#HistoryStitch: Saxon Bobbin & Tambour Lace – The Transition to Crochet in the 18th Century

20/10/2025

When we think of lace crochet today, many picture delicate filet patterns or nostalgic edgings decorating linens or garments. But the roots of this craft go back much further – and they take us straight to baroque Saxony. Between Dresden, Leipzig, and the flourishing textile hubs of Europe, around 1700, an extraordinary transition took place: from exquisite bobbin lace to exotic tambour embroidery, and finally toward what would become crochet.

🏛️ From Bobbin Lace to a New Fashion

Saxon bobbin lace was world-renowned in the 17th century for its refinement. Dresden was home to entire guilds that produced lace pattern books. Lace was a symbol of wealth and prestige – worn by nobility, clergy, and the rising bourgeoisie.

Yet toward the end of the century, a new fashion arrived: tambour embroidery. This technique originated in India and Persia, spreading to Europe through trade. In France and Saxony, it quickly became a sensation:

Using a small hook (tambour needle), thread was looped directly into fine silk fabric.
The result was a chain of even loops – a clear ancestor of the crochet stitch.
Dresden and Leipzig soon became centers of excellence, perfecting the art.

🔄 The Transition Toward Crochet

What began as embroidery on fabric soon took on a new life.
👉 Craftspeople started experimenting with making loops freely in thread, without a fabric base.

This led to the birth of:

Filet crochet: patterns of filled and empty squares, inspired by embroidery charts.
Edgings & inserts: popular in 18th-century fashion for collars, cuffs, and caps.
Accessibility: crochet was easier to learn than bobbin lace, and spread more quickly.

🏺 Museums & Sources

Institutions like the German Textile Museum in Krefeld and the Grassi Museum in Leipzig preserve treasures from this transitional period, including:

Original tambour embroideries on silk, nearly indistinguishable from early crochet stitches.
Hybrid pieces combining embroidery and free loop work.
18th-century pattern books with schematic square grids – the direct precursors of filet crochet.

📚 Why This Matters

The story shows that crochet did not appear in isolation – it grew out of a cultural exchange. Without influences from India, Persia, and Saxon lace centers, crochet as we know it might never have emerged.

Bobbin lace = peak of European craftsmanship
Tambour = exotic import, sparking innovation
Crochet = democratization of lace, accessible to many women

🌟 My Conclusion

Saxon bobbin and tambour lace mark a true turning point in textile history. From a blend of luxury, fashion, and curiosity, the craft we now call crochet emerged in the 18th century.

👉 Next time you try a filet crochet pattern, remember you're continuing a tradition that began over 300 years ago – give it a try and bring history to life in your stitches!

#knittingtrends #madeinlove #historystitch #knittinghistory #historystitch

Stitch by stitch, we weave threads back into the past – and carry the lace artistry of centuries into our own time.

Warmly,
Kathrin ☀️🧶

Want to dive deeper into the world of stitches?
Explore my patterns, browse the blog, or join our community!