Over the past few days, I’ve been sharing with you some photos from a reader who enjoyed some time in Cyprus learning about Lefkaritika, or Lefkara Lace, a traditional form of embroidery from the island. Today, I’m continuing the topic, showing you some close up photos of some of the different motifs used in Lefkara lace.

To start, though, let’s look how the Cypriots traditionally work on their lace. They use pillows. This is not to be confused with a bobbin lace pillow, though – but it serves some of the same purposes. Continue reading “Lefkara Lace Up Close”

Lefkara lace, from Cyprus, has become a fascinating subject of study for me the last couple weeks, ever since Elissa sent me photos from her Cyprus adventures. The other day, I showed you a few brief bits of Lefkara lace, hoping to whet your appetite for the subject, too. I think what fascinates me most about the technique is that it strikes me, too, as a combination of Italian needle lace and Hardanger, with a little Schwalm thrown in along the edges. The Venetian influence on Lefkara lace is easy enough to understand, as Venice had administrative control of Cyprus some 500-ish years ago. Sources seem to be in conflict over whether Venice brought the lace technique to Cyprus, or Cyprus sent it back to Venice. I’ll have to do a little more research on that one!