What is "brussels lace"

Lace \Lace\ (l[=a]s), n. [OE. las, OF. laz, F. lacs, dim. lacet, fr. L. laqueus noose, snare; prob. akin to lacere to entice. Cf. Delight, Elicit, Lasso, Latchet.]

1. That which binds or holds, especially by being interwoven; a string, cord, or band, usually one passing through eyelet or other holes, and used in drawing and holding together parts of a garment, of a shoe, of a machine belt, etc.

   His hat hung at his back down by a lace.
   --Chaucer.

   For striving more, the more in laces strong Himself he tied.
   --Spenser.

2. A snare or gin, especially one made of interwoven cords; a net. [Obs.]
   --Fairfax.

   Vulcanus had caught thee [Venus] in his lace.
   --Chaucer.

3. A fabric of fine threads of linen, silk, cotton, etc., often ornamented with figures; a delicate tissue of thread, much worn as an ornament of dress.

   Our English dames are much given to the wearing of costly laces.
   --Bacon.

4. Spirits added to coffee or some other beverage. [Old Slang]
   --Addison.

   Alen[,c]on lace, a kind of point lace, entirely of needlework, first made at Alen[,c]on in France, in the 17th century. It is very durable and of great beauty and cost.

   Bone lace, Brussels lace, etc. See under Bone, Brussels, etc.

   Gold lace, or Silver lace, lace having warp threads of silk, or silk and cotton, and a weft of silk threads covered with gold (or silver), or with gilt.

   Lace leather, thin, oil-tanned leather suitable for cutting into lacings for machine belts.

   Lace lizard (Zo["o]l.), a large, aquatic, Australian lizard ( Hydrosaurus giganteus), allied to the monitors.

   Lace paper, paper with an openwork design in imitation of lace.

   Lace piece (Shipbuilding), the main piece of timber which supports the beak or head projecting beyond the stem of a ship.

   Lace pillow, and Pillow lace. See under Pillow.

Brussels \Brus"sels\, n. A city of Belgium, giving its name to a kind of carpet, a kind of lace, etc.

Brussels carpet, a kind of carpet made of worsted yarn fixed in a foundation web of strong linen thread. The worsted, which alone shows on the upper surface in drawn up in loops to form the pattern.

Brussels ground, a name given to the handmade ground of real Brussels lace. It is very costly because of the extreme fineness of the threads.

Brussels lace, an expensive kind of lace of several varieties, originally made in Brussels; as, Brussels point, Brussels ground, Brussels wire ground.

Brussels net, an imitation of Brussels ground, made by machinery.

Brussels point. See Point lace.

Brussels sprouts (Bot.), a plant of the Cabbage family, which produces, in the axils of the upright stem, numerous small green heads, or ``sprouts,'' each a cabbage in miniature, of one or two inches in diameter; the thousand-headed cabbage.

Brussels wire ground, a ground for lace, made of silk, with meshes partly straight and partly arched.

Brussels lace is a type of pillow lace that originated in and around Brussels. The term "Brussels lace" has been broadly used for any lace from Brussels; however, the term strictly interpreted refers to bobbin lace, in which the pattern is made first, then the ground, or réseau, added, also using bobbin lace. Brussels lace is not to be confused with Brussels point, which is a type of needle lace, though is sometimes also called "Brussels lace".

Brussels lace is part lace. This is made in pieces, with the flowers and design made separate from the ground, unlike Mechlin lace or Valenciennes lace; because of this, the long threads that form the design always follow the curves of the pattern, whereas in bobbin laces made all at once, the threads are parallel to the length of the lace. Brussels lace is also distinguished by its réseau or background, the toilé or pattern, and the lack of a cordonnet outlining the pattern. The réseau is hexagonal, with four threads plaited four times on two sides, and two threads twisted twice on the remaining four sides. The toilé can be of two types, the standard woven texture like a piece of fabric, or a more open version with more of the appearance of a netted réseau. This allows for shading in the designs, an effect that was used more in the later designs. In Brussels lace, instead of a cordonnet, the pattern is edged with open stitches, which are then picked up to form the réseau.

Brussels lace is well known for its delicacy and beauty. Originally it was only made from the finest spun linen thread, which was spun in dark damp rooms to keep the thread from becoming too brittle. Only one ray of light was allowed into the room, and it was arranged so that it fell upon the thread. This fine thread is part of what prevented mechanizing the process of making Brussels lace, as well as the production of it in other regions, as it could not be bought anywhere else. It was also what made the lace so costly. Brussels lace cost more than Mechlin lace, and was in high demand in England and France.

Brussels lace started to be produced in the 15th century, and was first explicitly mentioned in England in a list of presents given to Princess Mary at New Years', 1543.