Orvieto Lace
Orvieto and lace: a tradition able to renew itself by blending the old with the modern.
The art of crochet lace in Orvieto was called "Trina d'Irlanda" and has been around since the XVII century. In the early 1900s Ars Wetana was founded to promote this craft with entirely local characteristics, copying details and artistic motifs from the city's cathedral. The idea for the project was launched by the Senator Count Eugenio Faina and realised by his son, Claudio, who set up a fund for a simple but remarkable work women could do at home to earn some income for themselves. The lace is unique in its genre, both for its technique and the designs that become veritable works of art, like centre pieces and decorative additions to clothing and household linens.
The technique comprises various phases that can be done by more than one person, each one specialised in a particular phase. The main tools are a crochet hook and very thin thread. A design is drawn on paper and then traced onto a densely woven fabric. The ornament is made based on the design and sewn onto the cloth. At the end, the base unites all the pieces: the design and the central part made up of rounds, with a netting that can be of a different shape and picots that refine the work. A detail worthy of note is the special ironing technique with starch, done with unusually shaped heated irons with rounded points which create the bas-relief effect of the design that so distinguishes Orvieto crochet lace. Passion for this tradition remains very much alive today and the ancient art of lace making has now been enriched with new and original shapes. Experts base their work on ancient designs and have created an entirely individual style where traditional knowhow results in new creations with materials that are seemingly far from traditional. Leather, knitwear and uncommon fabrics have become rightful members of this remarkable world of fashion and home décor, serving as decorations on shoes, wedding dresses, lamp shades, chairs and other items created for a clientele that is both refined and discerning, clients who appreciate the inestimable value of handcrafted beauty.