I fell in love with textile arts during a workshop given by art professor Marjolaine Salvador Morel, which I took during my baccalaureate. She invited her mother, Mylène Salvador Ros, a master lacemaker in bobbin lace, to introduce us to this technique.

The only two needle lace techniques still executed with the traditional finesse are the twin lace of Alençon and Argentan. Both come from Normandy. The Alençon needlepoint is classified on UNESCO’s list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

It was a magical moment during an internship with embroidery restorer Philippe Cécile. He had recently received an old Spanish embroidered shawl worn by one of the survivors of the Titanic. It had never been washed and was left in tatters because of the sea salt.

A well made piece balances technique, design and the time required to make beautiful objects. The Alençon lace technique has an execution time varying from 7 to 15 hours per centimetre squared.