All About Maltese Lace: A Lace-Making Glossary

Maltese lace, known as bizzilla, is a traditional bobbin lace made in Malta. This guipure-style lace is woven on a tall, slender pillow called a trajbu using wooden bobbins called combini. It is crafted in continuous strips, with larger pieces created by joining sections together. The art of Maltese lace-making is particularly cherished on the island of Gozo.

A Rich History

Maltese lace originated as needle lace, made from the 16th to the 19th centuries. However, economic struggles nearly caused the craft to disappear. In the mid-1800s, Lady Hamilton Chichester helped revive it by introducing Genoese lacemakers to Malta. These artisans adapted traditional patterns into bobbin lace, which was faster to make. Over time, Maltese lace developed its own unique style, distinct from Genoese lace.

Maltese lace gained international fame after being displayed at the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London. Its popularity spread through Britain, influencing English lace-makers and contributing to the development of Bedfordshire lace. Today, efforts continue to preserve the craft. Government trade schools and private organizations offer lace-making classes and host exhibitions to help keep the tradition alive.

Distinctive Features

Maltese lace is known for a few unique characteristics:

• It’s traditionally made from cream-colored silk, though black silk and linen thread have also been used.
• Designs often feature the iconic eight-pointed Maltese cross.
• Patterns frequently include rounded leaf motifs called “wheat ears,” which contrast with the slender leaves in other bobbin lace styles.

Glossary of Lace and Textile Terms

Alençon: A delicate needle lace from Normandy, France, known for its fine net ground

Application Lace: Lace where decorative motifs are stitched onto a machine-made net or bobbin lace background

Blonde Lace: A silk lace known for its bold floral patterns

Bobbin Lace: Lace created by twisting threads wound on bobbins, secured to a pillow

Bobbins: Wooden or bone tools used to hold and control threads in bobbin lace-making.

Brides: Narrow threads connecting lace motifs, common in French needle lace

Brussels Lace: A fine lace made in Belgium, available in both bobbin and needle lace styles

Buttonhole Stitch: A key stitch in needle lace, also called punto a feston

Chantilly Lace: A black silk bobbin lace from France featuring floral designs

Chemical Lace: Machine-embroidered lace where the fabric is later dissolved, leaving only the lace pattern

Continuous Lace: Lace made in one piece, unlike part lace, which is assembled from separate sections

Cordonnet: A thicker thread outlining lace motifs

Cutwork: Embroidery where fabric is cut and edges are stitched, an early form of lace

Dentelle: The French word for lace

Drawn-Thread Work: A technique where threads are removed from fabric and the remaining ones are stitched decoratively

Engageantes: Lace ruffles attached to women’s sleeves in the 17th and 18th centuries

Fillings: Decorative stitches used to fill lace motifs

Fond: The background mesh or net for lace

Guipure: A lace style where motifs are connected by brides instead of a net ground

Honiton Lace: A fine bobbin lace from Devon, England

Lace: Openwork fabric made using bobbins or needles

Macramé: A lace-like fabric created by knotting threads

Maltese Lace: A 19th-century bobbin lace from Malta, often featuring the Maltese cross

Mantilla: A traditional Spanish lace veil

Mesh: The net-like background of lace

Milanese Lace: A heavy bobbin lace with floral patterns, popular in the 17th century

Needle Lace: Lace made using buttonhole stitches with a needle and thread

Part Lace: Lace made in separate sections and joined together

Picots: Small loops decorating lace edges

Pillow Lace: Another term for bobbin lace, referring to the pillow used in its creation

Point: A term used to describe stitches or types of lace, such as point d’Alençon

Pricking: The process of marking lace patterns on cards for bobbin lace-making

Pulled-Fabric Work: A technique where fabric threads are pulled to create decorative holes

Réseau: The mesh background for lace

Reticella: A geometric needle lace from the 16th century, a forerunner of modern lace

Rosaline: A type of delicate lace, including the Venetian and Brussels styles

Schiffli Machine: A machine invented in 1863 that replicates lace patterns

Tulle: A fine net fabric, originally handmade but now often machine-produced

Twist Net: A simple bobbinet ground used in various lace styles

Additional Resources

• Maltese Lace
• Brief History of Maltese (Bobbin) Lace
• Guipure Lace
• Italian Pillow Lace
• Celebrating the Ladies Who Lace: The Textile Art of Gozo
• Investing in Malta to Gain Citizenship
• Studying the History of Lace-Making
• Becoming Maltese by Marriage
• Learn About Lace
• Maltese Lace: The Rich Weave of History and its Relevance Today
• Beds Maltese and Yak Lace
• How to Get Malta Citizenship
• Lace as the Bread of the People
• Maltese Citizenship by Investment