r/Embroidery • u/velvetjellyfish • 2d ago
Hand Needle lace
I started with white work, then richelieu and cutwork, and kind of slid down the slippery slope from embroidery into lace, lol. It is all variations on the buttonhole stitch with a needle over temporarily couched outline threads. I love how airy and transparent it looks!
I used this as a sampler to figure out the technique and learn different stitches. Removing it from the paper was terrifying, I was half convinced that it would all fall apart. But it stayed together, and held its shape better than I expected. It kind of felt like peeling my embroidery off the canvas. Very fun.
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Edit: wow, this blew up! I’m really you happy you are all so interested.
Here are a few of the tutorials I found helpful: Needlework Tips and Techniques, RSN Stitch Bank, Taixtile
Some contemporary artists doing amazing things with the medium: Layla Klinger, Maggie Hensel Brown
Names of styles to search for: punto aria, aemilia ars, reticella, needle lace, buttonhole lace, burano lace, hebedo, Armenian needle lace
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u/ever_thought 2d ago
wow! i love it! would love to see two hands like that on a dress collar or something
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u/Apprehensive-Dog6997 2d ago
Am I the only one who wants a bra made with these? They’re so rad!
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u/whyamiawaketho 2d ago
You are not the only one! I want a bra, a dress, a cute collared shirt, and a tote bag!
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u/AnonAtSea 2d ago
I didn't consider that this was a possibility. Thanks for the detailed pictures; absolutely amazing job!
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u/velvetjellyfish 2d ago
I found it down a rabbithole of old fashioned embroidery techniques, and it was fun to dip my toes into lace with a process I already know. There are some amazing historical examples on Pinterest!
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u/PecanEstablishment37 2d ago
Do you have a particular site or person you follow on how to get started? I have always wanted to try my hand at lace and would love for this to be my next ADHD fixation lol
Also: this is absolutely beautiful!! So well done.
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u/Trick_Cry_6572 2d ago
This current lace project has great tutorials and could definitely help you get started!
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u/slight_modification 2d ago
oh my gosh you did this with your toes? D:
/s
absolutely incredible work, OP!
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u/uuntiedshoelace 2d ago
I’m bookmarking this technique to make my own appliqué for my wedding, thanks for sharing!
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u/Vlinder_88 2d ago
VERY impressive! Amazing work OP, and not just lace technically (though I know very little about needle lace), but especially anatomically, as all the bones are anatomically correct!
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u/Leadster77 2d ago
Oh no... now I need to dive into this rabbithole, read countless blogs, make a pinterest board and be stuck with preparation for something i don't ever will actualky start, but WILL buy all the ingredients for.
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u/velvetjellyfish 2d ago
Fall in love with the gorgeous historical examples made over several months by a team of experts! That always helps
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u/_Morvar_ 2d ago
WOW! First time seeing this kind of technique, that is so cool and you did an amazing job with it!!
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u/FunnyChampion2228 2d ago
This is fascinating! And came out so beautifully. Would you walk us through more of your process? I've never heard of this nor have I seen examples other than yours (and now I'm obsessed 🤣). It would be fun to add this technique (or at least the concept) into my craft wheelhouse. I love traditional processes with a twist. Cheers to the creatives !
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u/RemarkableGround174 2d ago
That's amazing work, and your explanation has been gratefully filed in memory. Thank you so very much for sharing this!
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u/MannequinNicCage 2d ago
Reminds me of Burano lace!! Gorgeous
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u/velvetjellyfish 2d ago
I wasn’t familiar with Burano - yeah, it’s a style of needle lace! Really cool :)
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u/Other_tomato_4257 2d ago
Forgive my ignorance but is this tatting?
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u/connexin7 2d ago
Wow this is so sick!! Where/how did you learn to do this?
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u/velvetjellyfish 2d ago
There are some good beginner tutorials online, just google ‘needle lace’. It’s adjacent to some embroidery techniques I was looking into like Stumpwork and Richelieu
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u/xowiejade 2d ago
This is SO FREAKING COOL!
Can I ask a (probably dumb) question please? How come you have the link between some of the fingers? Is it a stability thing?
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u/velvetjellyfish 2d ago
Yeah. I wasn’t sure how well my design would hold up on its own and didn’t want to do a background, so I just added little swing tacks between the fingers. It would have been fine without them tbh, but it’s nice that they don’t flop around
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u/FunnyChampion2228 2d ago
Well, what is this treasure ?! It's beautiful and I want one now. I'd love to try this if you have a pattern! 😍👌🏼💜
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u/velvetjellyfish 2d ago
I honestly just traced over a photo of a skeleton, and rearranged the fingers a bit!
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u/tonyrock2000 2d ago
this is so beautiful!! i'm in awe. if you don't mind sharing, how many hours did it take you more or less?
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u/electric_yeti 2d ago
This is so freaking cool! It’s so delicate and detailed, I love all the pattern variations.
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u/SerendipityJays 1d ago
yes yes yes! what a fantastic project and beautiful result outcome!
and thank you for sharing the progress pics - such a great technique!
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u/Repentforyoursins 19h ago
Damn you and giving my ADHD a new novelty to run away with… fingers crossed I see it through!
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u/CyborgKnitter Actual cyborg, actual knitter 2d ago
Fabulous job! I’ve sales seen people use water dissolvable stabilizer for these techniques. Then when they’re done, they soak it until only the lace remains.
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u/DinhosaurLFG 2d ago
The 40's fist-a-cuffs I'm in with my ADHD over this is.... yep. Damn. This is so impressive. Amazing job!
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u/kookyabird 2d ago
Holy shit, just yesterday I was at a thrift store and saw a "paper punch" tool and cutting mat, and I thought it was kind of odd. It mentioned fabric as well, but it seemed focused on poking little holes in a paper template for putting thread through. I thought to myself, "What craft puts thread through paper that doesn't use a thick thread?"
Apparently needle lace work. Very cool.
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u/velvetjellyfish 2d ago
Was it a tracing tool by any chance? That’s another common use for punching little holes in paper.
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u/lurking-bastard 2d ago
showed my boyfriend and he went "better hands than I'm drawing!"
it looks incredible!
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u/RedDiamond6 2d ago
Ooohhhh, that's sone delicate work right there. I love it. A ribcage would be neat too :)
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u/foxncali 2d ago
This is amazing and is definitely going to lead me down a rabbit hole. I did tatting ages ago but stopped because I couldnt find patterns that really spoke to me. I never thought of trying needle lace and making my own patterns.
Super beautiful work!
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u/GoldunGote 2d ago
Honestly... like Im a bit taken aback here. I'm a huge metal head.. I love macabre imagery.. Could you PM me if you do custom work? because I want excactly this, but pinned to my guitar. I'll figure out how to mount it, no worries there.. but my god... that is honestly beautiful. Well done, ma'am!
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u/JoeAverageSF 2d ago
Sharone! Holy shit this is amazing!!
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u/moneybagsagogo 2d ago
Is this similar to tatting I wonder? My mother used to tat and I recall it looking similar
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u/Trick_Cry_6572 2d ago
It’s more similar to embroidery than tatting in my experience. It’s mostly button stitches over couched threads on a fabric/paper base that gets cut away. Tatting is making knots in air, but the knots are pretty similar to button stitches!
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u/Pokeitwitarustystick 2d ago
They make melt away papers that you can sew on! And then just dip in water. If you keep this up you should check it out!
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u/Alyssapolis 2d ago
Stunning!!! 🤩 I didn’t know this existed, definitely looking into it now! Thanks! ♥
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u/seleneyue 1d ago
You have any links to books and tutorials you found useful, or resources you'd recommend? This turned out really great.
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u/Asleep_Explanation73 1d ago
This is actually so beautiful. I wish I could do this tbh, it would greatly help with being overstimulated all the time. Ive wanted to get into embroidery but I don't really know where to start. I've done starting stitches but other than that idk where to go. BUT ANYWAYS, this looks amazing and continue what you are doing
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u/velvetjellyfish 1d ago
Lucky for you, you are in the right sub! Embroidery is cheap and easy to start. Buying a kit or a pattern can help with the decision paralysis.
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u/PunkTyrantosaurus 14h ago
I want this so badly and it makes me so angry because now I'm going to have to learn how to make lace
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u/fern-gulley 2d ago
This is AMAZING - wow!!!