*Lace Harmony with Spiders: Bobbin lace exhibition by the Marjetica Cerkno Lacemaking Society in cooperation with Idrija Retirement Home.

Dom upokojencev Idrija, Arkova 4

22 June-19 July: 9 AM to 7 PM

Last year, the lace-makers of the Marjetica Cerkno Bobbin Lace Association found ourselves caught in a web. Spiders and little spiders everywhere—inside and all around us. In lace, of course. Some people are afraid of spiders in nature, but during this season we managed to overcome our fear of them. We diligently explored and mastered them, and then applied this knowledge to various patterns (papirci – pricked lace patterns used for bobbin lace-making).

Some of these patterns were also drawn by our member Roberta Močnik, for whom they presented a real challenge. And since spiders are so captivating, they quickly drew us to our lace pillows (bule). Of course, bobbin-lace spiders cannot compete with those found in nature—neither in number nor in their striking presence. Nevertheless, we know several types and techniques for making them.

For this year’s exhibition, we used the full range of known spider variations and incorporated them into the lace mostly as fillings. In Idrija bobbin lace, spiders are a lace-making technique most commonly found in part lace (čipke, izdelane po delih). They can be worked simultaneously with other techniques, used as a filling, or made as standalone spider motifs. In the latter case, they are often used as openwork (ajour) and incorporated into textile products.

There are several variations of spiders depending on the number of pairs of bobbins and the method of execution—for example spiders with a twisted edge, with additional pins, half-spiders, and others.

Note on terminology:

• Papirci – pricked patterns used as guides in bobbin lace-making.
• Bule – lace pillows used to hold the pattern and pins during lace-making.
• Pajki (spiders) – a decorative bobbin-lace technique forming radial, web-like structures used mainly as fillings.

Text and photo: Bernarda Frelih KDMC

Bobbin lace made by: Karmen Jezeršek, KDMC

Pattern source: Dom Ljubljana.