LIMERICK LACE

 
 Introduction

This is a stitched lace and is worked on net, using a blunt needle.  It used to be stitched on cotton net, but nowadays it is difficult to get, so it is done on synthetic net.  I got the Chinese lady and man designs from pictures in a book, and traced them.  A heavy thread is used to outline the chosen design, and then patterns are stitched in different areas to suggest fabric, or vegetation etc., a bit like blackwork.

There are books available with patterns in.  I can recommend ‘Embroidered Machine Nets Limerick & Worldwide’ by Pat Earnshaw.   ‘A New Approach to Embroidered Net’ by Edna Groves and ‘Carrickmacross Lace’ by Nellie O’Cleirigh.

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