Looking at Lace in France and Belgium, and Tapestry Embroidery in England and Wales

Lovely Lace

 I love lace. But white lace doileys look old fashioned. You can dye them colours. Use them as collars, neck fillers or dickeys.

Lace can be made with strong thread, fine thread, or a mixture.

Black lace can be worn as a sophisticated evening fashion. 

It can add delicacy and distraction at a funeral or time of mourning.

You can create lace with a crochet hook. 

Or several bobbins (long heavy holders of thread which are hung down from a hump and moved around in a fan shape, semi circular or circular, like weaving, to create the patterns.

A third type of lace is machine made lace.

See more at lace museums on Holland and Belgium.

You can buy huge table cloths entirely of lace, or lace trimmed tablecloths and matching napkins. 

The History of Lace

A queen, Catherine de Medicis, took lace from Italy to France. (The country of Belgium was created by Queen Victoria's family to console a aspiring king of England who was bypassed and had to be made king of somewhere. I learned that they chopped a piece off France and a piece off Holland and made Belgium, which at first went well. However, reading Britannica, it appears that the whole area was bounced around like a football between France, the Netherlands, Austria, Spain. It now has a clear identity, but three languages, French, Belgian and German for the German speaking  minority in the East, with French in the capital Brussels, as well as the EU and NATO providing employment.  Belgian lace.

Lace in Bayeux, France. Apart from the medieval buildings, and museums, the tourist can enjoy Belgian chocolates, such as the Godiva brand, Belgian waffles, Belgian chips/frites, and Belgian beer. 

Lace in Bayeux, France

Northern France has lace in Bayeux. A second kind of exquisite fabric to admire. Not just the Bayeux tapestry, featuring embroidery. (Hastings has a rival tapestry about the same event.)

Tapestry in Fishguard, Wales

 Wales has another long story-telling embroidery, celebrating local heroes, and heroines., Fishguard's tapestry tells about the time when Welsh women wearing tall back hats and red cloaks resisted an invasian by French soldiers in boats.

Fasion & Lace Museum, Brussels, Bemlgium

Useful Websites

Brussels, Belgium

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fashion_%26_Lace_Museum

France

https://www.rfi.fr/en/culture/20221224-crafty-bayeux-artisans-give-traditional-french-lace-a-modern-touch-normandie-handcrafts

Calais

https://www.cite-dentelle.fr/en/

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Wales' Last Invasion Tapestry and the Bayeux Tapestry

Fishguard's town hall, painted green, is easy to find.

Downstairs is a three panel tiled panorama of Fishguard and Goodwick.

Here is the train which brings you to Fishguard, perhaps from Paddington Station, London, or elsewhere in England, Scotland or Wales, via Cardiff, Newport or Swansea, depending on time and route.

The Welsh lady, Jemima, who captured French invaders.

Typical Welsh woman's high Black Welsh hat and red cloak, national costume worn by Jemima, which fooled the French into thinking soldiers were marching around.

The long gallery housing the 100 foot tapestry.

Some souvenirs of Wales sold in the shop and tourist information centre of the ground floor of the town hall in Fishguard. (More goodies such as Welsh wooden carved love spoons in craft shops around the town.)

Photos by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Problem
How do you celebrate the successes of the men and women of Wales?

Answer
With Fishguard's imitation of the Bayeux Tapestry. On the one hand it's a celebration of a victory over the French invaders, in 1797, on the other hand it is a tribute to the enduring popularity of the French Bayeux Tapestry which is a tourist attraction in Hastings in England.

Watch the fascinating film of how the story was researched. The backing and wool were obtained at the best value price. The drawings were made, with trips including one to the church which the French soldiers pillaged, and where they surrendered. Then the drawing was transferred to the backing. Finally, the kinds of stitches were selected, to make the whole tapestry consistent although each panel was sewn by a different groups of stitchers.

It all took time. Not without a few mishaps. One enthusiastic embroiderer was told her stitching was lovely, but she had sewn the wrong colour! She had to unpick it and embroider it all over again. Despite this, everybody was delighted with the new friendships, new skills, and contributing to something which enhanced tourism to the region and might last for centuries.

Tips
First stop:
Last Invasion Tapestry Museum
Town Hall
Fishguard
Pembrokeshire
Wales
www.visitWales.com
Fishguard Tourist Information Centre is on the ground floor.
See tile three part mural by children on ground floor. See tapestry upstairs. Watch the film.
Also see the website for Pembrokeshire tourist board.

2nd Stop
Royal Oak Pub
Fishguard Square
Fishguard
Pembrokeshire
This is where the peace treaty was signed when the French army surrendered.

3rd Stop
Lower Town where Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood was filmed starring Richard Burton.
The Ship Inn served the cast and crew. See memorabilia.

4th Stop
Fishguard Hotel, restaurant and Bar
Goodwick
See the story of how Richard Burton stayed here, panel on left of the bar. Fine view over the bay and on the terrace.

Tips
Read about the Bayeux Tapestry In England which inspired the one in Wales.
St Mary in the Castle
Pelham Crescent
Hastings
East Sussex
England
www.visit1066 country.com

Events:
Music Festival 24 July-4 August 2017.
Writers' Holiday Feb 2018.
www.fishguardmusicfestival.co.uk
www.writersholiday.net

Travel and Tours
https://www.visitbritainshop.com/world/ (trips, tours, offers: London; England, Scotland, Wales)

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. I have other posts on Wales and speaking Welsh. Please share links to  your favourite posts.