Chemical lace is a form of machine-made lace. This method of lace-making is done by embroidering a pattern on a sacrificial fabric that has been chemically treated so as to disintegrate after the pattern has been created. Schiffli machines came into use in the late 19th century. Before that, embroidery machines called Swiss hand machine were used to make chemical lace as well as embroideries. In modern production, the base fabric is typically made from a water-soluble or heat-sensitive material.