Seven Centuries of Lace

"Seven Centuries of Lace" by Maria Margaret Pollen is a detailed look into the world of lace-making, created in the early 1900s. Filled with pictures, the book examines the history, how-to, and artistry of lace made with needles and bobbins, stretching from early times to when the author was alive. It tries to record how lace designs and ways of making lace changed, and it gives life-size copies of different lace pieces, making it useful for people who love lace and researchers. The book begins by explaining why the author wanted to share her big lace collection with photos, noting that it's hard to really understand lace just from drawings. She wants to point out the small details in old lace designs, some of which come from ancient Coptic work, showing respect for the skill in making lace and setting up a timeline that shows how important lace was in religious and everyday life over the centuries.