Guipure d’art

Guipure d’art is a 19th century development of filet lace, both techniques use stitches to embellish net but with different results.  Filet lace fills in the apertures predominantly with needle-weaving whereas guipure d’art uses solid and open stitches across the net to decorate it by creating patterns.  The forms of the stitches themselves are what create interest, and include woven wheels, buttonhole bars and single corded Brussels stitch.

Guipure d’art is normally worked on a square net.  Instructions for making the net by hand were given in various 19th century publications although machine-made versions were available to purchase.

Image courtesy of Rijksmuseum, accession number: 1987.73