1 DRAFTING
The drafter sifts through the archive’s treasures, sensing what’s in the air, following his inspirations, drawing shapes and intuitions on paper in a tangle of lines and colors.
The draft or sketch is the preliminary drawing for a lace pattern. It could be inspired by the House’s rich archives and previous collections or the creativity of a young generation of designers.
2 DESIGNING
The technical designer methodically translates the sketch into a tracing, an identity card for the lace. He or she charts a sinuous path without going backwards to capture the wandering motif in a grid.
The drafter transcribes the sketch onto gridded paper like a chart. The designer then reproduces this chart on cartons to guide the loom as it weaves. The threads must continually progress in one general direction and can’t “retrace” their steps.
3 MANUFACTURING
The lacemaker’s job is born of a passion. With his coveted know-how, he cleverly, patiently hones his skills. Between carriages and spools, he harmonizes thousands of threads and proudly conducts an orchestra of cherished, old looms.
The lacemaker is responsible for the complex Leavers, Bobbinet or Bobinot looms. A minimum of five years’ experience is needed to correctly manipulate the looms that produce tulle or lace.
4 Threading
One needs the talent of a gardener and incredible patience to detach the spool’s “fruit” from the husk of its carriage. This mastered gesture requires a strong, confident hand to create the base on which the most beautiful pieces will bloom
Threading is the first preparatory step before weaving on the loom. The technician loosens the thin copper spool from the base, known as a “carriage”. This operation requires a high level of dexterity.
5 Stripping
Stripping the almost invisible threads caught in the spool is like trying to catch the wings of a dragonfly or spot the eyelashes of a shrew ! A tiny miracle of precision.
Stripping is the second preparatory step before weaving on the loom. It consists of detaching the leftover thread on the spool.
This operation requires extreme vigilance.
6 Winding
How does one cross thousands of threads without losing sight of the pattern? The winder closely watches each thread and slips the wipsy fibers between pièces of metal Working alone, he prepares the precious strands to weave a perfect lace.
The winder must simultaneously pass hundreds of threads through the tiny spaces on the row of spools. This operation is done manually and requires extreme vigilance and exceptional dexterity. Few people have mastered the technique of winding thread on the looms.
7 Wheeling
The wheeler, with precise, nimble movements, keeps the carriages full to satisfy the loom’s voracious appetite by replacing the spools. Between the hooks, he or she carefully places the delicate spools that will weave the fabric
Wheeling, means replacing spools in the carriages by catching the springs in the spools with a single gesture while releasing the thread so it can be knotted. This is an important operation before starting the loom since the spool/carriage duet is key in the workings of a Leavers loom.
8 INSPECTING
The inspector’s fingers run quickly over the fabric like eyes … tracking down the tiniest defect in a motif, intuitively sensing the minutest bumps while using light gestures to prevent the threads from running.
Inspecting lace and tulle is always done by experienced women. It consists of feeling defects and holes on each piece after it comes off the loom and marking the spots so they can be mended. This operation is done at various times in the creation of tulle and lace.
The inspecting and mending operations are repeated when the fabric is removed from the loom, during finishing and after embellishment.
9. Mending
The lace shivers if it is “undressed” in certain places. But magic fingers move lightly over the surface to cleverly rectify errors and skillfully make all the threads beautiful.
This is done by experienced women who hand mend any holes, defects or lumps on the tulle and lace that damage the fabric’s overall motif.
10. DYEING
Once off the loom, the lace is still naked and its pale threads shiver … Now the colorist lets it soak up his recipes in giant tubs So it “blushes” and shows off its new colors, Declaring its passion in a multitude of hues.
The colorist prepares dye recipes for the laces and tulles in a laboratory before the fabrics are immersed in the dye baths.
11. FINISHING
The excess threads are sliced off by hand at the edges and carefully cut, almost like raking gravel between flower beds to lead one into a blooming garden of beautiful laces.
Scalloping separates the curved borders of the lace pieces from each other. This operation is always done by hand.
12. EMBELLISHING
With dramatic flair or complete discretion, the designer decorates the tulle’s or lace’s bare surface and indentations with shimmery materials : The possibilities are endless : gold, feathers, beads, ribbons, …
Embellishments daringly add a personal touch to laces and tulles : prints, bondings, embroideries, braids, tufts, quiltings … This step offers unlimited creativity to the most spectacular ideas … in this field, the sky’s the limit !