Made using a needle and thread, this is the most flexible of the lace-making arts. While some types can be made more quickly than the finest of bobbin laces, others are very time-consuming. Some purists regard Needle lace as the height of lace-making. The finest antique needle laces were made from a very fine thread that is not manufactured today. The most delicate and precious type of needle lace is known as Rosepoint lace The pattern is first designed on paper, often reinforced with a piece of tissue, on which the design is realized. The design usually represents a rose or some other flower.

To start the lace maker adds relief to by work by elaborating the flower's outline with a thicker thread. Next stage the interior of the flower design is filled in with much finer thread and a variety of different stitches. For example a fine handkerchief medallion takes three days work. To produce larger pieces, all the medallions are sewn together with a thread so fine that it can only be detected by the eye of an expert. A certificate dating from 1922 states that the veil made for Queen Elizabeth required 12,000 pieces of work and 12,000,000 stitches.

Whitework

There are many types of whitework, but the three primary methods are openwork, cutwork and classic whitework. Openwork draws and pulls threads. Norwegian hardanger falls in this category. Cutwork involves cutting out fabric shapes from the background and then neatening the edges in a decorative manner. Broderie Anglaise and Italian Reticella are both cutwork methods of whitework. Classic whitework uses white embroidery stitching of various depths to create soft and darker shadows. This is often down on exceptionally fine cottons such as fine linen, batiste, muslin, organdie or netting. Typical classic whitework includes Irish Carrickmacross, Scottish Ayrshire which uses pulled threads with embroidery, Dresden and Chikan a floral variety of patterning from India.

Bobbin Lace

As the name suggests, this lace is made with bobbins and a pillow. Bobbin lace is made by using spools called bobbins (as many as 1200 in elaborate examples) and a stuffed pad called a pillow. The pattern is drawn on paper or parchment; pins are inserted along the course of the pattern, through the parchment into the pillow. The loose ends of threads are wound on the bobbins and then looped around selected pins. The bobbins are then passed over, under, or around one another, plaiting, interlacing, and twisting the threads as desired. The patterns may be connected by brides or a reseau and is also known as "Bone-lace."

Tape lace

This term refers to laces that include a tape in the lace as it is worked (or a machine- or hand-made textile strip formed into a design, then joined and embellished with needle or bobbin lace). Through the centuries tape lace has had several names including, mezzo punto, Renaissance lace, and more recently the coarser Brussels tape known as Battenburg. Luxeuil is also famous for tape lace. This is a comparatively quick method of producing lace fabrics using pre-measured tape lengths that are now made by machine. The lengths of narrow tape are joined together with connecting hand stitches, worked in an open manner. Machine made tapes have more folded kinks in them because they don't easily navigate corners. Some tapes have a thread running down one side which can pulled to help it curve more. Bobbin made tapes being hand made are usually designed to curve corners more naturally. Washing the item usually reveals differences as machine made laces don't lie so flat after laundering.

Knotted lace

includes Macrame and Tatting. Tatted lace is made with a shuttle or a tatting needle. Macrame is an ancient knotting technique which reached Europe in the 8th century when the Moors brought it from the near east. From Europe sailors took the craft all over the world. In the 19th century it gained in popularity and has moved in and out of fashion ever since. It can be used to create fringes, braids and tassels, bags, belts, chair backs and hammocks.

Crocheted lace

is a chain technique made by catching loops on each other with a crochet hook. Each loop is pulled through another so the whole becomes a chain. The chain is worked into with even more loops one at a time and a fabric forms as chains build up. Pieces can be worked in one continuous thread interlocking on itself and forming a fabric made of chains. The looping arrangements can be doubled and trebled and this creates areas which are more solid or more loopy and lace like in effect or raised to create rich areas of texture. The yarn thread used is important in achieving a particular end result. Crochet is a simple, fast, easy and transportable technique. Probably the most famous crochet technique is Irish Crochet.

Knitted lace

includes Shetland lace, such as the "wedding ring shawl", which is a lace shawl so fine that it can be pulled through a wedding ring.

Machine made

is any style of lace created or replicated using mechanical means.