The idea for my Lace-shop has sprung from a couple of situations in 1990. 

For years I had been making my own lace designs. At one stage I had drawn so many designs, that I knew I would never find the time to actually make them all.

But to make them small, that was what I wanted to do. As small as I could, I love a challenge.
For a year and a half I made miniature lace, several hours, every day.  At first I had to find out which materials I had to use, later came the challenge to work smaller and smaller. Because of this every practise I succeeded to make lace with  very fine old yarn ( bandegaren 16), comparable with Egyption cotton # 270.

In 1992 after spending 1750 hours to make miniature lace, my little laceshop was showed for the first time during the OIDFA congress in Utrecht. Since that time the lace shop has become fuller and fuller. After 2250 hours I stoped counting.

After I made a lot of miniature lace I started to think about a laceshop.

I regularly visited Brugge to buy my special, very fine old linen yarns and there I saw this lovely laceshop. We took pictures and mr Zegveld made me this shop and some furniture.
Now there are over 200 bobbin lace items in this shop.

Different types of laces in my maison des dentielleres are: Torchon, Tape lace 2 different types, Flanders lace, Tulle, Schneeberg lace, Bloemwerk, fine bloemwerk, Withof lace, Florence lace, Chrysante lace, Rosaline Perlée, Russian lace 's Gravenmoerse lace, modern lace, needlepoint lace, Mechlin air.

Here is the inside view of the shop, to the left and to the right.

At the front are 2 windows, stuffed with lace.

Apart from the usual bobbin lace and doilies my shop stocks: hats, stockings, socks, lingerie, babyclothes, a christening gown, lampshades, fans, tea cosy and dolls with lace clothing.

All in all over 200 hand bobbin pieces.

This is how bobbin lace is made. The pattern is pinned on the pillow.  Very fine yarn, the thinest insect pins, fine, light bobbins and a lot of skill and patience are required.
The result days and days later:  a doily of 3 x 3 cm.

Doing bobbin lace does not only involve making doilies. This miniature patternbook has a pattern of a duck. Size 14 mm.

Type of lace:  Withof Duchesse

The size of the cross is 20mm and the type of lace is Schneeberg. The lovely framed laces are also not larger than a few cm.

At the front an old lady is demonstrating lace making. She does that for tourists who are always standing around her in a wide cirkel.

On the side table beside her are some articles tourists love to buy.

The lady of the shop wears a bobbin lace vest. When this shop was being showed for the first time I wore a hand made bobbin vest similar to the miniature one. Also with a black blouse and trousers. That was funny. People recognized me as the" full size lady of the lace shop".

Behind the lady is a corner cupboard with a lace making pillow, pattern books, fabric and fans.

In front of the lady is the counter. What is in and on the counter? A lamp, a little box, tiny lace sachets with lavender, large pins and small pins pins for lace makers.
A tray with Russian lace and 2 madaillons with lace, 2 pairs of baby shoes of 9 and 13 mm, bobbins and a needle case of bone.

What is that on the floor? An embroidered doormat  with welcome, 2 bobbins, a pincushion and a pair of scissors and a small carpet.

The types of lace sorted
Rosaline lace with pearls

chrysant, guipure ground, bone fansticks with torchon lace 

Chrysant, 5 cm                                                                 Guipure, 2 cm                                            Schneeberg                      Tape lace

Flowerwork from Bruges,  10 cm tot 7 mm!

Cluny

Cluny at the smallest and swans from Bruges

Torchon

Flanders lace

Withof lace

s' Gravenmoerse lace

At the door are hanging these little, funny dolls. Of course they are made of lace.

Het lace making pillow with an embroidered bag, samplers on the wall.  She also loves miniatures because she made her own shop in 1-12. Which turns out to be 1-144.And a sewing box with a embroidery ring.

Publications about my lace shop:
Poppenhuizen en miniaturen nr 9 1992
Handwerken zonder grenzen nr 5 1995
La Dentelle nr 69 april 1997
Lace nr 90 april 1998
OIDFA bulletin nr 2 1998

Expositions with my lace shop:
Kantcentrum Brugge zomer 1991 (ter gelegeheid van het winnen van de "grote prijs van Brugge")
OIDFA congress Utrecht 1992
Kantcentrum Brugge zomer 1994
OIDFA  congress  Gent 1998
Kantmarkt Maarn nov. 1999
Musée de la Miniature - Montélimar (Frankrijk 1996 )
Poppenhuismuseum Heesch - 13 januari tot eind april 1999
Nederlands Centrum voor Handwerken 9-2-2002 tot 29-6-2002
Westfriesmuseum in Hoorn   29 maart - 19 september 2003
De 2 Marken Maarn 27 september 2003 
Poppenhuismuseum Heesch 5-7 tot 31 - 11 2004
Museum Pakhuis Koophandel 2-5 tot 31-10 2007