Welcome to the Lace Guild
Home of both Traditional Craft and Textile Innovation
The Lace Guild is the largest lace organisation in the United Kingdom and is an accredited museum with a large collection of lace and associated artefacts. The Guild produces two quarterly magazines, Lace and Early Days in Lacemaking, and publishes books of lace techniques and patterns.​ Our aims are to:
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To provide information about the craft of lacemaking, its history and use.
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To promote a high standard of lacemaking.
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To encourage the design, development and professional presentation of lace.
renewal reminder!
if you haven't already renewed your membership for 2026-27, please do so quickly in order to receive your summer magazine
pamela nottingham's bobbins - closed bid auctions for members only
Pamela Johnson MBE sadly passed away in 2023. Pamela - née Nottingham - was one of the first authors of modern lacemaking books; her obituaries were published in Lace Autumn Issue 192 (pp.22-25).
Pamela made a generous bequest for the benefit of The Lace Guild, which included her working tools (i.e. her lacemaking bobbins). While some of these have been added to the museum collection, those not kept by The Lace Guild will gradually be sold. Over this membership year we are initially offering some of Pamela’s bobbins for sale to Lace Guild members only, by closed bid auctions.
Limited Edition Dee Carver Golden Anniversary Bone Bobbin
This sale is restricted to Lace Guild Members with a current and valid membership number. The edition is limited to 50 bobbins with number 1 going into the Lace Guild archive, sales are restricted to one per member. Because of these restrictions we are unable to sell the bobbins via the shop. The bobbins are priced at £28.95 plus postage and packing. If you would like to purchase one of these beautiful bobbins please complete your details below. We will close this form as soon as we can after bobbin 50 has been requested but there may be a short delay in reaching this point.
golden anniversary Short Courses 2026/7
2026 courses revised! 2027 courses added!​
Celebrate 50 years of the Lace Guild at one of our Golden Anniversary Short Courses, designed for lacemakers of all levels of ability including complete beginners. Non-members welcome.
Join us and enhance your skills in our Golden Anniversary year.
Click on the link below to find out more!
NEW – Belgian Laces (Brugge, Chrysanthemum, Flanders, Binche) with Susan Roberts, Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th October 2026 at The Hollies.
Below: Binche lace worked by Susan Roberts.
Our Magazines
We offer two quarterly magazines to members of the Guild, published at the end of July, October, January and April.
Lace is the main magazine, 64 pages of articles, community news and patterns.
Early Days In Lacemaking is aimed at novice lacemakers, and contains around 30 pages of mostly easy patterns.
Our Museum and Library
Current Exhibition at The Hollies
Golden Jubilee
2 May 2026 – 12 September 2026
This is an opportunity to look back and see what has happened in lacemaking over the past fifty years. We have been offered the loan of an exciting range of lace items to add to those already donated to the Museum collection over the years. By definition, all will be modern-made laces, although the design styles will vary from traditional through to avant-garde. Group entries, those entered by Young Lacemakers over the years, and the original work of Designers/Makers will be included alongside the reworking of traditional designs.
