Limerick lace is the most famous of all Irish laces. Established in 1829, it has been worn by thousands of women, including Queen Victoria, American First Lady Edith Roosevelt and Countess Markievicz.
Limerick lace is a hybrid lace made on a machine made net base. It is a ‘mixed lace’ rather than a ‘true lace’, which would be entirely hand made. Limerick lace comes in two forms:
- tambour lace, that is made by stretching a net over a frame like a tambourine and drawing threads through it with a hook;
- needlerun lace is made by using a needle to embroider on a net background.
