Kenmare Lace

Kenmare Lace is a Needlepoint Irish Lace. It is made with a needle and thread. It is based on the detached buttonhole stitch. (It is sometimes called needle-lace. This is to distinguish it from canvas needlepoint.) Linen thread was used by the nuns to make the needlepoint lace. Unfortunately we can no longer get a suitable linen thread nowadays so use cotton. To make Kenmare needlepoint Lace you start off with two pieces of cloth. Over this is your pattern and over this you place a layer of matt contact. You couch around the outline of the design and work in from the outline to fill in your pattern using a very fine detached buttonhole stitch. The tension makes the pattern. If you want an open stitch you pull the thread so far and if you want a tight stitch you pull it tightly. When the work is finished you open it at the back between the two pieces of cloth snipping the thread holding down the outline and thus releasing your lace from its backing.