The term cutwork lace is often used to describe cutwork whereby the holes are more dominant than the ground material; cutwork embroidery is sometimes used for cutwork whereby the ground is the dominant element. It should be added that these differences are subjective, and the various terms are often interchanged.
With cutwork lace, the edges along the holes are generally neatened with stitches, often the buttonhole stitch. Sometimes the holes are filled in with more decorative designs. A good example of this type is broderie anglaise. An extreme form is reticella.
See also the TRC Needles entries for Hedebo; Madeira lace; St. Gallen embroidery and whitework.
Source: EARNSHAW, Pat (1988). A Dictionary of Lace, Aylesbury: Shire Publications Ltd.
V&A online catalogue (retrieved 7th July 2016).
GVE