Lacis Museum

AMAZING lace and products… Super awkward employment/​management situation. I felt so awkward 90 percent of my time at lacis. I am however happy with the lace we purchased for my wedding dress. LOVELY selection.

I absolutely love this store– everything inside is amazing and gorgeous, and I’ve gone in about five or so times now, despite both reading about terrible customer service and experiencing it several times myself, but it’s just so perfect for all of my projects that I can’t resist. However: I’m finally never going back, and finally writing the review I’ve held back time and time again.
This seriously is the worst shop I’ve ever entered simply because of the management — once a male manager barking orders at the female staff, and then time after time the female manager being terrible and rude to everyone, staff and customers alike, speaking condescendingly and making even a confident person feel insecure, like they’re a pesty child in a fancy adult shop who shouldn’t touch anything and is imposing by entering the store.
AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL.

If you stitch in any way shape or form or create with fibers, this is your place. AMAZING store, they have everything and I mean everything you could possibly need for your art. It is a great place to just wander around and be inspired. There are so many techniques and ideas, things to learn that I had never even heard of. Loved it. Also they are endlessly patient and instructive about what they sell, they KNOW it.

This place is magical…
I finally came by while this place was open! Always managed to saunter by too early or too late. I’m glad I finally got to check it out in its entirety!
I was probably in there for a good 2 hours just looking at the IMMENSE collection and wealth of resource this place had to behold. What an impressive collection of books for sale! There is a section for any and every genre of of fiber-​related craft!!! Not to mention they had a book that I was looking for for the longest time and their manager (I forget her name) was able to give me amazing advice about the process as well!
They also have a lot of amazing obscure little items that are very reasonably priced — like bone needle boxes and lace parasols that would keep you looking around for forever! I also love the displays of lace through the ages… urghhh *drool*
All in all, I recommend that everyone visit and support this lovely little establishment.

I really really wish I would have read the reviews before I spent my money here.
I am appalled at the «customer service» I just experienced.
Sadly this place has an amazing selection of lace, millinery supplies, ribbon and so so so much more, but I’ll never spend another dime here. All those great classes, I’ll miss out.
They carry many things that are hard to come by which is THE ONLY reason I bought anything. When I called yesterday I spoke with a woman who was kind and helpful. When I walked in a woman was helping me. Then some other woman decided to interrogate and berate me. I have never had someone in the business of selling something treat the customer as if they didn’t deserve to be in the store.
She was SO RUDE and really should stay away from customers. I didn’t get a chance to look and BUY all the other things I wanted because I was so upset. Interesting business model.
I really wish I could support this amazing local gem because I know it’s hurting me more by boycotting… But I won’t give my money to someone that thinks it’s ok to treat their customers like that.

I believe this Lace Museum could potentially be a wonderful place — with all the history and artifacts, but the store manager has permanently ruined my experience here and I will never step foot back into this place with a client again.
I’ve never met anyone so arrogant and rude in my life. Instead of helping my client and I browse lace options for a wedding dress, she instead tried to belittle me as a designer and questioned my client about the functionality of the embellishments on her dress.
Dear Renaissance loving, corset on top of a t-​shirt wearing manager — you my be knowledgeable about the history behind lace, but you have no right to treat people so terribly. I get it, you probably have a degree in textiles and are bitter spending your life stuck in a lace retail store, but the malicious hatred towards people in the same industry actually doing something with their lives has got to go.
We would have spent thousands of dollars here if the manager wasn’t so impolite.
Good thing for BRITEX!

I worked with Ellen on a custom veil for my 1920s wedding. She was wonderful and the veil was beautiful! I didn’t want a cap veil that was common in the 20s, but she helped me find a 20s veil style that was elegant and perfect. Then she made to veils that were slightly different, so I was able to choose the veil that looked best to me. She was very patient, calm, creative, and fun. Plus the custom veil she made me was less expensive (but more special) than two other veil shops I went to.
She also made me a little tiara! She used a necklace from my mother-​in-​law and attached it to a wire headband. It looked great and was so nice. Plus it was easy to take off later (unfortunately the mother-​in-​law wanted the necklace back).

Lacis is a Bay Area treasure. If you are a thread-​and-​needle geek… if you love to oggle historic stitches… if you love to do any kind of contemporary/​historic needlework and need supplies — and you live in the area — you are a lucky duck.
I just can’t say enough about this store. It’s magic. It makes me swoon. There are very few places that I’m almost speechless about, I love it so much.
A few highlights:
The museum: has a cycling show, always very well done, featuring some interesting historic needlework style/​item/​etc.
The antiques: there are many antique textiles/​supplies/​tools for sale — as well as many just-​for-​display items/​garments pretty much floor to ceiling. A person could never see everything in Lacis in one visit
The supplies: sooooo many threads… thicknesses, colors, prices… whatever your needle-​based project, they have so much. Then there are the supplies to work with the threads… needles, hooks, shuttles, bobbins…
And the library: HUGE selection (did I mention HUGE?) of all things string… and they’re very well organized… I could spend hours in their book room.
Classes? Of course! Where else can you learn bobbin lace??? NOWHERE. Tatting? Old-​fashioned hat making? Corset making? Some sort of incredibly rare green velvet shamrock-​making that originated in the hills of Ireland in the 1400’s? Certainly Lacis has either had a class on this or will have one!
Yes (addressing some of the other reviews here)… I’ve had an occasional run-​in with a staff-​member who wasn’t too chummy to me – but that has been much less often than the many times I’ve gotten terrific personalized service by people who genuinely seem to love the subject.
I can’t recommend this place highly enough, and I feel genuinely lucky to have it in the Bay Area. It is a terrific resource and a huge inspiration, on so many levels.

The store manager is impolite, arrogant and dismissive. I have been in the antiques business for some decades, on both the East and West coasts, and I have never encountered anyone like her anywhere. Most unbusinesslike — to the point that one wonders whether the owner is aware of what is happening there.

We echo the opinions of other customers who’ve experienced Lacis abysmal and arrogant customer service.
We give two stars because, when it is open, the store has an interesting selection of vintage materials and books.
But the customer service? Quite unpleasant and arrogant on the phone.
We called to find a basic item. We were put on hold three times.
Both people we spoke with talked over us, didn’t listen when we described what we were looking for and behaved as if they couldn’t be bothered.
Apparently they think they are verrrry important.
An unpleasant experience for the customer.
We like to shop locally but won’t when it means subjecting ourselves to such treatment.

I had a hard time finding the right wedding dress and I was actually dreading shopping for one. Bridal stores are not for me at all. Thinking I’d prefer something more vintage-​style, I went to Laci’s and talked with a few of the staff members about my ideas, likes & dislikes. The staff was incredible. Based on my limited general direction & description — the staff brought several dresses for me to try on and was patient and help every step of the way. Finally, I tried a dress on that was perfect. It was a perfect fit and it just felt like it was the right one. I am very grateful to the ladies at Laci’s who had the patience to work with me, to help me and then once we knew which dress — we talked about the right type of accessories to complement the vintage dress. My whole experience at Laci’s was extraordinary. I would recommend them to anyone looking for a true vintage dress and a staff knowledgeable about the fabrics, clothes and finishes.

I was trying to work out what I wanted, either soft Chantilly Lace or a heavier bridal lace when I visited this shop, as well as what lace I wanted for my flower girl’s dress that I was designing. The people who helped me were really great at showing me a number of laces, getting me photocopies of the laces I wanted to consider (just 10cents per page) and answering my questions.
I didnt find lace for me, but I found the perfect ivory, ruffled lace with violets in it for my flower girl — exactly what I wanted to have attached to the ends of her sleeves and the bottom edge of her dress.

Wow — just so many great things to peruse and admire in this shop! I love old textiles and clothing — and it’s really fun to check this place out with a friend who shares the same interest (as opposed to someone who is annoyed to even consider going in here). If you have a costume need for a hoop skirt — they have you covered (or under-​covered as the case may be) with reasonably priced and adjustable hooped garments.
Great fun to check this place out if you happen to be in the neighborhood!

Lacis, the Archaic arts wonderland! What is sold here would make any needlecrafter or textile artist or crafter giddy with joy.
I sometimes feel that I am an old soul in a young body. I shutter with smiles at the bundles of hand-​carded wool, the spectrum of embroidery floss, the library of precious crafting knowledge, even the tools to hand make any kind of lace or textile embellishment you can think of. I could spend hours tracing the delicate patterns of lace, contemplating which of the many thimbles or mini scissors would fit my needs perfectly, pouring over books to find a new olden time craft to teach myself. However, some of the people who work here are determined to make you feel as uncomfortable and unwanted as if you were a stinky street hobo. Oh how I yearn to take my time finding the perfect tatting shuttle or needle felting needle or embroidery ribbon, but every time I go there, I find the staff extremely unhelpful with belittling comments when you ask for some assistance in learning how to make something. If I ran a shop full of antique crafting materials, I would do my best to welcome and encourage anyone, especially young people, to learn the arts instead of telling them you can’t do it. There is so much potential to teach future generations the value of making beautiful and useful things yet this place is determined to remain in the past. I actually order products from their website, however poorly designed it is, in order to avoid the staff here.

Four stars for the amazing selection and price range for embroidery floss. I nearly fainted when I first saw how much they offer. I wish they had at least one kind of inexpensive Aida cloth. I buy mine for about $ 10/​yard from Stonemountain and Daughter down the street.
Minus one star for the person I assume is the store manager. She was friendly enough when I asked her questions, but I really couldn’t stand how she talked to the other employees in a very condescending way right in front of me. Everyone else I’ve dealt with in that store has been pretty nice, although they all watch you like a hawk just in case.

I don’t really know why this place has some bad reviews about their customer service. I thought it was fine… I even went to the museum area of the store and the girl that was with me was happy to answer the questions I had about some of the items. Sometimes to get good service customers also need to be pleasant and understanding. It’s a state of mind.
Anyway, this is the only store in the bay area that sells steel boning and coutil… two essential items for corset making and bustier making. Yes, that’s right. The ONLY store. Not even Britex stocks coutil. I might be wrong about the steel boning… if there’s another place please let me know.
They also sell various lace making supplies and knitting stuff, which I know nothing about. Various millinery items are also stocked (buckram and other things).
There’s also a «library» section of the store which has various books on textiles, fashion, designers, and other neat stuff.
It’s cheaper to get these materials online… but sometimes I need the stuff right away and I don’t want to wait for it to be shipped to me. Additionally, to get the discounts online, you need to buy in bulk… which is not realistic for most people. Most people don’t need more than 12 pieces of various lengths of steel bones. They also sell steel bones which you can cut and cap yourself… but hey time is money too you know. I’ll stick to the precut ones.
A great store if you need very specific items (and of course LACE)! :)

After pondering and pondering Lacis for years, I finally managed to drag myself over the bridge and work this into my Berkeley itinerary. I don’t know why I waited so long! My motivation stemmed from a dress that I fell in love with at Jeremy’s which had a huge stain near the hem. Knowing that there’s no M&J Trim on this coast, I went to the next best thing — LACIS.
The people who work at Lacis are super crazy helpful. I very prominently carried my Jeremy’s bag around, trying to be very very obvious that I wasn’t there to steal. I found some lace that I thought would match the dress, and pulled out a hunk of my dress to see if I liked it. The lady there (she was either the owner or the manager) asked me what I was looking for. After contemplating the stain, she advised me to try washing it before going through all this time, effort, and money to cover it. That is the first time a store has ever suggested that I NOT buy anything! Since I was extremely doubtful that I’d come back (because I driving), I decided to look for some lace anyways.
She calls over one of the girls, who takes me into a third room. I lay out the dress, and she starts pulling out lace. I’m glad she was there or else I wouldn’t be able to touch anything. Lacis carries soo many options! My dress was creamy, and they had so many different kinds of lace in that tone. And they were all good quality lace. Not that poly crap you get at a big box. She cut and took the lace to the register when I mentioned that I wanted to look around for a bit.
This is definitely the oddest (in the best way possible) museum and store. It’s that ideal grandma’s closet kind of world where you see knick knacks and sooo much lace. THIS is where you go when you need lace options in the bay. And the antique dresses hang all over. Anyone who loves antique/​vintage dresses or needs lace or millenary equipment or sewing stuff should DEFINITELY go here. It’s a treasure and an inspiration.
Note: I didn’t end up using the lace on the dress — it felt like overkill, but I’ve been saving it and the thought of it lives in the back of my mind like a dress waiting to happen.

Fantastic. If fabric arts — embroidery, knitting, tatting, crochet, etc or if you make bustiers this is a must visit.
They currently have a bobbin lace exhibit which is very cool, as well as bobbin lace classes. Go, enjoy.

The Lacis Museum of Lace & Textiles was founded in 2004 but the store has been here forever. The original collector started Lacis in 1965 and passed away in 2002. The museum was created to preserve her memory.
I love sewing and arts & crafts. I was fortunate to finally gain entry to this museum. Entrance is free. There are Laces; textiles; period clothing; costumes; books; patterns; lace-​making tools; sewing machines galore to see. The level on intricacy and knowledge about lace cannot be found in normal sewing notion stores. They offer classes and exhibits. This place is a must see for vintage clothing buffs.

Alright. I’ve seen very widely differing opinions on Lacis.
I went in yesterday, and had something bordering on a religious experience.
I am a big huge nerd.
I spent about an hour in gleeful silence, looking at things I can only find once every 6 – 8 months on ebay or the odd auction site, if at all.
Methodically pawing through rare french laces, antique jet beaded appliques, fragments of disintegrating chinese silk and heavy gold bullion embroidery, feathers, embroidery floss and millinery supplies… wiping drool from the glass cases holding chatelaines, mourning jewelry and ivory buttonhooks.
Their pricing was fair from a retail perspective. From the perspective of an encyclopedic victoriana, textile, and ethnic jewelry hound; a little spendy, but not exorbitant.
Their supply of sewing notions was better than anywhere I’ve ever seen.
From tiny crane shaped thread snips to gently curved abalone crochet hooks, and massive tailors shears, they do cover the budget gamut of most DIY types. The woman that helped me and my friend was knowledgeable and cool, though one of the girls was a little standoffish when I made mention of how gorgeous the perfectly preserved silver chatelaine I was staring at was… I may have looked kinda crazy (which I often do) though, so I understand.
What I did appreciate was being left alone to look through everything until we asked for assistance. I am a pierced, multicolored dreadlock sorta moppet and my friend has a half shaved head of lavender hair.
I hate being hounded and watched, and for once; I wasn’t.
Also, we hung around looking for too long of course, but we were gently, even kinda sweetly shuffled out of the store at closing. I will be going back as soon as I can, as I didn’t even make it into the third room, and I know I only gave a preemptory glance to their exhaustive library and their beads.
:drools happily on self: