Hybrid crafts are increasingly repurposing the metal materials used in hand crafts for their conductive and interactive affordances. In this paper, we look to the history of metal threads and their use in the fine craft of bobbin lace to explore tensions and opportunities for leveraging bobbin lace techniques with e-textile crafting. First, we
contribute an overview of the history of metal thread use in bobbin lace practices. Second, we provide insights on contemporary bobbin lace culture from individual interviews with 17 bobbin lacemakers. Third, to better understand how to integrate e-textiles with bobbin lace practices, we engaged in a Research-through-Design process of creating e-textile bobbin lace patterns and samples alongside two group feedback sessions with members of a bobbin lace guild. Together, these three contributions provide an introduction of the affordances and constraints of bobbin lace as a unique fabrication method for e-textile hand crafts.
This research is published here: https://doi-org.proxy.queensu.ca/10.1145/3689050.3704957
In this paper, we explore opportunities for e-textile bobbin lace with three contributions: (1) summarizing the metal thread history of bobbin lace for HCI audiences, (2) conducting interviews with contemporary bobbin lacemakers to understand their craft practices, and (3) creating e-textile bobbin lace samples with iterative feedback from members of a bobbin lace guild. Images courtesy (left to right) of the Smithsonian [15 ], Kathy Morgan, and potentiometer sample created by the research team.
Laces are textiles defined by their negative spaces. Examples of lace fabrication techniques include (a) woven lace [16], (b) bobbin lace [6 ], (c) sprang [8], (d) knit lace [22 ], (e) crochet lace [12], (f) macramé [4 ], (g) tatting [11 ], (h) netting [ 13], (i) cutwork [3], and (j) needle lace [7]. Images courtesy of the Smithsonian and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Making bobbin lace involves three phrases: (1) preparing the bobbins and pricking the pattern, (2) working the pattern by interlacing and pinning, and (3) finishing by tying off the threads and unpinning the pattern.
Acknowledgement of Funding
We would like to thank our study participants, and the members of the Hinterland Lacers Guild, who generously contributed their time to share and discuss their bobbin lace practice with us. This project was funded by the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through a Discovery Grant (2021-04135), its Discovery Supplementary Fund (2021-00310), as well as through a NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship Award. We acknowledge the support of Ontario Research Fund and Canadian Foundation for Innovation for this research. Lee Jones was able to take bobbin lace courses thanks to a grant from the Ontario Arts Council.