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The operating chain of manufactures - The creation of new designs

In a manufacture, new designs are created and pricked cards made.
 
The creation of new designs finds its inspiration in everyday life through a fashion magazine, a simply decorated biscuit tin or a botanical theme.
An another hand diverse decorative art documents might be used or bought by the manufacturer to inspire the designer : ornemental drawings, flower designs, sample books or watercolour drawings from the textile industry, etc.

 

When the manufactures are small, often the owner is also the designer. The manager might also recruit a designer or use a freelance "chamber designer" from whom he buys patterns.

 

 

Big patterns are firstly sketched then set down in their final forms. Small design are often worked straight on to tracing paper.
The minimal parts are drawn then symetrically traced by folding and pricking of the design sheet.

When the codification and the tracing are finished, the perforated tracing paper is used to transfer the design and the placing for the needles onto a card called "pricked cards" or "prickings".
The card which will eventually be given to the lacemaker is perforated with a "piquaire" then filled in with ink.