The photo for October 2010 is a 19th century Belgian needlelace border 6″ wide. There are some widely held misconceptions of Belgian needlelace of this period. Too often people think only of the multi-layered rose petals combined with a romantic design, and go no further. Even though quality and condition can vary widely, prices for this Point d’Gaz/Rosepoint tend to be quite predictable- one could almost measure price trends in the lace market in general according to how a meter of the best Rosepoint goes. But Belgian needlelace is so much more in this period, and one can trace a definite progression from the magnificent flat ground pieces of the 18th century. Designers played a lot with the cordonnet, and some of the very best pieces have no raised work at all. The piece illustrated has a good, regular design – one can even discern color changes where different threads were used for various parts of the pattern. The clothwork is surprisingly solid, and a simple, even raised edge surrounds the major motifs. The combination of bride and looped ground is a further mark of innovative design.