Guipure is actually a French word, meaning tape and was originally used to describe lace that has a thicker thread that is used as an outline for the pattern. It is one of the most elegant of all lace qualities. The lace is made up of a continuous design  which creates a denser, more raised pattern than other qualities. The motif is made by a series of closely packed embroidery stitches onto a fine fabric that disintegrates in the finishing process. This means that the “backing” fabric cannot be seen in the finished article as with our other types of lace.