Saba Lace Room

At Lambee’s Place in Windwardside, every Thursday from 15:00–17:00 (also known as 3–5pm), a group of women colloquially known as the “lace ladies” maintain a social and textile tradition that dates back to the 1870s, when a then-resident of Saba, Mary Gertrude (née Hassell) Johnson, was sent to study at a convent in Venezuela and taught the intricate art of needlework lace crafting, then known as “Spanish work.” 

Upon Mary’s return to Saba, lace work on the island became not only an iconic part of local culture, but — beginning in 1884 — a burgeoning mail-order industry as well. From then through the 1950s, this fabric-craft was one of the main exports and revenue streams for the island of Saba. More than 150 years later, the lace work now known simply as Saba Lace remains an important part of the cultural heritage of the island. The Saba “lace ladies” won the Prince Bernhard Caribbean Culture Prize in 2014, and today, you can wander in to chat, learn, and purchase lace pieces in range of sizes and designs. Pro tip: If you’d like a lesson from Peggy or others, you’ll want good eyes (or very good glasses), and should likely plan to attend more than one session.

Header image by Kai Wulf.