I have come across some excerpts from a 1993 handout for the Lace Teacher Training Program at Kantcentrum, on joining and attaching lace. There is a section on lassen. The author (Louise Allis-Viddeleer) says what I've been arguing for, that lassen developed when handkerchiefs developed flat-worked corners and there were no longer ruffles or pleats in which to hide a seam. She thinks this would have been during the 2nd half of the 19th C, which seems reasonable to me. She cites examples of Mechlin from 2nd half 19th C with lassen joins.
She also argues that lassen is a Belgian technique because in Belgium a piece of lace starts with the threads plaited in bundles rather than hung on in pairs, so there are not loops at the beginning into which to sew the ends. She says that the following laces would make use of lassen: Flanders, Valenciennes, Lille, Paris, Binche, and Mechlin. If lassen is indeed of Belgium origin, which seems plausible, I would think that someone at the Kantcentrum who is knowledgeable about joining and attaching lace would be our most definitive source. Nancy - 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/
