Much has been done in the last decade to preserve the tradition of Idrija lace. However, the number of active lacemakers is decreasing, and we don't use many lace products. I think it is correct that we see Idrija lace as a luxury good and use it mainly on festive occasions and holidays. However, we could give it to each other more often, wear a small, discreet lace necklace to work, enjoy the play of shadows left by a soft light in the evening, show off our curtains with pride, mark a page in our favourite book with a favourite lace motif, etc.
Idrija lace is not cheap in the eyes of the unacquainted, who cannot know that even a tiny lace contains countless hours of time, love and memories. A lacemaker's earnings are meagre. After deducting the dealers' commissions, the cost of materials, the promotion and the taxes paid, a lacemaker finds out that her hard and meticulous work does not pay off. Gaining an average of €2-3 per hour of work, not having a guaranteed purchase of lace from month to month, is hard. The low demand for lace often forces lacemakers to lower their expectations or to question how much their time is worth. This situation explains, at least in part, why lacemaking persists mainly among retired women and why there are so few professional lace dealers.
