The filet lace, its name is derived the French word “filet”, that means network. The filet lace production has two phases; firstly the network that will be the basis of the embroidery is made. It is made with cotton thread using the foot and hands, then this network is stretched so that the embroidery marking can be made and then the filling, using various stitches and colours.
Like all artisanal products, lace demands a lot of skill, time and care, justifying the high prices of the pieces, which besides the aesthetic value have great cultural significance
BOBBINH LACE
RENAISSANCE LACE
FILET LACE
The craft, especially handcrafts, is something very present in Brazilian culture; its practices have been passed down generation to generation over the years. According to researches many types of handcrafts have an economic weight of 52 billion reais per year, being produced by what is calculated to be 8,5 million craftspeople, of which women are the majority of them. The Brazilian Northeast, besides being known for its beaches and historic touristic points, has one of the highest indices of handmade products, most made with leather, metal, ceramics, wood, but mainly the lace and embroidery, an activity that grows along with tourism in the region.
During a trip to the Northeast I could look at these products closely at markets in Aracajú and Maceió. There were articles of clothing, dresses and blouses and also articles for home decoration as table linens and sheets; really lovely products, which make you, want to buy all of them. But they are not found only at these two places, the production and the sale of these handcrafted articles are also found in other states like Ceará, Pernambuco, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte and of course, other cities from Sergipe and Alagoas, not being limited to the state capitals.
NORTHEASTERN LACE
The techniques that I saw at the market were pieces of Renaissance lace, bobbin lace and filet lace. The Renaissance lace has an expressive production in Pernambuco and Paraiba. It is a type of needle lace that has a ribbon call lacê or fitilho, and this is stitched over the draft to be drawn and then, with the thread and needle, the empty spaces are completed and the drawing connexions are realized. This lace also is present in Haute Couture products.
The bobbin lace is readymade using bobbin, it is a short rod with spherical shape at the tip, the thread that will be used is rolled up in another tip, then they are braided following the drawing that is on a cardboard called pique, stuck with pins on a cylindrical pillow. The bobbin lace can have many varied drawings and colours.
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