Learning Filet Lace Like my Grandmother Used to Make

I decided I want to learn to make filet lace like my grandmother used to. I hadn't been able to find the needles and kit anywhere. So I looked in her Singer sewing machine cabinet which I inherited.

My grandmothers Singer sewing machine

Singer sewing machine - pedal powered

Singer sewing machine - lid open - the machine swings up and locks in place

Singer sewing machine - ready to go (the flap on the left usually falls flat and is propped up by the fully open door, such brilliant design)

This was what was in one of the drawers - untouched since the day she died 20 years ago - among other things, a full filet lace kit with a piece even started for me. I more than ever believe that they are looking down and see when we need them.

The contents of my grandmother's Singer sewing machine cabinet - including a piece of filet netting she had already started

Progress in two afternoons

I have learned to:

• cast off
• do a nice even net stitch
• turn a corner on one side (to make a square/rectangle)
• turn a corner on the opposite side (instead of, ahem, on the same side again)
• reduce the net holes to create the rectangle
• and close off (kind of, there is a stray saggy thread) 

Here I go...

My first loop

Lots of loops

My first row

Getting into the swing

Finished trial piece

Trying out a triangle - which actually turns into a square

Finished examples - I lost confidence on the left hand one and thought I was going wrong but it's actually correct

And that's just the start. Next are all the embroidery stitches to fill in the net so that I end up with something like this.

Beautiful filet lace bedspread inherited from my grandmother - reputed to have belonged to the last king of Italy

Resources

Here are some more resources for anyone interested:

• sisan881 on YouTube explaining filet lace in (not in English)
• giuseppa nania on YouTube showing techniques for filet lace net-making
• Save the Stitches by nordic needle filet lace guidance and patterns
• Tristan Gloaguen on YouTube - Confection de filet à maille irrégulière avec Andrée Flock (in French)
• Chihiro K on YouTube how to make a net filet lace useful for the left-handed

I found it really useful to watch and rewatch, pause and rewind videos of people actually doing filet. Which is why videos in different languages are not a barrier.

It's impossible to find the specialist shuttle needles here in the UK so try buying them from Italy instead. Search for aghi da filet on eBay in different sizes (ago = needle; aghi = needles).

Next ambitions

Once I've got filet down I'm moving on to tatting and needlelace. All techniques my grandmother was expert in. I was also thinking of building up to bobbin lace but that is really complex and I think I'll need a teacher (I was looking for a course in Honiton to no avail, surprisingly).

But for now, filet it is. Future progress will be posted.

Would love to hear from anyone who has had to teach themselves a difficult technique and how you did it.