Dreaming of Lace
One of my favourite fabrics would be a beautiful peace of lace! I still appreciate a simple modern gown made of peau de soie or a heavy stretch crepe. But if you have been following my work you would already know that I LOVE embroidered lace and especially a combination of machine thread embroidery with hand beading or highlighting! Just keep those beads small, the smaller the better :) it just adds that little lux gentle sparkle.
Lace comes in many different styles and finishes. The best way to describe lace is that it is a delicate open weblike fabric. Florals or other designs are usually embroidered by hand or machine on a mesh background.
One of the most common questions I get is what would be the best kind of lace for my dress, and the answer to that is "it depends".
Every kind of lace has a different effect and gives your gown a different flare. Some laces are heavy and have lots of texture and character (beading, cording, appliques) some of which can be very unique and mesmerizing, others are very light and drape beautifully, those usually have a loose weave and look very pretty and delicate.
Some laces have an all over design of florals or geometrical designs which looks more traditional others have a more random or unique placements. My favourite are the ones that I was able to create the designs for and get custom embroidered.
The most common and popular bridal laces are Chantilly, Alencon and Venetian Lace.
Chantilly Lace is a delicate lace with fine floral designs. The embroidery is not added on the mesh but worked as the lace is being made and usually has a scalloped edge.
Alencon or French embroidered lace has a net background and differs from the Chantilly as it has raised motifs and in most cases with beads and outlined with cording which gives it dimension.
Venetian Lace also known as Guipure lace doesn't have a net fabric base and has a heavy raised design.
