Ever since I began making books in 2002 I've used vintage materials for the covers. Vintage lace made its first appearance probably in 2003, and it's been a often used element ever since. At first I used lace I'd received from my mother and grandmother, but once there were only the most precious pieces left I realised I had to begin collecting vintage lace in earnest for future book projects. So, now I pick up special (and afforable) bits of lace at antique markets and online, and my collection grows. Still, there's always room for quality pieces!

On my studio shelf I have a plastic bin overflowing with lace that I could possibly, maybe, in special circumstances, use on book covers or mixed media pieces. The most special family heirloom lace is stored elsewhere in a safe place (where that is, I have forgotten, because safe places are doomed to be forgotten), so the above lot is a selection from the possibly useable lace bin.

Sometimes the most worn pieces can be the most attractive...

The blush pink lace is one of my newest finds and I love it!

This lace bib is one of those family heirloom pieces; it most likely belonged to either my great-grandmother Ester or great-grand-aunt Saima. The level of detail is amazing! The simple tatted lace above was tatted by either Saima or Ester - both of them were great at handicrafts.

This card of lace is also from the family stash, and I like to think some of these might also be family-made.

The lace above and below are my favourites to use on books - the wider the better!

If you want to find out more about how I actually use lace in my handmade books, have a look at my How to successfully glue different types of lace -tutorial!