Maltese lace () is a style of

bobbin lace Bobbin lace is a lace textile made by braiding and twisting lengths of yarn, thread, which are wound on #Bobbins, bobbins to manage them. As the work progresses, the weaving is held in place with pins set in a lace pillow, the placement of the pi ...

made in

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

. It is a

guipure Guipure lace is a type of bobbin lace. It connects the motifs with bars or plaits rather than net or mesh. Guipure is a French word. It used to describe lace which has a gimp or thicker thread to outline the pattern, but this is no longer used. ...

style of lace. It is worked as a continuous width on a tall, thin, upright

lace pillow Bobbin lace is a lace textile made by braiding and twisting lengths of thread, which are wound on bobbins to manage them. As the work progresses, the weaving is held in place with pins set in a lace pillow, the placement of the pins usually de ...

. Bigger pieces are made of two or more parts sewn together. The Lace Pillow in Malta is known as ''Trajbu'' (pronounced as "try-boo"), while the Bobbins are called ''Ċombini'' (pronounced as "chom-beany"); this type of lace making is very popular on the island of

Gozo Gozo ( ), known in classical antiquity, antiquity as Gaulos, is an island in the Malta#The Maltese archipelago, Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After the Malta Island, island of Malta ...

History

Lace made in Malta was originally

needle lace Needle lace is a type of lace created using a needle and thread to create hundreds of small stitches to form the lace itself. Origins The origins of needle lace date back to the 15th century and embroidery. Cutwork and drawn work were de ...

, from the 16th to the 19th century, when the economic depression in the islands nearly led to the extinction of lacemaking there. But in the mid-1800s, Lady Hamilton Chichester sent lacemakers from Genoa to Malta. They used the old needle lace patterns and turned them into bobbin lace, which was quicker. It was not long after its introduction that the Maltese lace developed its own style from Genoese lace. Maltese lace was shown at

The Great Exhibition The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held), was an international exhibition that took ...

of 1851 and it became popular in Britain. The style was copied by lacemakers in the English Midlands, and it was one of the sources for

Bedfordshire lace Bedfordshire lace is a style of bobbin lace originating from Bedfordshire in the 19th century, and made in the English Midlands lacemaking area. It was worked as a continuous width on a lace pillow, bolster pillow. It is a guipure style of lace. ...

. Lace is still made in Malta today. To ensure the survival of the craft, lace making is taught in Government trade schools for girls, while private bodies such as the Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce also hold special evening classes.

Characteristics of Maltese lace

Maltese lace usually has the following characteristics which are useful for identification: * It is usually made from cream

silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

. Black silk was also used in the past. Occasionally

linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong and absorbent, and it dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. Lin ...

thread was used. * There is often the 8 pointed

Maltese cross The Maltese cross is a cross symbol, consisting of four " V" or arrowhead shaped concave quadrilaterals converging at a central vertex at right angles, two tips pointing outward symmetrically. It is a heraldic cross variant which develope ...

as part of the pattern, worked in whole or cloth stitch. * The pattern may also have closely worked leaves known as “wheat ears” or “oats”. These are plump and rounded in shape, rather than the long narrow leaves of other types of bobbin lace.

Gallery

File:Maltese lace.jpg, Maltese lace File:Malta, Lace making.jpg, A Maltese lace pillow in use File:Young Gozitan lacemakers, 1910s.jpg, Young Gozitan lacemakers, 1910s

References

Bobbin lace {{Malta-stub