Wool Lace

Here is an interesting and very treasured textile that I recently acquired: a beautiful piece of grey wool lace.  Not knitted lace from fine wool yarns - sewn/woven lace constructed onto a net background.

My only previous exposure to wool lace in person was on the dress that Isobel Toledo designed and made for Michelle Obama to wear to the Inauguration.  It was a beautiful and very classy dress and coat ensemble made from lemongrass yellow wool lace lined with silk.  The ensemble was on display this summer at The Museum at FIT's exhibit,  Isobel Toledo: Fashion from the Inside Out. 

I found this particular yardage at a small sewing/knitting shop in Spokane, WA called "Sew E-Z Too".  It and its sister store, "Sew E-Z", in Colville (a small town northwest of Spokane) are must-visit destinations for anyone in E. Washington, by the way.  Don't let the odd name fool you - they are chock full of gorgeous fabrics, beautiful yarns and amazing buttons, trims and other notions.

Upon spotting this piece in the wool section, I immediately stopped dead in my tracks and said (whether out loud or to myself) "Oh my goodness, that's wool lace!"  Of course I also immediately called for my dear friend Pamela to come and help appreciate it, as we were there together while taking a lunch break/playing hooky from the Washington Make It With Wool competition.  She agreed that it was truly something special.  I couldn't quite bring myself to buy it at that time.  But I couldn't stop thinking about it.  Thankfully, Christmas was just around the corner, and my husband who, while no doubt bewildered at the sheer quantity (not to mention variety) of fabrics in my possession, was kind enough to add this gem to the collection.

The construction is very interesting.  Fine and heavy woolen threads/yarns are stitched onto a net backing (see photo directly above).  The actual detail of the lace design is easier to discern from the back due to the contrasting white of the backing.  The photo of the fabric face above appears somewhat fuzzy, but it's not truly due to the quality of the photo.  The fabric itself is made with relatively lightly spun yarns, so it has a very soft, nearly "out of focus" look to the fabric from the face.  The fabric is 38 inches wide, which is a fair width for lace fabric.

So of course now the question is: what shall I do with it?  I have several ideas.  Of course it would make a gorgeous overlay on an evening dress.  I don't think I would cover the entire dress.  More likely just the bodice.  Of course it would make a gorgeous jacket as well.  Because of the net backing, you would want to use a lining with it, as Isobel Toledo did.  A lighter or darker shade of grey would be my logical choice.  Just different enough to provide some additional visual interest and dimension.  Meanwhile, I think I will just hold it in my hands and dream!