Freehand lace is bobbin lace worked directly on the fabric of the lace pillow without using a pricked pattern. Very few pins are needed (in most cases, only at the two edges.) The very early bobbin laces were probably made freehand, as pins were scarce, coarse, and expensive. At first, the laces were purely utilitarian: “seaming” laces (insertions) joining narrow widths of fabric, and toothed or scalloped laces reinforcing the edges (edgings). Many of the later freehand laces were also functional, but some areas produced very wide ornamental laces.