Bobbin lace seems to have developed from passementerie techniques in the second quarter of the sixteenth century as a simple trimming for domestic furnishings rather than for fashion. It is made with a number of bobbins holding threads that will become fabric as the bobbins are moved and the threads are woven, twisted and braided together. Each move of the bobbin results in a "stitch," that is anchored by a pin to a pattern held on a "pillow."

The stitches demonstrated in the sample pictured below are, from top to bottom, Whole Throw, Half Throw, and a combination of Whole Throw, Twists and Cloth Stitch. The bobbins are worked in pairs and the two basic movements are Twist, always to the left and within a single pair, and Cross, always to the right and between two pair. For example, numbering the positions of the bobbins of two pair from left to right 1,2,3,4, a Whole Throw is made by moving the one in 2nd position over that in 1st, and that in 4th position over that in 3rd (two twists to the left, each within a single pair) and then moving the one now in 2nd position over that in 3rd (one Cross to the right between the two pair) and repeating these moves once more to complete the stitch.