Bobbin, Chantilly, Cutwork, Fishnet, Tatting? Lace Adventures!

May 30, 2024 5:12 AM

I got married 13 years ago. Wikipedia says this year is Lace. Who here has any suggestions for a wacky lace based adventure. (Puns and extremely tangential wordplay both acceptable and encouraged)

Every year so far I've asked a question about plans for my wedding anniversary (The others are here).

I'm looking for interesting places to go, things to see, activities to do.
Extreme stretches are not only allowed, but actively encouraged. (Netted Material or Mesh. Shoelace, thread, boots?, To lace a drink?)
We're probably looking at London/Hertfordshire/South East of England as the main area for adventures.

posted by Just this guy, y'know to Human Relations (11 answers total)

I found the links for this before I saw you were trying to stay around London, but just in case you decide you can be a little more adventurous...

There's a tiny eclectic and beautiful island in the Caribbean that has a rich and interesting lace history. You can watch the Saba Lace Ladies tat in the lace room once a week. Bonus: the island has amazing hiking, scuba diving, snorkeling, glass blowing, and a weirdly great food scene for such a tiny place. (I used to live there and I go back as often as I can)
posted by danapiper at 5:43 AM on May 30 [2 favorites]

Read the amazing book Lace by Shirley Conran, who sadly just passed. Visit all the London locations mentioned in it. Very literally a Lace based adventure.
posted by CheeseLouise at 7:44 AM on May 30 [3 favorites]

There is some very interesting lace in Czechia, and you might always plan a trip to the Museum of Lace there.

Looking around for Czech lace art will delight you.

Puns, you say? How about this:

Phonetic pronunciation of lace: ( lace : /ˈɫeɪs/ )

I know where you can get some of that.

But this may be the most romantic direction you could go.
posted by amtho at 8:15 AM on May 30 [1 favorite]

I meant to link to some of these fascinating and exquisite examples of Czech lace.



Museum of Lace in Czechia - location
posted by amtho at 8:21 AM on May 30 [1 favorite]

I am half a world away and would gladly go to the UK specifically for a tour of lace history — you have about half of it by quantity, it was a massive part of the Industrial Revolution!

Plus there were a bunch of regional handmade styles pre mechanization, which probably have amateur guilds run by retirees in places with delightful brunches?

https://cowperandnewtonmuseum.org.uk/lacemaking/

For wacky — learn enough of a technique to make a home object in a goofy material?
posted by clew at 9:36 AM on May 30 [3 favorites]

Chantilly is also a name for sweetened whipped cream if that lends itself to any culinary tie-ins.
posted by terretu at 9:54 AM on May 30 [3 favorites]

Lace-making is a traditional skill on the little island of Burano, near Venice. It has a lace museum (small but excellent) and a few shops that sell handmade lace made in-house. (I went to one called Emilia; they had lovely bits of lace jewellery-- earrings, brooches, bracelets-- as well as meterage and motifs for clothing.)

The public-transport vaporetto will get you to Burano from Venice. Stroll the streets with their multicoloured houses, have lunch in the amazing sandwich shop Fabbrica Birra e Piadina, have dinner somewhere local like the trattoria al Gatto Nero, or there are also some amazing restaurants on the neighbouring island of Torcello (as well as a medieval tower you can climb).
posted by Pallas Athena at 9:56 AM on May 30 [2 favorites]

What about something footwear-related? LACE-UP some hiking boots, rollerblades, ice skates....
posted by wats at 2:58 PM on May 30 [1 favorite]

Chantilly Lace by the Big Bopper in 1958.
There may be other rock and roll tie-ins for that era. Someone mentioned roller skating, which was a big thing back then.

Chantilly eau de toilette by Dana is the name of a perfume available at Amazon.

Whenever I think of lace I think of bridal veils. If you know of a matched pair of dogs, arrange a wedding or watch a video on YouTube -- complete with canine tux and white bridal attire!
Don't forget your own frothy lace bridal bouquet!
posted by TrishaU at 4:53 PM on May 30

The tv mini-series based on the book mentioned by CheeseLouise:

Lace is an American television miniseries, based on the 1982 novel of the same name by author Shirley Conran. The series aired on ABC on February 26–27, 1984. The plot concerns the search by film star Lili (Phoebe Cates) for her natural mother, who surrendered her for adoption as a newborn. Lace was one of the highest-rated television movies of the 1983–84 television season.

It featured the indelible line, "Incidentally, which one of you bitches is my mother?"
posted by TWinbrook8 at 1:01 PM on May 31

Also, licorice laces. Use them to tie up a gift box or spell out a message.
posted by veneer at 10:06 PM on June 1 [1 favorite]