober at 7:32 AM on February 5, 2009

Sorry. TATTERS.
posted by stonedcoldsober at 7:33 AM on February 5, 2009