From the beginning, the frames for Idealism were just as important to the concept as the lace. I purchased three identical ornate gold frames before I even designed the pattern for Utopia. The interior dimensions of the frames helped determine the eventual size of the lace, but I chose these frames for another reason. They looked like elaborate antique carved frames you might find in a museum, but they absolutely were not.

The frames were inexpensive imitations made from molded resin and painted to look old and ornate. That was exactly what I wanted. They were beautiful and presented themselves as something grander and more valuable than they actually were. Even before anything began to fall apart, there was already an illusion built into Utopia.

Three Identical Frames

I bought three of the exact same frame and used identical matting for each artwork. Just as Utopia, Disillusion, and Reality began with the same floral lace pattern, their frames started the same way.

Each frame followed the progression of the lace inside it. The frame for Utopia was left completely untouched. The ornate gold finish remained pristine, the glass was clear, and everything looked exactly as it should. For Disillusion, I started causing problems. The Reality frame went off the rails just like the artwork it contained.  

Damaging Disillusion

I began by using sandpaper to remove portions of the painted finish from the Disillusion frame. Because the ornate surface was only an imitation, sanding through the gold finish began to reveal the white resin underneath.

I also wanted the glass to block the viewer’s ability to appreciate the lace. To do this, I scratched a corner of the surface using several different grits of sandpaper. By pure luck, the scratches are only visible from some angles. Depending on where you stand and how the light hits the glass, your view of the lace changes.

Using a hammer and chisel, I created a crack across the glass. This was definitely a let’s see what happens moment, but thankfully it worked. Although it was still completely recognizable as the same frame used in Utopia, there’s something clearly wrong.

Breaking Reality

For Reality, subtle damage was no longer enough. I sanded much more of the finish from the frame and used a hammer to break portions of the ornate resin decoration. The broken corner was planned from the start, but I was far too gentle with when trying to break it precisely. Eventually, my husband hit the corner, and it came off perfectly.

I reattached the broken corner with heavy copper wire. I didn’t want the repair to disappear. So, the copper wire holds the corner away from the rest of the frame, making the repair impossible to ignore. Just like the lace in Reality, there was no longer any way to hide what was wrong.

Adding Lace to the Break

The original plan called for needle lace in the opening created by the broken frame. I imagined making that lace with wire, but once I had the unfinished threads hanging from Reality, it made much more sense to use those.

Working needle lace in the tiny opening between the frame and the broken corner was incredibly awkward. I used some of the simplest needle lace stitches I could and didn’t worry about making them technically perfect. I just wanted lace within the damaged area.

The hanging threads also became part of the repair and destruction. I tangled them around the copper wire, through the broken corner, around one another, and three bobbins. I originally planned to use some of my husband’s older handmade bobbins, but he insisted I choose newer, prettier ones that showed off his current skills. The three bobbins are tied into the threads and permanently part of the artwork.

Organized Chaos

Creating the final tangle was both natural and deliberate. I moved my hand back and forth through the hanging threads, tangling and rearranging them until the mess looked right. I cut some threads to different lengths, wrapped others through the broken frame, and allowed everything to extend past the boundaries that had contained Utopia and Disillusion.

It was organized chaos. There wasn’t a formula. I just kept shifting and tangling everything until it looked good.

The three frames began as identical objects, just as the three laceworks began with the same pattern. Utopia remained pristine. Disillusion was damaged but still completely functional. By Reality, the frame itself was broken, visibly repaired, missing its glass, and no longer able to contain the artwork inside.

After planning Idealism, teaching myself to design Flanders lace, working with hundreds of bobbins, purposefully making mistakes, destroying frames, breaking glass, adding needle lace, and tangling all those threads, I was incredibly pleased with how the finished triptych came together. I was also really happy it was finally finished!

Check out my Instagram (@BobbinLaceNet) and TikTok (@CajahYupMe) for process videos and behind-the-scenes updates!