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Bedfordshire yak lace

Most Bedfordshire lace was made of cotton, although other materials were used. This edging is made of wool, and that was called yak lace. When edging a mat with a straight piece of lace, normally the corner was gathered to change direction. Modern lacemakers pride themselves on designing a corner as part of the lace. Here there is a third technique - the lace is cut diagonally at the corner, and the next piece sewn onto it. Presumably this type of thick lace could not be gathered.

There is a headside made of plaits and a cloth stitchtrail. Then there are tallies and spiders.

This piece is too big to fit in my scanner (which is how I am reproducing the lace) so I can only show pieces of it on the right. The entire piece is photographed below to show its shape.

Bedfordshire yak lace

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Bedfordshire yak lace

Large scale


Bedfordshire yak lace


© Jo Edkins 2014