: to ornament the border or edges of
Purfle is such a fancy word. I immediately thought about this in terms of sewing, and frequently lace is attached to the edges of fabric to sort of dress it up. Lace is by no means solely a French thing, but I did associate it to some degree with France. So I did a little Googling, and I found a great site that shed some light on that. Here's what I found out:
"Two hundred kilometers west of Paris, in the Norman town of Alençon, a handful of women carry on a tradition begun more than four centuries ago. Here, at the Ecole Dentelliere, professional lace makers who use techniques devised in the 15th century painstakingly manufacture the "point d'Alençon," the most elaborate needlepoint lace made in France. Today, because of the high costs of manufacturing, it is considered a luxury lace, and the largest pieces are sold mainly as extravagant lingerie in high-fashion Paris shops, but point d'Alençon once enjoyed a more widespread popularity."
Lace has been popular in France since the 15th and 16th centuries. This site traces the rise in popularity back to Catherine de Medici, who was herself Italian but married Henri II and became a rather influential queen of France. Lace continued to be very popular among the nobility of France and its creation was sanctioned and supported by Louis XIV. Alençon was ranked first among the different producers of lace in the country because they were already that good. Alençon lace is known for its intricacy and is still considered exquisite today. I find this description very interesting:
"The creation of Alençon lace requires nine complex steps. In the traditional manner, almost every step is performed by a different lace maker, each with her own specialty. Final assembly of all pieces of the lace requires the skill of a senior lace maker. She must be an expert in all stitches and capable of blending the work of many hands into an apparently seamless whole."
Here is the website for the museum in Alençon: Musée des Beaux-Arts et de la Dentelle
And here is a lovely picture:
Et voilà! :)
