Newbury Bobtails: 40 years of lacemaking

Newbury Bobtails, a local group of lacemakers will be holding an exhibition of lace and craft to celebrate their 40th anniversary.

The exhibition will run from from Thursday, November 7 to Tuesday, November 12 in the Carnegie Room at Newbury library in The Wharf. Admission is free.

There will be a wide range of lace and some ‘have a go’ pillows.

“Our members include beginners and experienced lacemakers, and we will be delighted to show you not only some of the lace we make, but also how you too can make a piece of lace to take home with you,” said lacemaker Sally Wade.

“We are a friendly group and welcome new members, whether beginners or experienced lacemakers."

Opening times: Thursday 10am-6pm, Sunday closed, Friday, Saturday 10am-4pm, Monday, Tuesday 10am-4pm.

Members of Newbury Bobtails will be demonstrating lacemaking throughout the exhibition.

Visitors will be able to have a go at making bobbin lace.

Newbury Bobtails was inaugurated in January 1984. A group of lacemakers meeting in one of their homes decided to hold regular monthly meetings. Since then the group has met once a month on a Tuesday, making use of Zoom when they couldn’t meet in person due to Covid-19.

The group adopted its name and logo because of the proximity of Watership Down, just south of Newbury.

They are an active and supportive group. Members have been involved in demonstrating in many places around the local area including Newbury Show and at exhibitions at the museum and Town Hall to celebrate anniversaries of the group.

Bobtails’ members made a jabot and cuffs for Newbury’s mayor and pictures for the Town Hall and the Rosemary wing of West Berkshire Hospital.

The group holds two lace days each year, in March and October, with suppliers and usually an exhibition of members’ lace. The raffles held at lace days have supported many local charities. Members have taken part in workshops to learn new techniques and have also visited Bruges three times.

Newbury Bobtails hope to enjoy many more years of fun, friendship and lacemaking.

If you are interested in joining Newbury Bobtails, or would like to come along to one of their meetings to see if lacemaking is for you, please email secretary@newburybobtails.org

Visit www.newburybobtails.org for further information.

What we now regard as lace probably originated in the early 16th century. Open woven fabrics and fine nets with a lace-like effect are known to have existed for centuries, but their techniques were not the same as those developed for the great European laces.

​There is pictorial evidence from the late 15th century of simple plaited laces used on costume, and a statement by the author of a 16th century bobbin lace pattern book that lace was brought to Zurich from Italy in about 1536.

The second half of the sixteenth century saw the rapid development of lace as an openwork fabric, created with a needle and single thread (needle lace) or with multiple threads (bobbin lace).

Bobbin lace evolved from braids and trimmings worked in colourful silks and silver-gilt threads and used as decoration for dress and furnishings.