Tønder lace

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Traditional Tønder lace motif Jordbær (Strawberries)
Traditional Tønder lace motif Jordbær (Strawberries)

Tønder lace is a point-ground type of handmade bobbin lace identified with the Tønder region since about 1850, although lace of many types has been made there since as early as 1650. The handmade lace industry gradually ceased to be economically important to the region after the introduction of machine-made lace, although it never died out entirely, and is still made today, mostly by hobbyists.

It was traditionally made in linen thread, although since the disappearance of the very fine linen threads, it has commonly been made in cotton. It is characterized by the use of a heavy gimp thread outlining the cloth-stitch motifs, honeycomb fillings in motifs, square tallies in the ground, and often large holes in the motif, called "Copenhagen holes". These last were an attempt on the part of the lacemakers to speed up the production of the lace, as they strove to compete with the cheaper machine-made lace.


Lace types
Needle Punto in Aria | Point de Venise | Point de France | Alençon | Argentan | Argentella | Hollie Point | Point de Gaze | Youghal | Limerick
Embroidered: Reticella | Buratto | Filet/Lacis | Tambour | Teneriffe | Needlerun Net
Cut Work: Broderie Anglaise | Carrickmacross
Bobbin Ancient: Antwerp | Pottenkant | Ecclesiastical | Freehand | Torchon
Continental: Binche | Flanders | Mechlin | Paris | Valenciennes
Point ground: Bayeux | Blonde | Bucks point | Chantilly | Tønder | Beveren | Lille
Guipure: Genoese | Venetian | Bedfordshire | Cluny | Maltese
Part laces: Honiton | Brugges | Brussels
Tape: Milanese | Flemish | Russian | Peasant
Tape:  Mezzopunto | Princess | Renaissance | Romanian point
Knotted:  Macramé | Tatting | Armenian
Crocheted Irish crochet | Hairpin | Filet crochet
Knitted Shetland | Estonian | Icelandic | Danish | German
Machine-made:  Warp Knit | Leavers | Pusher | Barmen | Curtain Machine | Chemical
Hand Finished: Hand-run Gimps