Devon I think you are right. But I would say that a lace name should include both technique and structure, but also style. A structural definition of Beds and Cluny would be very similar - a guipure straight lace, held together mostly by braids. But stylistically they are quite different. And, of course, there are also differences in specific techniques. (Techniques meaning specific solutions to specific problems, for instance, how to connect a braid/plait to a cloth spot, or how to bring braids/plaits into or out of a cloth trail. And to complicate things further, actual historic laces may show both the Cluny method and the Beds method used in the same lace!!!) So as modern lace makers we typically use a geographical name as a code for all those 3 things - structure, techniques and style.
Cluny is fairly easy to describe in words. It is a guipure (braid based) straight lace with geometric designs, and it may have a cloth trail. My personal habit is to use a different name, "continental straight lace", for those pieces which have pictorial elements to the design, such as flowers and leaves, or figures. That is a term that Doris Southard used, and I learned it from her. I don't know enough to reliably distinguish "continental straight laces" by their geographic origin. Such were made in France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Denmark and Sweden. The Danish and Swedish ones are very similar and I can't reliably distinguish them. Purely geometric Cluny may have a French name, but it also probably has no specific geographic referent (except to specify "not made in England". Bedfordshire is a lot harder to describe in words, although it is absolutely clear and distinct visually. A guipure braid/plait based straight lace which often has a cloth trail, and sometimes subsidiary cloth trails. It may have cloth spots (spiders), and leaves or flowers. Even the designs without naturalistic motifs have a flowing, organic character. Lorelei - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
