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Welcome to the Lace Guild

The Lace Guild is an accredited museum
Lace Guild Logo - the wheel of St Catherine, the patron saint of lacemakers

Home of both Traditional Craft and Textile Innovation

The Lace Guild is the largest lace organisation in the United Kingdom and is an accredited museum with a large collection of lace and associated artefacts. The Guild produces two quarterly magazines,  Lace and Early Days in Lacemaking, and publishes books of lace techniques and patterns.​ Our aims are to:

  • To provide information about the craft of lacemaking, its history and use.

  • To promote a high standard of lacemaking.

  • To encourage the design, development and professional presentation of lace.

Our Magazines

Cover of current issue of Lace
Cover of current issue of Early Days

We offer two quarterly magazines to members of the Guild, published at the end of July, October, January and April.

 

Lace is the main magazine, 64 pages of articles, community news and patterns.

 

Early Days In Lacemaking is aimed at novice lacemakers, and contains around 30 pages of mostly easy patterns.

Our Museum and Library

Image of Lace Guild Museum

We are an educational charity dedicated to the conservation of the past and to the development of the future.

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We have a Museum full of important, beautiful and inspirational artefacts which is open every Wed to Sat.

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Our Library has many hard to find books which are loaned out by post.

Our Shop

Picture of bobbins for sale in the shop

We sell our own books, bobbins and accessories, as well as second hand books and lace equipment and back issues of the magazines.

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Shop with us online, by phone, or in person at The Hollies.

News

Lace by Louise West

Breaking news, announcements, lace days, courses, exhibitions, fairs...

All the news is on this page.

Members Area

Subscribers to Lace are invited to take part in member-only events online, with occasional freebies...

Coffee & Chat.jpg

Next Coffee and Chat is on Saturday 23rd March at 7pm.

Volunteer With Us

Traditional Bedfordshire bobbin lace edging, from the Museum

You have an enthusiasm for lace, and that is all that you need!

We need Trustees and sub-committee members, and we need volunteers at The Hollies and at events around the country'

All meetings use Zoom and Whatsapp, no need to travel or be local.

Correction to Lace issue 193 (Winter 2024)

Harlequin Lace will not be present at the Lace Exchange Suppliers Fair in April as stated on the Booking Form. We apologise for this mistake.

Current Exhibition at The Hollies

25 November 2023 - 16 March 2024 "Machine Laces"

Although the main aim of our museum is to collect and protect handmade laces we have a great many interesting and beautiful machine laces which are a wonderful inspiration for design. As the mechanical capabilities of lace making machines developed during the 19th century, so did the quality and virtuosity of the lace designs. From just copying the handmade lace designs in the first half of the 19th century to the creation of ‘all over lace fabrics’ which enabled lace dresses and blouses to be an affordable option. Including the fashions for Art Nouveau and Art Deco lace designs, as the 20th century progressed.

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