Bobbin laces-recreating Battenburg lace on the embroidery machine
Some of my earliest attempts of recreating laces on the embroidery machine
were the Battenburg laces. Battenburg is considered a type of bobbin lace and at times referred to as tape lace. Modern day Battenburg laces are created by using tapes which are attached together by threads (hence the referral to bobbin lace). Retiring my original Battenburg lace collection, I had plans to recreating it in the proper manner in the future. Well, its six years later and I’m still not sure whether I have achieved the proper technique!
Battenburg laces nowadays are created by shaping a bias tape with threads in such a manner as to create an open worked lace panel, 
border, fabric, etc. The center of the motif created with the tape and thread has an entredeux type effect. The laces were extremely popular in the early 1900′s as they created the lace effect much faster than creating the laces by hand. Bobbin laces are nothing but thread overlapping one another to create the lace effect and do take a bit of time. Battenburg laces filled the over demand of laces, even though they were a bit crude as compared to bobbin laces.
Taking out my sketches for the vintage battenburg shapes, I found myself faced with the dilemna regarding the width of the center entredeux. Should I keep it at a minimal or have it pronounced? The idea 
is to recreate the Battenburg lace so it would mimic hand made laces, so the question is really answered for me….yet… I do think I’m my own worst enemy!
Using cotton serger thread, I stitched out one panel to check gauge and the shrinkage upon washing out the water soluble stabilizer, only to find that the cotton thread shrank far more than I had anticipated, leaving the tiny center entredeux into gaping holes. So, its back to the work table and even though I like the look of the open areas in the motifs, I can’t justify it as Battenburg lace.
The designs in the first collection of Battenburg lace are very simple 
and lend themselves to a variety of uses. But, before I can even send the designs out to be tested, I have to find the perfect look. You be the Judge and advice….I’m open to all suggestions and ideas. Should the entredeux be almost non-existant or should I stay with what I’ve created?
Sadia, I never ever have seen something so beautiful like this! Here, in Brazil, we don’t have no lace embroidery, but I have seeked the web and found your site, after the Scriby’s, and think it´s a whole new wonderful world to me!
I’m certainly no expert on lace (or much of anything else, truth be told), but one thing I do know is that I absolutely love what you have created and would not change the entredeux to make is small. It’s gorgeous as you have it.
Although it took some time to create, it is truly beautiful. Your sample is greatly
appreciated as is your time and effort to create this design.
Hello Sadia! Your new Battenburg Collection is beautiful! I read your blog with interest. I do not digitize embroidery designs, nor have a desire to do so; so, I appreciate people like yourself who do the work for people like me. But, I do machine knitting, and do my own designing for that. One of the principles, for those who are not familiar with the craft, is that you MUST do a sample swatch before grafting, or working out the sweater pattern with the actual knit design. The reason for this, is because the fabric is so stretched on the machine that you can not measure it accurately as you are knitting. Also, the swatch has to be washed before measuring the gauge. THEN, you take those measurements and work up a pattern allowing for the shrinkage that will occur in the final garment. The garment make look oversized when you’re finished knitting, but that will be corrected after washing. Perhaps this is the approach that you need to make when digitizing. I realize that, perhaps, people will use different threads, so that may be a problem. But, this approach would take care of the entredeux question. Your last photo is beautiful too. I like the design. I also have found in sewing, that a good press job “covers a multitude of sins!” To me, that is one of the principles of great looking self-sewn garments! Keep up the lovely work!
Dear Sadia, what you have actually created as “Battenberg Lace” reminds me to the Battenberg Lace which I know for many years. In my mind it looks better than the earlier one you’ve made, which has the look of finest filet crocheting.
Keep on doing the “new” one, please
Greetings
Kerstin
I am a lace maker myself, but it takes so long to make the pieces. I just love the idea that it is now being done in Machine embroidery. I have put a lot of it already on many of my clothes and get many compliments on it to. I have purchased some clothing with it already on it, but usually after a laundering, it comes apart. I would rather make my own…!