The name Cluny is given to laces whose design is based on ancient bobbin laces preserved at the Cluny Museum (Musée de Cluny) in Paris. Cluny lace has certain distinct characteristics; the ground is made of plaited bars or brides; the solid parts are constructed of whole-stitch, half-stitch or whole-stitch and twist; the designs are mostly geometric, and for decoration, small picots (a series of small embroidered loops forming an ornamental edging on some ribbon and lace) and point d'esprit (a bobbinet or tulle netting with oval or square dots woven in an irregular pattern) are used.

Cluny lace, developed during the second half of the 19th century, was inspired by lace samples originally worked during the 16th century. This lace was usually worked in coarse or heavy linen threads and used to trim household items, such as table and bed linens. Because the design is so open the resultant product is light and very pleasing. Cluny lace is still made by hand in France, Belgium, and China. The Cluny lace also made by machine as a continuous threads lace because one uses the same number of bobbins from the beginning to the end of work. It is executed with a thread bigger than other laces like Rosaline lace, Binche lace or Duchess lace.

Hardanger Embroidery

Hardanger, or Hardangersom, is a form of whitework using counted thread and drawn thread work. It is worked on even-weave fabric of either cotton or linen with linen or pearl cotton threads. Though traditionally worked in white thread on white fabric, color has been used for many years now, both in the fabrics and threads.

While the history of Hardanger embroidery is not well documented, it was popular during the Renaissance period, when the use of linen for clothing increased. It spread its way to Italy, where lovely lace motifs of Punto Taglito and Punto Rialto were done. There it developed into the Punto Aria patterns of Venetian lace. Some motifs of Hardanger show an Assyrian and Egyptian influence which can be traced to the Vikings' many sea forays far into the Mediterranean Sea. The eight-pointed star of Hardanger embroidery is also found in the embroidery of India and is a universal symbol. As these patterns and textiles moved further north, they were modified into Norwegian Hardanger, Danish Hedebo, English Ayrshire work and Ruskin Lacework. Originally Hardanger was called Norwegian Drawn Work.