My own inspiration and ideas for contemporary lace are based on techniques which originate from the Benelux countries. I discovered the immense possibilities of using contemporary bobbin lace gounds with Reinhilde Vermeulen at the 1998 OIDFA Congress at Ghent and with Nel Butter at the OIDFA Congress in Groningen.
Contemporary lace grounds have an affinity with Freehand Lace techniques. Pins are placed down the two edges of the lace whilst the contemporary ground is unsupported in between.
The best thing about Contemporary Lace grounds is that you make up the rules. You can thread beads onto our bobbins and add another texture to make exquisite scarves, fans, candle decorations............
To make this simple yet effective candle / nightlight decoration you can download: Candle decoration Leaflet.pdf
You could say that Contemporary Lace has now become a ‘classic technique’ especially due to their popularity amongst lacemakers in the Benelux countries.
Contemporary Lace is not just made with bobbin lace. Knitting, Crochet, Needle lace, including Needle Tatting, and Tambour work are some of the techniques that can be used to create contemporary lace.
To read more about the development of modern lace :
By reading old lace books you can discover how the craft has evolved.
I recently purchased a Swedish lace book:
Knyppla: Idéer och modeller i nya och kända material
by Krtistina Malmberg and Naime Thorlin.
Published in 1972 by ICA - förlaget Västerås.
This is a fabulous book which is wonderfully evocative of how lace responded to the culture of the 70s. Some of the patterns are modern even for a contemporary audience. It also demonstrates to me that nothing is every really new.
The two books which I would recommend to anyone wanting to marvel at the development of contemporary lace practice are both published by the Deutscher Klöppelverband. Please note these books are in German. The illustrations are extremely comprehensive.
Spitzen des 20. Jahrhunderts - 1900 - 1950. Deutscher Klöppelverband e. V. 2003 ISBN 3-93410-34-1
Klöppelspitze in Deutschland: Ihre Weiterentwicklung von 1950 bis 2000. Deutscher Klöppelverband e.V. 2003 ISBN 3-934210-35-X
Both these books illustrate how lace has sought to keep up to date with modern design trends.
Other contemporary Lace Books include:
Hedendaagse Kant by Martine Bruggeman. La Riviére & Voorhoeve 1991 ISBN 90-6084-826-8
Klöppeln: freies gestalten mit formen und farben by Anita Dajcar-Florin. AT Verlag 1990 ISBN 3-85502-398-0
